What is repentance from dead works in Hebrews 6:1?

Response

In the book of Hebrews, the author issues several warnings about false faith and addresses the issue of immaturity among believers who had previously adhered to Jewish customs. Despite these believers being expected to have reached a higher level of maturity, even to the extent of being able to teach others, they were still spiritual infants and slow to learn (Hebrews 5:11-14). The author of Hebrews encourages these believers to move beyond the basic teachings of Christ and progress towards maturity, avoiding revisiting the foundational principles of repentance from dead works, faith in God, teachings about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:1-2;ESV). Instead of dwelling on the fundamental aspects of faith, these believers needed to advance towards spiritual growth.

The “dead works” that require repentance are actions carried out by those who are “estranged from the life of God” (having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God due to the ignorance within them, because of the hardness of their hearts), (Ephesians 4:18). These deeds may have a religious nature, but they are “dead” as they do not bring spiritual life. While these works may seem virtuous and genuinely devout, they lack a foundation in faith in Christ or love for God, making them ineffective in terms of salvation and eternal life. Turning away from one’s own works is essential for placing trust in Christ and is therefore considered a fundamental teaching of Christ (Therefore, leaving behind the basic teachings of Christ, let us move on to maturity; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works.

In the context of the book of Hebrews, the specific dead works to which the author refers are the Levitical rituals that the professing Jewish Christians had trusted in before salvation in Christ. Offering sacrifices and performing rituals never saved anyone, but rather served to make a person ceremonially clean: “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:13-14;ESV). Note the reference to “dead works” in this passage as well—this time clearly linked to the works of the law.

The law pointed to the need for Christ «Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. », (Galatians 3:24) and served a vital purpose of revealing the presence of sin in people’s lives (Romans 7:7;1 Timothy 1:8-11). The first-century Jewish followers of Jesus had already turned from their trust in Levitical works to trust in Christ’s death and resurrection. In their pursuit of spiritual maturity, they did not need to keep returning to that basic teaching of the faith. It was time to move on.

The Mosaic Law laid the foundation for the Christian faith, and those who had formerly kept the law needed to move on to embrace the truth of God’s revelation in Christ. If these professing Jewish Christians parked themselves on the “foundation of repentance from dead works,” then they would cease to grow in their understanding of the gospel and the freedom found in Christ. (Hebrews 6:1).

Se maturing in their faith. The “elementary truths of God’s Word” they were to move beyond also included “faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1-2). All these teachings were learned under the Old Covenant; it was now incumbent upon the Jewish Christians to progress to the fuller teaching of Christ under the New Covenant. The writer of Hebrews was encouraging these believers to advance in faith in Jesus Christ—the fulfillment of the law—not to revert to the law, which he warns against in Hebrews 6:4–6. The Jewish believers needed to see the law as the foundation it was, to recognize it as a shadow and symbol that pointed to the reality in Christ. Jesus had fulfilled the law and given them something better (Hebrews 8–10). As they grew in the faith, they could partake of the “solid food” available to them (Hebrews 5:12-14).

Just like the Christians in the book of Hebrews, we can become stagnant in the faith and fail to grow. Instead of focusing solely on the basic tenets of the faith, all Christians should strive to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” «But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.», (2 Peter 3:18). The first step of faith is to stop trying to please God with dead works, rituals, and hollow forms of religion. Trying to keep the law cannot save anyone (Romans 3:10,20;Ephesians 2:8-9). Like the first recipients of the book of Hebrews, we should progress to maturity in Christ: “And so, God willing, we will move forward to further unde

Understanding” “And this will we do, if God permits.”, (Hebrews 6:3, NLT).