1. Concerning First Principles
Hebrews 6:1-2

2. Concerning First Principles
Hebrews 6:1-2
What are first principles?
The Basics. Foundational subjects upon which everything else is based
2 Peter 1:5
1 Corinthians 3:11
Concerning First Principles

3. Concerning First Principles
What are first principles?
Not always easiest to understand, (though many concepts are simple) but fundamental to grasping more mature concepts
Concerning First Principles

4. Concerning First Principles
Hebrews 5:12-6:2
An interlude
A gentle rebuke (5:12-14)
Teachers by this time
Instead they needed to be reminded of first principles
There is a need to go beyond
Concerning First Principles

5. Concerning First Principles
Hebrews 5:12-6:2
The challenge: Leaving elementary principles, go on
Writer is NOT saying to abandon first principles, but he is speaking of a familiarity (automatic recall, etc.)
The point, these are not all there is
Concerning First Principles

6. Concerning First Principles
Repentance from dead works
A subject that needs to be understood BEFORE one obeys the gospel (Acts 2:38, 3:19, 17:30-31)
Repentance – change, lit. of the mind.
Put off the old man – Colossians 3:9-10, Romans 6:6
Concerning First Principles

7. Concerning First Principles
Repentance from dead works
True repentance described – 2 Corinthians 7:10-11
Demonstrated – Luke 15:17-19, Matthew 21:28-31, etc.
From dead works – works of the ungodly, works that produce “death” – Ephesians 2:1, Romans 6:23
Concerning First Principles

8. Concerning First Principles
Faith toward God
Elementary in every way
We build upon it, toward a sure “election” 2 Peter 1:5ff, 9-11
Hebrews 11:6
At times, describes all that we do – “the faith” Romans 3: Colossians 2:7
Concerning First Principles

9. Concerning First Principles
Faith toward God
It must be an active faith James 2:14-26
A faith that will provoke us tor grow and move forward. It will sustain us.
Concerning First Principles

10. Concerning First Principles
Doctrine of baptisms
Baptism is important Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, 22:16, 1 Peter 3:20-21, Romans 6:3-4, etc.
It leads to our salvation
It is immersion (Acts 8:36)
Concerning First Principles

11. Concerning First Principles
Doctrine of baptisms
Baptisms? Plural
NASB, “instruction about washings”
Jewish converts would have recalled Jewish “washings” – Mark 7:4, Hebrews 9:9-10
Also baptism of John & Jesus
Concerning First Principles

12. Concerning First Principles
Laying on of hands
Likely spiritual gifts
These were fundamental in the first century cf. Acts 8:16-19
Needed because they did not have the completed word (1 Corinthians 13:8-12, Matthew 9:1-8)
Concerning First Principles

13. Concerning First Principles
Laying on of hands
Can also mean, approval or appointment cf. Acts 6:6, 13:3
We have the completed word, but we must accept its source, and that IS fundamental (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Concerning First Principles

14. Concerning First Principles
The resurrection of the dead
Fundamental to the Christian faith
Consider the resurrection of Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-10
But also our resurrection! (1 Corinthians 15: Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Concerning First Principles

15. Concerning First Principles
The resurrection of the dead
Why are we here?
It is because we have a hope beyond this life 1 John 3:1-3 – with hope, we purify ourselves
Concerning First Principles

16. Concerning First Principles
Eternal judgment
Life does not end after death
We will ALL appear before God and be judged – Hebrews 9:27, Romans 14:10-12, Acts 17:30-31
ALL will be judged – John 5:28-29, Matthew 25:31-46
Concerning First Principles

17. Concerning First Principles
Eternal judgment
This is why we try to reach others? 2 Corinthians 5:11
Concerning First Principles

18. Are you grounded in the first principles of the oracles of God?