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

The next words give a sample of the things that occupied those who were not full grown, from which they are here dissuaded: "not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God." It was all well to have laid such a foundation once; it was childish to be ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth. Repentance is indispensable for a sinful man; faith in God must ever be in a saint. But eternal life is now bestowed, Christ sent as propitiation, and the Holy Ghost given to us. Is all this to leave believers where they were? Take again yet lower things, "of doctrine of washings and imposition of hands." These had their place, as we know, and many heed them much now as then, external though they are and in no way perfecting the worshipper as touching the conscience. The "washings" may include John's baptism, or that of the disciples, though the word slightly differs in its form; and the laying on of hands was certainly an ancient sign of blessing, which we see practised in various ways even after the gospel. But those whose hearts dwell in such signs and set not their mind on things above betray the symptoms of their infantine condition. God has provided some better thing for us. They are among the things whatever their teaching might be, which the light of the glory now revealed in Christ leaves in the shade. So again with the still weightier doctrine "of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment." No Christian denies either for a moment, but acknowledges both truths; yet he looks for his blessing at Christ's coming, as he knows from His own lips that judgment awaits only those who reject Him, and that believers are to rise in the contrasted resurrection of life and do not come into judgment.

True Christianity is but the manifestation of the life of Christ, implanted in us by the operation of the Holy Ghost, in pursuance of God's eternal counsels of sovereign grace; and all our doings, previous to the implantation of this life, are but "dead works," from which we need to have our consciences purged just as much as from "wicked works." (Heb. 9:14) The term "dead works," comprehends all works which men do with the direct object of getting life. If a man is seeking for life, it is very evident that he has not yet gotten it. He may be very sincere in seeking it, but his very sincerity only makes it the more obvious that, as yet, he has not consciously reached it. Hence, therefore, everything done in order to get life is a dead work, inasmuch as it is done without life — the life of Christ, the only true life, the only source from whence good works can flow. And, observe, it is not a question of "wicked works;" no one would think of getting life by such. No; you will find, on the contrary, that persons continually have recourse to "dead works," in order to ease their consciences, under the sense of "wicked works," whereas divine revelation teaches us that the conscience needs to be purged from the one as well as the other.

The Apostle speaks of repentance from dead works, faith in God, of the doctrine of washings, of imposition of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. These things were all known before the incarnation of Christ. The faith he speaks of is faith in God, not personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The washings refer to Jewish purifications, not Christian baptism. The laying on of hands refers to the way by which the Israelite identified himself as the offerer with the victim he offered. Resurrection is of the dead, not “from among the dead”, as in Christianity. Martha, in the Gospel story, believed in the resurrection of the dead; she found it difficult to believe in the Christian truth that one could be raised from among the dead while others were left in death.

Border-ground. — The rebuke administered, exhortations follow: "Let us go on to perfection not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, of the doctrine [or, teaching] of baptisms, and of the laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permit" (6:1-3). To teaching current at Jerusalem he would not confine himself. The futility of such a practice the state of the Hebrews sufficiently attested. To be full-grown men must be their aim. But of some of the doctrines common to Jews and Christians he reminds his readers, and they are enumerated in three pairs. First, repentance from dead works and faith toward God. Next, the doctrine of baptisms and the laying on of hands. Then comes the third pair, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. Conscience work, submission to rites, and the solemn future, under these heads they are summed up.

Repentance from dead works is taught throughout Scripture. John the Baptist preached it (Matt. 3:2), the Lord also (Mark 1:15), and the Twelve as well sent out by Him (Mark 6:12). Faith too was recognised as needed. But whilst the Christian teacher, if he did his work aright, would emphasize faith in Christ as well as faith in God, the Jews of course would only insist on the latter. Faith toward God therefore might be inculcated by those who were not Christians at all. It fell short of the Divine revelation for Christian times. To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is essential if true blessing is now to be enjoyed.

Verse 1 of this chapter is not properly translated in the Authorized Version, and it should be evident that we must never leave "the principles of the doctrine of Christ." Divine principles and sound doctrine must be unalterably the vital basis of all Christianity. But the New Translation reads rightly, "Wherefore, leaving the word of the beginning of the Christ, let us go on (to what belongs) to full growth, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God, of the doctrine of washings, and of imposition of hands, and of resur­rection of the dead, and of eternal judgment; and this will we do if God permit."

Though Christ had come, and the glory of God had been so revealed in Him, yet Jewish believers, being zealous for the law, were as yet babes occupied with those things that formerly pointed to Christ, -the sign-posts of Old Testament doctrines, - rather than with Christ Himself. This could give no perfection, or mature growth. Let us not turn back to engage our attention with the signposts but go on to where the sign-posts direct us, the full knowledge of Him in Whom all perfection is found. The teaching of the Old Testament is a foundation for the more vital teaching of Christianity. The law itself called for "repentance from dead works," by the very fact of its condemnation of evil. It called for "faith toward God," but it did not reveal "the glow of God in the face of Jesus Christ." It had its ceremonial "baptisms and laying on of hands," - formal cleansings indicating the need of moral cleansing; formal identification with the offering of animals, etc. (Cf. Lev. 1:4), typical of a vital identification with Christ in His great work of atonement. "The resurrection of the dead" was a well-known doctrine. Law itself demanded such a doctrine, for its claims of justice and equity were not met in the brief span of man's earthly existence: there was an accounting yet to be made. (There was however no teaching nor understanding of a "resurrection from among the dead," that is, of the distinct resurrection of saints at the coming of the Lord.) "Eternal judgment" too is a doctrine that law required and bore witness to, for if the authority of God is despised, His wrath against such rebellion must he consistent with His very nature; it must be eternal. These then are elementary principles preparatory to the revelation of the Person of Christ.

The "word of the beginning of Christ" is given us in the six doctrines stated, which lead on to Christianity; if they were the Christian "foundation," it would be a Christianity without Christ. The apostle says, "not laying again a foundation," because he has in view Jews who had accepted the Christian one, and who, if they went back to Judaism would be turning back to what they had given up. There is nothing in this which is distinctively Christian. It is not a question as to the truth of what is stated, but of its being the Christian foundation. Two things come first, which are in fact, fundamental — "repentance from dead works, and faith in God," not the Lord Jesus. Two doctrines come last, which concern the future, "resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment" — not "resurrection from the dead," which is Christian truth. Between these two pairs, we have what may be more questioned, but comes to the heart of the matter as characterizing Judaism — "a teaching of baptisms and laying on of hands," which has been claimed a$ Christian baptism and confirmation (!) or baptism and ordination, almost equally strange associates as a foundation. The truth is of nearer connection with the subject before us than such things would imply.

The things which they were thus to leave behind are severally stated, and are classed, in common, as fundamental or established principles. At the head of these we find "repentance from dead works," close joined with its correlative "faith towards God." The unprofitableness of the flesh, and the necessity of faith in God as a Saviour, were maxims of the Father's wisdom from the earliest times. In the scriptures of the prophets these things had been emphatically stated as the word of saving doctrine. It was held fast as such by every quickened soul; though the spirit of bondage kept the children still in fear, until the work of their emancipation had been fully wrought (Gal. 4).

There are six ways in which the apostle here describes Judaism; and mark, it was not a carnal institution that he was speaking of, "after the commandments and doctrines of men," but of that which had been provided by God, and which was connected with certain great fundamental truths which underlie all knowledge of Him. So you will find in this description of Judaism, not merely form and ceremony, but other things as well. They are in pairs, as you will notice: "Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God." All through the Old Testament repentance was constantly spoken of. Alas, His people were perpetually wandering from Him, and God was constantly calling them back to repentance. Their works were but dead works, unprofitable because they were done in disobedience to God. Wherever there is any dealing with God it must begin with repentance, before there can be full faith. Connected with this repentance was the faith in God; not faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, for he is speaking of the old revelation which God had given of Himself in Judaism. Abraham, the progenitor of the whole Jewish nation, was distinguished by his faith, and wherever there had been any true worship of God it was upon the basis of faith, that is, confidence in Himself.

But these were things recognized in all relationships with Him from the beginning. But they were not things which formed the basis, gave color and tone as you may say, to their knowledge at the present time. It was not now a constant repentance from dead works. It was not now mere abstract faith in God as He was revealed in the Old Testament, but the repentance of genuine self-judgment which once for all took its place as lost and guilty in the presence of God, and then accepted Christ Jesus as God's full and perfect provision for salvation.

John. Exactly so; and that makes all that follows very simple. Let us take up each clause. “Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.” They had done this once if Christians, they had judged themselves as guilty of rejecting the Lord Jesus, and putting Him to death; yet faith toward God had owned Him, in raising up Jesus from the dead. This change of mind in utter self-judgment had accepted forgiveness of sins in His name, and thus the only foundation had been laid, which could not be repeated. But as they were zealous of the law, they were in great danger of going back when they failed, as of old, to repeated offerings and repentances. You observe, James, Christianity as set up of God the Holy Ghost, was such a contrast to Judaism. The Christian has no temple, no ritual, no sacrifices, nothing for the eye to rest upon. All heavenly: all spiritual worship: no wonder there was such a tendency to give up the spiritual, and go back altogether to earthly visible worship.

Again, this force of the word is clearly seen by contrast, "There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine that need no repentance." Luke 15:7, 10. Where there is nothing to judge, repentance has no place; where sin is, this judgment of one's own state is called for. So the Lord came to call sinners to repentance, Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32. Again, the Lord upbraids the cities where most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not. Tyre and Sidon would have repented if they had seen them. Is it not a practical change and self-judgment on the testimony before them? Matthew 11:20-21. Again, the Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonas. Matthew 12:41. We cannot say they were converted. Fear caused it, but they believed the testimony, judged themselves, fasted and put on sackcloth. Again, if a brother wrong me, and seven times a day come, saying "I repent," I am to forgive him. Luke 17:4. Here there is no question of conversion, he is not converted seven times a day. Again, we see by many of these passages it refers to their previous state of sin. So Acts 8:22, "Repent of this thy wickedness." So Revelation 9:30-31; 2:21-22. The same principle is contained in Matthew 18:2, 5: so, in its fruit in 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, they sorrowed to repentance; godly sorrow worked repentance. Here they were converted long ago, and had believed long ago. But they had been in a bad state, and had repented. How it shewed itself may be seen in verse 11: "For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge." Now these I admit are the proofs and fruits of repentance, how it shewed itself. Still they teach us what it is. So Hebrews 6:1, we have repentance from dead works.