THEREFORE LEAVING THE ELEMENTARY TEACHING ABOUT THE CHRIST: dio aphentes (AAPMPN)  ton tes arches tou Christou logon tou Christou: (Mark 1:1; John 1:1-3; 1Timothy 3:16)

Therefore - As discussed below this is not the best chapter division (the divisions and versification are not inspired.)

Therefore (1352) (dio) is a term of conclusion (always ask "What's it 'there for?'"). Why is it there for? Because of the argument he has just mentioned about the difficulty of subject (of the priesthood of Melchizedek) the dullness of the readers ("by this time you ought to be teachers!" - see notes Hebrews 5:12; 13; 14). It is time to get out of the crib and off the bottle and to grow up, to move on, to become mature believers. And to help them understand the goal God desires for His children, the writer has just present a clear contrast between the mature Christians and the immature Christian.

Spurgeon observes that...

In the previous chapter, Paul was writing to some who ought to have been teachers, but who needed still to be taught the first principles of the gospel; they were such babes in grace that they needed the milk of the Word, — the very simplest elements of gospel truth, — and not the strong meat of solid doctrine. The apostle, however, desires that the Hebrew believers should understand the sublimer doctrines of the gospel, and so be like men of full age who can eat strong meat. In this chapter he exhorts them to seek to attain to this standard.

Dave Branon puts it this way...

Few of us look in the mirror and come to the conclusion of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath. During his heyday as a player, Namath wrote a book titled I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow . . . 'Cause I Get Better-Looking Every Day.

As egotistical as that title sounds, it can help us see how we as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should view ourselves in the lifelong process of becoming like Him. Scripture tells us that to become more like Christ, we need to keep getting better every day.

The development of Christlikeness is called sanctification. It begins the moment we put our faith in Christ for forgiveness of our sins. In God's eyes we are sanctified, or "set apart" from the ungodly, and placed in God's family. But sanctification is also the ongoing process in which we become more and more like our Savior as we allow the Holy Spirit to develop in us His characteristics. Our part is to "press on," striving to reach spiritual maturity (see note Philippians 3:12).

Ask yourself this question: Am I better-looking spiritually than I was yesterday? It's a good test of whether you are becoming more like Jesus. —Dave Branon (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Every day more like my Savior,
Every day my will resign,
Till at last Christ reigns supremely
In this grateful heart of mine. --Brandt

The new birth takes only a moment; the growth of a saint takes a lifetime.

Stedman introduces this section of the letter noting that...

Life presents a thousand examples of the need to act on knowledge before any benefit is received. It is not enough to know a telephone number; if you want to talk to someone, you must dial the number. It is not enough to know the price of an object; if you want it, you must pay that price. It is not enough to know where India is; if you want to see it, you must go there. So it should not seem strange that the writer of Hebrews insists that to know Jesus you must receive Him by faith and obey His teaching. The unfortunate chapter division at this point tends to minimize the opening Therefore of chapter 6. Our author does not propose to teach his readers again the elementary truths of God’s word though he has told them their dullness seems to require it. They already know the teaching; what they need now is personal commitment to it. This can only be achieved by going on to those actions of faith that produce maturity. For this reason he urges them to leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on from words to applications. Elementary teachings is not a reference to regeneration, but means introductory information that could lead to regeneration...These transitional truths lead from Jewish beliefs and practices to a full sharing in Christ. Though Bruce takes them as a Jewish list and others as Christian, the truth is they are both, as Bruce concedes that each “acquires a new significance in a Christian context” (1964:112). The point is that they do not represent anything but the barest beginnings of Christian faith. It is necessary to go from the knowledge of these initial truths to experiences which actually draw upon the priestly ministry of Jesus for this is what would lead them from head knowledge to heart response. (Hebrews 6:1-20 Repentance Can Be Impossible!)

Leaving the elementary teaching - The verb Leaving (as discussed more below)  is in a tense (aorist) that calls for definite, effective action by the individual. Further, the active voice signifies that this change of direction requires a definite choice of one's will. Progress in the Christian life is not just "let go and let God" as some teach, but entails personal responsibility and personal initiative to seek to progress in the Christian life. Although the analogy is not perfect, spiritual progress is a bit like riding a bicycle -- stop pedaling and sooner or later you fall over. The writer of course is not implying that one can press on to spiritual maturity in his or her own strength apart from the grace of God and the supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit, but he does place a responsibility for growth upon those who would seek to walk worthy of their Lord. Paul gives a similar exhortation in Romans 12:1 (note), calling for each believer to present himself or herself as a living sacrifice, for he knows that unless this act of consecration occurs and includes a presentation of one's members to God as instruments of holiness and righteousness, there will be no progress in spiritual maturity. We don't just naturally "drift" toward Christlikeness.

In short, the writer is emphasizing the human side of pressing on to maturity. Everyone born into the family of God is born with the capacity to progress out of infancy into maturity in Christ. But as he has already alluded to in this letter, the writer recognized that there were those who were in danger of returning to the old "religious" order that they might escape persecution. And so even as a man seeking a wife is called to "leave and cleave", the writer exhorts his readers to leave spiritual infancy and press on to spiritual maturity.

Leaving (863) (aphiemi from apo = prefix implies separation + hiemi = put in motion, send) conveys the basic idea of an action which causes separation and means to send from one's self, to forsake, to hurl away, to put away, let alone, disregard, put off. It conveys the basic idea of an action which causes separation and refers to total detachment, total separation, from a previous location or condition. It means to send forth or away from one's self. It refers to the act of putting something away or of laying it aside. In secular Greek aphiemi initially conveyed the sense of to throw and in one secular writing we read "let the pot drop" (aphiemi). From this early literal use the word came to mean leave or let go.

Wuest an an interesting note on the verb leaving writing that it...

is an aorist participle. Greek grammar tells us that the action of the aorist  participle precedes the action of the leading verb in the sentence, which in this case is “let us go on.” The aorist tense speaks of a once for all action. We could translate, “Therefore, having abandoned once for all the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection.” The act of abandoning is the pre-requisite to that of going on. One cannot go on without first separating one’s self from that to which one is attached. The word translated “let us go on” is first person plural subjunctive, which is used for hortatory purposes in Greek. That is, we have an exhortation here. Another way of exhorting one in Greek is to use the imperative mode. There is a classification of the participle in Greek which is designated, “the participle used as an imperative.” Our word “abandoning” is an imperative participle. It gives a command. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos)

Leaving off or let go from one’s further notice does not imply ceasing to believe in elementary teaching or to regard them as unimportant, but leaving them "as a builder leaves his foundation in erecting his building". The writer's point is that the beginning is not a stopping place but is the door to further progress in the spiritual life.

Vincent writes that...

Leaving or dismissing does not imply ceasing to believe in elementary truths or to regard them as important, but leaving them “as a builder leaves his foundation in erecting his building” (Bruce).

Wuest adds that...

To use the word “leaving” in the sense that a superstructure of a house leaves the foundation and yet builds on it, as is done by some expositors, is a case of English eisegesis (reading into the text what is not there). The word is an aorist participle. Greek grammar tells us that the action of the aorist participle precedes the action of the leading verb in the sentence, which in this case is “let us go on.” The aorist tense speaks of a once for all action. (Ibid or Ibid)

The idea for Jewish believers and those who profess to believe is to abandon shadows, types, pictures, and sacrifices of the old economy and come to the reality of the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. To paraphrase it the writer is saying

 “Leave the pictures of the Messiah and go on to the Messiah Himself,”

Elementary (746) (arche) means the first, the beginning (the things that occurred prior in time). It can mean supreme in rank but clearly that is not the meaning in this verse.  In relation to time, arche refers to the beginning of anything, the first. Think about a baby who begins playing with blocks but moves on to tricycles, etc. The writer is telling his readers to leave the elementary teaching concerning the doctrines upon which their prior religious life had been based. Leave the milk! These elementary doctrines were those teaching that Christianity had in common with Judaism, the teaching they had received from the Old Testament. They had to move past those teachings that Judaism had in common with Christianity, or otherwise they would never move on to maturity.

Teaching (3056) (logos from lego = to speak intelligently source of English "logic, logical") means something said and describes a communication whereby the mind finds expression in words. Although Lógos is most often translated word which Webster defines as "something that is said, a statement, an utterance", the Greek understanding of lógos is somewhat more complex. In the Greek mind and as used by the secular and philosophical Greek writers, lógos did not mean merely the name of an object but was an expression of the thought behind that object's name.

Lógos then is a general term for speaking, but always used for speaking with rational content. Lógos is a word uttered by the human voice which embodies an underlying concept or idea. When one has spoken the sum total of their thoughts concerning something, they have given to their hearer a total concept of that thing. Thus the word lógos conveys the idea of “a total concept” of anything. Lógos means the word or outward form by which the inward thought is expressed and made known. It can also refer to the inward thought or reason itself. Note then that lógos does not refer merely to a part of speech but to a concept or idea. In other words, in classical Greek, lógos never meant just a word in the grammatical sense as the mere name of a thing, but rather the thing referred to, the material, not the formal part. In fact, the Greek language has 3 other words (rhema, onoma, epos) which designate a word in its grammatical sense. Lógos refers to the total expression whereas rhema for example is used of a part of speech in a sentence. In other words rhema , emphasizes the parts rather than the whole.

The elementary teaching - "the rudiments of the beginning". The writer has just addressed this topic (which is why this is such a poor chapter division) chiding them that...

though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (See notes Hebrews 5:12; 5:13;:14)

F F Bruce observes that...

Practically every item (in the writers list that follows) could have its place in a fairly orthodox Jewish community

The writer may have felt that to concentrate on this area would be of no help to those slipping back into Judaism. Therefore he went on to "solid food."

The Christ - the Messiah (remember they are predominantly Jewish group, a mixture of believers and professor but not yet believers)

Wuest asks...

Now what does the writer exhort these Hebrews to abandon, and to what does he urge them to allow themselves to be borne along? Well, what does a mariner do when he is at a loss as to exactly where he is? He checks his position by his instruments. The aviator in a similar situation checks his course by the radio beam. An exegete in a similar situation will consult the historical background and analysis of the book. And that is exactly what we will do. We found that the writer proves twice over that the New Testament in Jesus’ Blood is superior to and takes the place of the First Testament in animal blood. After proving this, he shows that faith is the only way of appropriating the salvation which the High Priest procured for sinners at the Cross. In the light of this demonstration, he warns them against falling away. He exhorts them to go on to faith in the New Testament Sacrifice. Having left the temple sacrifices, and having identified themselves with the visible Church, from what could they fall away but from their profession of Messiah as High Priest, and to what could they fall back to but First Testament sacrifices? Thus the words, “the principles of the doctrine of Christ,” must refer to the First Testament sacrifices, for these Jews are exhorted to abandon them. Likewise, the word “perfection” must speak of the New Testament Sacrifice to which they are exhorted to allow themselves to be borne along. Our analysis has guided us to the correct interpretation.  (Ibid)

LET US PRESS ON TO MATURITY: epi ten teleioteta pherometha (1PPPS): (Hebrews 7:11-note; Hebrews 12:13-note; Proverbs 4:18; Matthew 5:48 - note; 1Corinthians 13:10; 2Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 4:12 - note; Philippians 3:12-15 -notes; Colossians 1:28-note; Colossians 4:12-note; James 1:4-note; 1 Peter 5:10-note; 1John 4:12)

Click for all 12 "let us..." exhortations in Hebrews (in the NASB).

Press on (5342) (phero) be borne along like a ship by the wind (see below). The use of the passive voice emphasizes the exertion of power on the individual from an outside source. passive voice also conveys the the thought of the need of the recipient to willingly surrender to this outside influence (see comments below on the Holy Spirit). The present tense emphasizes the continual need for this activity. Note the writer lumps himself in this group needing to be continually borne along. The idea is 

Let us be carried along (by God’s Spirit)

And so the writer alludes to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, that process of growing in Christlikeness, learning more and more to say "yes" to the impulse of the Spirit's control and then being enabled to say "no" to the desires of the evil flesh. Spiritual maturity does not come by our striving in self-effort but by our cooperating with God as we do His will depending on His help. It comes as we follow the Holy Spirit who leads us. (See notes 1 Peter 1:2, Galatians 5:16,  Philippians 3:12; Romans 8:13)

The Pythagorean Schools used the Greek verb for press on in the sense of being borne on to a higher stage of instruction, this being the counterfeit for the Christian's "higher state" of increasing conformity to the image of God's Son.

In Acts 27:17 phero in the passive voice refers to a ship which helps illustrate the meaning of the verb. The idea then would be "so let themselves be driven along". We too like "ships" in the night of this present evil age must keep our sails trimmed (Philippians 2:12 see note) that we might be borne along toward our better country by His Spirit (Philippians 2:13 see note)!

In his outline of Hebrews 6 entitled "The Peril of Defection", Melvin Worthington alliterates these first 3 verses...

The Desired Perfection (Heb 6:1-3). The perfection desired includes, the exhortation to develop (v1), the elementary doctrines (vv. 1-2) and the enabling Deity (v3)...(he concludes) The writer of Hebrews was not interested in arguing doctrine, but with warning those who claim to be the people of God. The truth is simple, despite where you fall on a doctrinal scale, if you turn your back on faith in God, you will face the same wrath and punishment of an unbeliever: hell. (ref)

Spurgeon phrased it memorably...

Let us go from the school to the university, let us have done with our first spelling-books, and advance into the higher classics of the kingdom.

Let us make sure that the foundation is laid, but let us not have continually to lay it again. Let us go on believing and repenting, as we have done; but let us not have to begin believing and begin repenting, let us go on to something beyond that stage of experience.

Maturity (5047) (teleiotes related to teleios from telos = an end, a purpose, an aim, a goal) describes one as being in a state of completion or perfection in the sense of maturity (and in contrast to the stage of elementary, ABC, knowledge). The related word teleios means complete, mature, fully developed, full grown, brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness, in good working order. Teleios signifies consummate soundness, includes the idea of being whole. Interestingly the Gnostics used teleios of the one fully initiated into their mysteries and that may have been why Paul used teleios in this epistle.

The only other NT use of teleiotes is in Colossians where Paul writes...

And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (see note Colossians 3:14)

Teleiotes  (5047) is related to the similar word in Hebrews 12:2 with Strong's number (5051) this latter word referring to Jesus as our Model or Goal to press onward toward writing that we need to run...

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (see note Hebrews 12:2)

Christlikeness is our goal. Conformity to the image of the Son is the Father's will for every one of His children.

Wuest explains that...

The writer repeatedly alludes to the idea of perfecting (in sense of accomplishing or reaching the intended goal) See notes Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 5:9; 6:1; 7:11, 7:19,  7:28; 9:9; 10:1, 10:14; 11:40.

S Lewis Johnson writes about a certain king in western Europe who...

Let us go on to the stage of adults, not babes, able to chew solid spiritual food. The writer will assume that the readers are adults in his discussion of the topic.

F B Hole (Biographical Note) comments...

"LET US GO ON," is the opening exhortation of our chapter. Movement in the right direction is to mark us. We are to leave "the word of the beginning of Christ," as the marginal reading is, and go on unto "perfection." If we glance back over the last four verses of Hebrews 5 we shall see that the point here is that we ought to grow in our understanding of the faith of Christ. We ought not to be like children staying year after year in the kindergarten, but advance until we assimilate the instruction provided for the scholars in the sixth form.

John the Baptist had brought "the word of the beginning of Christ." He laid the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God." He put baptism in the forefront of His preaching, and spoke plainly as to eternal judgement. But things had moved on since his day. Great light shone when Jesus came forth in His ministry; and then, just as His earthly service closed, in His discourse in the upper chamber He promised the gift of the Holy Spirit. He told His disciples that He had "yet many things to say" unto them, but that they could not bear them then. He added, "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth." (John 16:13). By the time the Epistle to the Hebrews was written ALL truth had been revealed, for it was given to Paul by his ministry to "fulfil the Word of God." (Colossians 1:25 see note). To "fulfil" in that verse means to "fill out full," or to "complete."

The whole circle of revealed truth then had been completed. Yet here were these Hebrews still inclined to dwell in their minds amongst these preliminary things, quite ignoring the fuller light which was now shining. Are we at all like them in this? In their case it is not difficult to see where the trouble lay. The special place of privilege, which belonged to the Jew nationally under the Old Covenant, had disappeared under the New. True, it only disappeared because a higher order of blessing had been introduced, so that, when converted, both Jew and Gentile are brought into privileges quite unknown before. Yet their hearts clung to the old and exclusive national position, and consequently they became dull of hearing as regards the fuller truth of Christianity. In our case we have no national position to maintain, but there is many a thing which we naturally love and cling to, which is dispossessed by the light of full and proper Christianity; and there is very real danger that we may close our eyes against that light in order to retain the things we love.

Oh, then may we heed this exhortation! May we allow it to repeat itself over and over again in our hearts —

Let us go on!
Let us go on!
LET US GO ON!

And then let us join the writer of the Epistle in saying, "This will we do, if God permit." (Hebrews Commentary Notes)

Marvin Vincent writes that...

The completeness is viewed as pertaining to both the writer and the readers. He proposes to fully develop his theme: they are exhorted to strive for that full Christian manhood which will fit them to receive the fully-developed discussion.

A B Simpson (biography) writes...

Having entered in, become established and found the source of all-sufficient grace, let us now advance, let us make progress, let us grow in grace, let us not be easily satisfied with present attainments, for, unless we go on we shall surely go back. It is not safe to lose an inch of ground. "We are not of them who draw back unto perdition." The faintest drawing back may land us in perdition. There is no portion of the Holy Scriptures so filled with impressive warnings against backsliding as this. In two of its leading chapters, the sixth and tenth, we are told of the peril of the soul that falls away, and the only remedy against falling away is to go forward. Are we going on? And are we going unto perfection? Is our goal the very highest? Are we aiming at nothing less than the highest possibilities of a life of faith and service for God? Nothing less is safe, and nothing less is worthy of our high calling and our exceeding great and precious promises. (A. B. Simpson. Christ in the Bible - Hebrews) (Bolding added)

 J. D. Branon writes that...

When autumn comes and the leaves drop from my neighbor's trees, I can look out of my back window and see a forlorn sight—a weather-beaten building surrounded by weeds. In the mind of the designer, this structure was to have been a health club complete with swimming pool, handball courts, and sauna. But somewhere along the way the planners and builders encountered difficulty—perhaps lack of funds—and they abandoned the project. So instead of being a center of activity, the structure is an unfinished and useless eyesore.

In a sense this is what the writer to the Hebrew Christians was warning them about in Hebrews 5—a warning we must heed. We are not to stop when we have laid the foundations of repentance and salvation; we are to go on to the maturity that God, the architect of our faith, has planned for us. He knows what the result of the building of our faith should be: a center of activity that glorifies Him. So when obstacles arise, when the needed resources of time, study, and energy run out, when we encounter opposition, we are not to let the project come to a screeching halt. We must continue construction.

God chose us to "be holy and without blame before Him" (see note Ephesians 1:4) , and He provides us with the resources—the indwelling Holy Spirit and His Word—for the process of sanctification to be completed.—J. D. Branon (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

So often we try to alter circumstances to suit ourselves,
instead of letting them alter us.

John Angell James in his book Christian Progress (see table of contents) has a chapter entitled Motives to Christian Progress and the following are his major "bullet points" with brief explanatory excerpts. The interested reader (and we should all be interested in spiritual progress) is referred to the full article for expansion on each point...