Hebrews 6:2

They did not need further instruction in four other subjects either. "Washings" evidently refers to the doctrine of spiritual cleansing. The Greek word translated "washings" is baptismos that refers to Jewish ceremonial washings whenever it occurs in the New Testament (Mark 7:4; Mark 7:8; Hebrews 9:10). A different Greek word (baptisma) describes Christian baptism. This means the writer here referred not to baptism but to spiritual cleansing.

The "laying on of hands" in Judaism was part of the sacrificial ritual (Leviticus 1:4; Leviticus 3:2; Leviticus 4:4; Leviticus 8:14; Leviticus 16:21; et al.) and commissioning for public office (Numbers 27:18; Numbers 27:23; Deuteronomy 34:9; cf. Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3). In the early church the imparting of the Holy Spirit sometimes accompanied this practice (Acts 8:17-18; Acts 19:6; cf. Hebrews 6:4; Hebrews 2:4; Hebrews 10:29).

The Old Testament taught the resurrection of the dead (Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2) and eternal judgment (Genesis 18:25; Isaiah 33:22).

"We are responsible people, and one day we shall rise from the dead and give account of ourselves to God. This must have been of importance to new converts in a time when many people thought of death as the end of everything." [Note: Morris, p. 54.]

The writer presented the six foundational teachings in Hebrews 6:1-2 in three pairs: (1) repentance from dead works, and faith toward God (Hebrews 6:1), (2) instruction about washings, and laying on of hands (Hebrews 6:2 a), and (3) instruction about the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:2 b). The structure of this sentence in Greek suggests that the last two pairs explain the first pair. Laying the foundation of repentance and faith consists of instruction regarding washings, sortilege (laying on hands), resurrection, and judgment. The first pair points God-ward, the second man-ward, and the third forward into the future.

Each of these teachings was foundational in Judaism as well as in Christianity. Most of the original readers would have come to believe these truths even before they became Christians. They are very basic.