First Principles

First principles, as enumerated in Hebrews 6:1-2, need to be retaught because some who need to grow beyond them have forgotten them (Hebrews 5:12). For some, first principles mean faith, repentance, baptism, the church and acceptable worship. Those, too, need to be kept before us. However, let’s be sure we do not forget some important things the Bible also labels as first. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-38).