Laying on of hands is the fifth basic doctrine of God's church listed in Hebrews 6:2. Unlike the worldly threat of getting one's hands on someone, God uses the act to symbolize the bestowal of blessing, authority and distinctiveness, representing God Himself setting a person apart for a holy use such as service, healing, protection, guidance or blessing. In the Old Testament it accompanied sacrifices, as the offerer identified with the animal and transferred guilt to it. The high priest laid hands on the azazel goat to place the people's sins upon it, foreshadowing God's laying our iniquities on Christ. It also marked ordination, as when Moses transferred authority to Joshua, and it figured in judgment, as when witnesses laid hands on a blasphemer, while a spared victim was one on whom hands were not laid. It conferred blessing, as Jacob blessed his grandsons and Jesus blessed little children. Jesus and the apostles touched the sick, yet healing power comes from God's authority, not from the touch itself. Usually the Holy Spirit was given through an elder's laying on of hands after baptism, though God sometimes makes exceptions, as with the Samaritans and Cornelius. Timothy received spiritual gifts through the elders' hands and was to stir them up. The rite commissions people to new service, and should follow careful, prayerful consideration. Ordained elders perform it during prayer. The church uses it for requesting the Holy Spirit after baptism, anointing the sick, ordaining ministers, consecrating marriage vows, blessing children and requesting special gifts.

The basic doctrines of Christ are the seven listed in Hebrews 6:1-2: going on to perfection, repentance from dead works, faith toward God, baptisms, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. They are not the sum of all church doctrine but a foundational understanding of God's truth early in conversion. They are called elementary principles because God, working with humans, must begin with the most fundamental truths. Every Christian starts as a spiritual infant, just as a child begins schooling with the ABCs, and these seven doctrines are the foundation on which the deeper theology of a mature Christian rests. Christ, as author and finisher of faith, begins and ends every Christian's salvation. A Christian must not remain at this level, however. Going on to perfection means pressing toward spiritual maturity, which includes overcoming sin. One who fails to apply God's way of life must keep relearning the milk of the Word and stays immature, whereas practicing God's standard of righteousness brings deeper wisdom and the ability to discern good from evil. Doctrine matters because what a person believes and feels, he will perform. Unlike Roman paganism, which required rites without belief, true worship is in spirit and truth. Sound doctrine is the pattern of words and body of truth Christ taught and lived, once delivered to the saints. Knowing it well exposes counterfeits, as knowing real money exposes fakes. Above all, it guides to salvation and shapes God's character in us.

Now is not the only day of salvation. The Bible reveals more than one resurrection, and God raises different groups in His orderly plan, every man in his own order. Faithful Christians rise to immortality at Christ's second coming and rule with Him as kings and priests during the Millennium. The rest of the dead, who never understood God's way, wait in their graves until the thousand years are over. They are not eternally lost, and God does not raise them merely to cast them into the Lake of Fire. In the second resurrection, at the Great White Throne Judgment, they are raised to physical life and receive their first real chance at salvation, not a second one. God wants all to be saved and is not willing that any should perish, but He requires repentance and righteous living. Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ, the door, and these people must learn of His sacrifice, repent, accept Him as Savior, and receive the Holy Spirit. The "resurrection of judgment" in John 5:29 is a time of judgment, not simple damnation. The opened books are the Bible, which reveals true knowledge, and the Book of Life is opened so repentant names can be written in it. Each person is judged by his works. Most will be saved, but those who stubbornly rebel will condemn themselves to eternal death. Physical Israel, whom God blinded so the Gentiles could be saved, rises in this resurrection with the rest of humanity. God has set this plan because it brings the most sons to glory.

Death is a reality we all must face, but the hope of the Christian is the resurrection of the dead. The same God who resurrected Jesus Christ from the grave will also raise all the dead to life again. By means of the resurrection, the vast majority of mankind will receive the opportunity for salvation and subsequently the gift of eternal life, while only a few who willfully reject God's way of life will not. The Bible identifies two types of resurrections: special acts of God's mercy restoring people to physical life, and resurrections to spiritual, eternal life. The New Testament contrasts resurrection to life with resurrection to judgment or condemnation. Our resurrection to eternal life is possible because Jesus Christ died to pay for our sins and rose as the firstborn of many brethren. His death justifies us, but His resurrection makes our resurrection possible, as we are saved because Christ lives now and forever. The saints of God will be part of the first and better resurrection, while the Bible indicates at least two separate resurrections for the just and the unjust. Only the righteous will rise at Christ's second coming, including the martyred saints and true Christians alive at that time, resurrected through the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ our Savior will change our corrupt bodies into glorious, immortal spirit bodies like His own. Jesus promises the overcoming saints a new name, power over the nations under Him, righteousness, and a place on His throne. God has established an order of resurrections, with the saints rising first, followed by a second resurrection of most of mankind who never knew God's truth, and finally a third resurrection of the wicked who rejected God's truth, facing eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire. It is far better to be in the first resurrection, to live as eternal spirit beings in the God Family, filled with God's character and incapable of sin.

Repentance holds a primary place in godly living, often linked inseparably with baptism as a fundamental step in a believer's journey. It signifies a profound change of mind, a turning from old ways to align with God's purpose. Initially, repentance involves recognizing and accepting the true gospel, believing it, and making life changes to conform to this new way, as seen when Christ ties it to the Kingdom of God and the Ethiopian eunuch's response to Philip's teaching led to his baptism. Emotion plays a significant role in repentance, stirring deep sorrow and remorse when one realizes the hurt caused to God and His purpose, much like David's heartfelt response to his sin. However, true godly sorrow leads to lasting change toward salvation, unlike worldly sorrow which lacks genuine transformation. Repentance is not merely about specific sins but about abhorring what we are that leads to those sins, recognizing our inherent shortcomings before God's righteousness. This change is not a one-time event but a lifelong process, bearing fruits worthy of repentance over time, gradually producing the fruit of the Spirit rather than the works of the flesh. Words like "convert" carry a similar meaning, indicating a shift from sinner to saint, worldly to godly, involving a recognition of self and sin, and a determined path to righteousness. The depth of this transformation aims for nothing less than having the mind of Jesus Christ, bringing every thought under control. Failure to repent carries severe penalties, as salvation depends on a lifetime of turning from dead works and overcoming in faith, with no turning back once the commitment is made. Yet, the rewards of repentance are immense, including the gift of the Holy Spirit, forgiveness of sin, and the grace of God, along with the hope of ruling with Christ for eternity. Through repentance, we not only benefit ourselves but can also guide others to turn from their ways. Though arduous, the rewards of repentance surpass human comprehension, making it a positive and possible endeavor through Jesus Christ. Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!

Eternal judgment is one of the basic doctrines of the church of God, holding equal importance to repentance, faith, baptism, and other foundational teachings. God, as the great Judge of all the universe, decides a person's reward or punishment for all eternity. Judgment is not merely a future event but a process that has already begun, with Christians being judged today through trials and tests to assess their faithfulness to God and His way of life. God the Father has appointed Jesus Christ to be the Judge of all mankind. Having lived a perfect life and experienced human struggles, He is eminently qualified for this role. All humans will ultimately stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and His judgment will be fair and righteous, based on true knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, not on appearances or rumors. Individuals will be judged on their works, including secret sins and even the words they have spoken. The standard for this judgment is God's Word, the Bible, which contains His laws and the measure of righteousness for everyone. God's judgment is perfectly fair, with stricter standards applied to those given greater opportunities, intelligence, or abilities, and even higher expectations for teachers of God's way. Under the guidance and authority of Jesus Christ, the resurrected saints will participate in the judging process, helping to judge the world during the Millennium and even the angels who rebelled under lucifer. Those who never had the chance to learn God's plan of salvation will be resurrected to physical life after the Millennium in a peaceful, prosperous world free from satan's influence, granted a hundred years to learn and accept God's way. During this period, known as the Great White Throne Judgment, they will be judged by the same standard—God's Word. Finally, the incorrigibly wicked, who refuse to live by God's laws and reject repentance, will face judgment in a third resurrection. They will be cast into the Lake of Fire, completely burned up, with no possibility of resurrection, having rejected God's offer of salvation and eternal life.

Perfection, as Scripture uses the word, means completeness, ripeness, soundness, maturity, and the fullness of the stature of Christ, whose character embodies every one of these traits. Paul's call to go on to perfection is a real instruction, not something to dodge with excuses like "I'm not perfect" or "only one man was perfect." Perfection does not come easily. Like children growing to adulthood, believers mature through endurance and diligence, and they must expect to suffer as Christ did, who learned obedience by the things He suffered. God Himself works perfection in us. The process is bound up with human relationships, since Christ ties being perfect as the Father is perfect to how we treat others, so no one can mature in isolation. Maturity does not win universal friendship, for Job and Christ were both perfect yet were attacked and despised. Its fruits are peace, soundness, patience, faith, good works, a controlled tongue, love that casts out fear, and willingness to give up what is dear for God and man. Complete freedom from fault awaits the change into God's nature, when the mind of Christ is fully ours. Until then, like Paul, we press on with a perfect attitude toward the prize of the high calling. Those who do so will never be removed from their inheritance, and even the faithful of Hebrews 11 will inherit together with us.

The fundamental doctrines of Christ, as outlined by the apostle Paul in Hebrews 6:1-2, include faith toward God as a basic principle. Christians are urged to move beyond these initial teachings toward spiritual maturity and completeness, without stalling on the basics learned at conversion. Faith toward God is not something people are born with or merely learn from human authority; many profess faith but do not truly know Him, rendering their worship vain as it is based on doctrines of men rather than God. True faith begins when God initiates a calling, as man cannot find Him on his own. This faith comes by hearing the Word of God through a preacher sent by Him, and it must conform to Scripture, requiring worship in spirit and truth. Expressing faith toward God involves obedience and keeping His law, as without these, faith is dead and worthless. Examples of this process show people believing God's words through true ministers, obeying true doctrines, and expressing living faith through their daily actions, leading to baptism and receiving the earnest of His Spirit toward salvation. However, faith toward God is not all He requires; initial faith must grow from a tender trust to full-blown conviction, developing absolute trust to submit to our Sovereign and Provider without wavering. Christ questions whether even the elect will have this kind of faith, emphasizing the need for growth in faithfulness from little things to complete submission. Paul admonishes believers to recall their calling and initial faith, remembering early trials as reminders that God fulfills His promises, and to live by faith without drawing back from the set course. Examples of mature faith are found in the Christians of Hebrews 11, who were faithful in little and followed through when everything was at stake. This mature, living, unwavering faith is what Christ seeks in His elect, allowing believers to please Him and inherit the Kingdom of God.