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This is a non-WLC article. When using resources from outside authors, we only publish the content that is 100% in harmony with the Bible and WLC current biblical beliefs. So such articles can be treated as if coming directly from WLC. We have been greatly blessed by the ministry of many servants of Yahuwah. But we do not advise our members to explore other works by these authors. Such works, we have excluded from publications because they contain errors. Sadly, we have yet to find a ministry that is error-free. If you are shocked by some non-WLC published content [articles/episodes], keep in mind Proverbs 4:18. Our understanding of His truth is evolving, as more light is shed on our pathway. We cherish truth more than life, and seek it wherever it may be found. |
Hebrews was written to encourage the believers to mature (Heb 5:12-14; 10:24) and to warn readers about the dangers of disowning Christ and thereby reverting to their old ways (Heb 3:12-14; 6:8-9; 13:13). The warning passages seem to indicate Hebrews was written to professing Christians, but not all may be elect or have failed to mature (Heb 5:11-12). The readers were in danger of renouncing their faith and lapsing back into Judaism. Hebrews seems to be a book filled with questions and issues, and Hebrews 6:4-6 may be one of the most difficult passages to interpret in all of Hebrews and possibly in the Bible. Two questions surround this passage: who are the people, and what does “falling away” mean? These two questions will be examined, as well as the various interpretations, to determine which understanding best fits this passage in its context. It will be shown that Hebrews 6:4-6 is a warning to genuine Christians, who were in danger of lapsing back into Judaism, shaming and crucifying Christ again, and thereby committing an unpardonable sin by rejecting the gospel.
It will be shown that Hebrews 6:4-6 is a warning to genuine Christians, who were in danger of lapsing back into Judaism, shaming and crucifying Christ again, and thereby committing an unpardonable sin by rejecting the gospel.
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The first major question to be addressed about this passage is who are these people the writer of Hebrews is talking to? The theme of this section of Hebrews that begins in 5:11 is the necessity of believers pressing on to maturity. The readers were characterized by stagnation, sluggishness, and dullness in their spiritual state that the writer of Hebrews believed this to be a precursor to degeneration or apostasy. If the readers did not advance in maturity, they would fall back, and if anyone were to retreat, their situation would be grim. Verses 1-3 of Hebrews 6 show that believers are ultimately dependent on the grace of Yahuwah to overcome their rebellion and unbelief; and verses 4-8 describe where repentance and pressing on to maturity is impossible without dependence on Yahuwah. This passage looks at someone receiving great blessings and having religious experiences (Heb 6:4, 5). Next, that person falls away and, in doing so, recrucifies Christ and puts Him to shame. Finally, it is impossible to renew that same person to repentance. So, are these true believers or those who appear to believe in Christ but had shallow faith? Verses 4-5 outline four life events that prove they are true believers.
First, these people “have been enlightened” (v. 4). A person can be enlightened and not be saved (Heb 10:26; 2 Pet 2:20-22; John 16:8-11). The writer warns that a person may know that Christ fulfills the O.T. and still not have a right relationship with Yahuwah. This phrase is a natural way to refer to the conversion experience (2 Cor 4:4-6). The same verb is used in Hebrews 10:32, indicating an experience of true salvation.
Second, they “have tasted the heavenly gift” (v. 4), which employs concepts related to initial conversion (John 4:10; Rom 6:23; Jas 1:17-18). The readers claimed to experience a relationship with Christ (cf. 1 Pet 2:3; Ps 34:8), have faith in Christ, and were urged to demonstrate that faith through their works (Heb 6:12). Some may argue that the verb here may only mean a small taste (Matt 27:34; John 2:9). However, to claim that these people tasted but did not eat is basing the interpretation off of one meaning of the English word. Yahuwah permitted His Son to “taste death for every man” (Heb 2:9), not just sample death on the cross. “Taste” carries the idea of experience; the Hebrew believers had experienced the gift of salvation, the Word of Yahuwah, and the power of Yahuwah (v. 5). A person under the influence of the Spirit may taste the work of the Holy Spirit directly, which is why the unpardonable sin is unpardonable.
Third, the writer describes some who “have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit” (v. 4). It is possible this only describes those who saw the Holy Spirit at work in their midst (cf. 1 Pet 5:1; 2 Pet 1:16-17). It is more likely that they shared in the working of the Holy Spirit when He convicted them. These same people were not only “sharers of the Holy Spirit” but also “sharers of the heavenly calling” (Heb 3:1) and “sharers of Christ” (Heb 3:14). “Partaker” primarily indicates “participation in” and denotes a close association with the Holy Spirit, implying reception of the Holy Spirit into one’s life.
Finally, they “tasted the good word of Yahuwah and the powers of the age to come” (v. 5). The thought applies to converts whose instruction in “the Word of Yahuwah” had given them a genuine experience of its “goodness” and who likewise had known the reality of miracles. If these people had heard the gospel and had witnessed miracles, they would be like Judas.
These four phrases fit true Christians with remarkable ease best—the effort to see these as mere professors of the faith instead of true converts is somewhat forced. The overall context of Hebrews 6:4-5, including verse 6, points to a meaning of genuine belief. The four phrases describe someone in the early church whom the Holy Spirit indwelled. Furthermore, how could unsaved people ever disgrace Yahushua and put Him to open shame? Also, the writer does not mention forgiveness of sins, cleansing, sanctification, the soul's salvation, new life, or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Meaning this was not a casual observer but someone who, if they turned away, would have to suffer the consequences of that decision.
Some professing believers were thinking about returning to Judaism. If they turned away from Christ after their conversion, their desertion would show they were not real Christians.
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The second central question regarding this section is what was their offense? Some professing believers were thinking about returning to Judaism. If they turned away from Christ after their conversion, their desertion would show they were not real Christians. The author wanted the audience to understand the seriousness of what they were considering. The biggest problem with this passage is the participle parapesontas in verse 6, translated as “have fallen away.” There are various interpretations of this verse, and each of the five significant views will be examined briefly to determine which interpretation seems the most likely.
The first viewpoint says this passage describes a saved person who loses salvation. This passage does not teach this because if one could be saved and lost, they would never be able to be saved again (v. 6). The Greek word apostasia, which is used for apostasy, is not used in this passage. The verb for “fall away” (Heb 6:6), parapipto, is used, which means “to fall alongside.” Furthermore, the Scriptures teach the security of the elect (Rom 8:29-30), and eternal life is the inalienable possession of those who trust Christ for it (John 5:24; 10:26-30). In addition, one of the most potent arguments for eternal security is the last section of this chapter (Heb 6:13-20). If this refers to apostasy, once a saved person turns his back on Christ, they cannot be restored to salvation. They are lost forever.
The second viewpoint teaches the impossibility of being saved over and over again. If a person tries to be justified repeatedly, they are crucifying Christ again each time they trust Christ for salvation. The most significant problem with this viewpoint is that the readers were not constantly trying to be saved over again, but the opposite. They were in danger of final apostasy from Christ (Heb 2:3; 3:12; 4:10; 7:11; 10:26-31).
A third viewpoint views the passage as a purely hypothetical case. The author uses this hypothetical case to warn the spiritually immature (v. 1-3) not to reject Yahuwah’s offer of salvation (Heb 3:12). However, this view seems to make little sense. First, having a warning revolve around a straw man argument does not make sense. Secondly, the participle “if they shall fall away” (parapesontas) is not conditional. It is joined to the preceding description by “and.” Grammatically, it parallels the four aorist participles of verses four and five and is just as “real” as they are. Third, the urgent tone makes it unlikely that the writer dealt only with hypothetical but unrealizable situations. The repetition of a similar warning in Hebrews 10:26-31 seems to oppose any attempt to interpret this passage as hypothetical.[31]
Finally, reviewing the author’s language in this section that it is “impossible for those who have once been enlightened, tasted … shared … tasted … and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance,” it seems that the writer’s language speaks as if they knew of such cases.
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Finally, reviewing the author’s language in this section that it is “impossible for those who have once been enlightened, tasted … shared … tasted … and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance,” it seems that the writer’s language speaks as if they knew of such cases.
The fourth interpretation says this refers to the believer’s works and rewards. Consequently, verses four and five refer to a believer. The production of vegetation points to rewardable good deeds (v. 7). Thus, the thorns are burned at the judgment seat of Christ (v. 8). The people’s judgment is designated “discipline,” which involves both a temporal and an eschatological aspect. These genuine believers are in danger of forfeiting some new covenant blessings in this life and rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Two problems make this interpretation difficult. First, it fails to treat the other warning passages justly. The warnings in 6:7-8 and 10:27 promise divine judgment that seems to involve more than a loss of rewards. Second, the emphasis of this paragraph is not on works or rewards but on repentance and faith. Saying verses 7-8 describe works is an unjustified assumption; they may only describe the responses of believers and unbelievers to the word of Yahuwah.
Finally, the fifth view says this passage is a warning to those who had professed faith in Christ but were in danger of leaving Christianity to lapse into Judaism. Several factors support this view. First, this gives genuine meaning to the two present participles of verse 6. By returning to Judaism, these people would, in a sense, crucify Christ all over again and also would put Him to open shame. The present tense implies this would be a continual thing. The writer did not say these people could never be brought to repentance but that they could not be brought to repentance while treating Yahushua in such a shameful way. Once they stop disgracing Christ in this way, they can be brought to repentance and renew their fellowship with Yahuwah.
Second, this view explains verse nine, introduced as a contrast. “The clause ‘things that accompany salvation’ is more literally ‘things that have salvation.’” Salvation in Hebrews looks at the entrance into the millennial kingdom.
Third, in contrast to the loss of rewards view, this view provides a more consistent meaning to the remaining warning passages in Hebrews.
Fourth, this view fits with verses 7-8. The land is cursed despite the labor expended on it. The word “close” in verse 8 is the same as the word “ready” in 8:13, meaning that the land is “destined to be cursed.”
The writer of Hebrews has in mind a defection from the faith, which is apostasy. The phrase “if they fall away” may be better rendered “having fallen to the side” and describes a person for whom it is impossible to repent while being involved in activities that mitigate against their profession of Christ.
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Fifth, this helps to explain the phrase in verse 6, “It is impossible to renew them again to repentance.” This is only true of the unpardonable sin, and for such a person, no repentance is possible. An objection to this view is that it teaches that a time may come when a person cannot be saved. However, the impossibility is man’s, not Yahuwah’s (Heb 12:15-17; 2 Pet 2:19-21). Humans can resist Yahuwah’s grace. They arrive at a state of heart in which repentance is impossible. It is not impossible because Yahuwah would not be willing to bring them to repentance, but because the person is so hardened that they will not repent. It seems clear that the writer is speaking not of Christians that continue to sin but can repent and be restored but of those who deliberately abandon their faith, which was described as “turning away from the living Yahuwah” (Heb 3:12).
The writer of Hebrews has in mind a defection from the faith, which is apostasy. The phrase “if they fall away” may be better rendered “having fallen to the side” and describes a person for whom it is impossible to repent while being involved in activities that mitigate against their profession of Christ. By departing from Christian growth, apostates put themselves in the position of those who had Christ crucified and exposed to public shame. The rejection of Christ after confessing Him is an act of relentless hostility. The author of Hebrews condemned it as a condition where a participant could not return to fellowship with Yahuwah. Repentance began their Christian experience (Heb 6:1), but there is no second start for those who have repudiated that experience. Similarly, the one sacrifice for sin has already been “used up” (Heb 10:26). It was impossible to renew those who had enjoyed the experiences of verses 4-5 if they fell into apostasy; they might have received something which resembled Christianity but was not the real thing. Only their endurance with Yahushua would demonstrate that they had the real thing.
It seems clear from the brief examination that the people described in this passage are genuine believers, who were failing to grow in maturity, and under persecution, were tempted to return to Judaism. The author of Hebrews warned his readers that those who succumb, or “fall away,” after all the great spiritual privileges they had experienced, could not be brought back to repentance. Hebrews 6:6 presents a solid warning to willful sinners who commit apostasy from Christ after having experienced an understanding of the gospel that they cannot expect restoration to Yahuwah after their adamant rejection of His mercy. The writer urged these believers to show their genuine faith by endurance in their commitment to Christ. In summary, Hebrews 6:4-6 in its context, appears to describe an unpardonable sin, someone who is a true believer (v. 4-5) making a final and irrevocable rejection of the gospel committing apostasy, which suits the clause in verse 6 about the impossibility to renew them unto repentance.
This is a non-WLC article by Taylor Matthew.
We have taken out from the original article all pagan names and titles of the Father and Son, and have replaced them with the original given names. Furthermore, we have restored in the Scriptures quoted the names of the Father and Son, as they were originally written by the inspired authors of the Bible. -WLC Team
