Hi Gerhard
Originally posted by Gerhard Ebersoehn:
Quoting Ascund, "It makes Christianity a hopeless one-shot religion", referring the word "impossible" in Hb.6:4.
Last night unable to sleep I just thought in my simple way about this very word for the understanding of which I have been confronted all my life. Thought I, but it actually tells us WHAT is the impossible, which namely is, that "those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come", THAT, "they should fall away (impossible) to renew them again to repentance (one of the "foundation-coctrine of Christ") etc.?
Am I wrong?
Remember
CONTEXT
Before moving on to Melchisedec, the author pauses once again to deliver a most remarkable warning. He knows that these Jewish Christians have been stagnating in the baby gospel truths. They have not advanced in Christianity, as is the expected normal progression. And a normal reaction to those who do not advance is to fall far backward! Since they were not advancing in Christ to meet their persecutions, there was a severe danger that they would collapse under their pressures and retreat to Judaism.
But if they retreated in the face of persecution they would in fact be turning their backs on God and His superior New Covenant. The warning comes as a shock for the words are very stern. Verse 9 is the key to understanding this warning but we must first go through the steps of comprehending what the author means in the preceding verses.
Before running the courses of the warning, it is necessary to point out that the warning is not dealing with mere “professors” of Jesus Christ. Recall that (chapter 5:11) it is said of these people that they are dull of hearing. It does not say that they are dead in trespasses and sins. Furthermore, that need to be teachers but they now need milk because they are babes. Babes means that they have been birthed into Jesus Christ! An unsaved person doesn’t need milk. They are dead and food doesn’t do them any good whatsoever! Therefore, this warning is written to Christians.
I would like to talk about a common but wrong interpretation of this warning. Many in the Church of Christ use this verse as a “proof text” that a person can be lost. It is interesting to use this verse to show that teaching to be a false teaching. The word “impossible” is a terrible word for that wrong view. If a Christian can be lost, then it is “impossible” to restore them. That would mean that the only effective witnessing would be to those who are on death’s threshold. Witness to them, get them saved, and then hope that they die quickly before they fall away for there is no chance that once you fall that you can be saved again! How tragic this teaching is!
The correct interpretation comes from realizing that this passage does not deal with eternal security. The author is writing to the saved Jewish Christians. They have been enlightened, they have tasted of the heavenly gift, they have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and they have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come.
This section shows that these five descriptors reflect the basic Christian experience. So far in this chapter we have been presented with the basic truths and the basic experiences of Christian living. They can be listed as follows:
1. Repentance - - - - - - - - > Enlightenment
2. Faith- - - - - - - - - - - > Heaven’s gift
3. Baptisms - - - - - - - - - > Partake of the Spirit
4. Laying on of hands - - - - > Word of God
5. Resurrection of the dead - > Spiritual power
6. Final Judgment
The whole mood of this warning reveals that the author is speaking of eternal rewards that depend upon our faithfulness here on earth. In verse 6 he says, “if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance” – not to salvation. Repentance is the theme of the seven letters to the seven churches as given in Revelation 2 and 3. God says, “repent”, to every church. That is God’s message to believers.
The author is writing about the fruits of the Spirit and not about the basis or security of our eternal salvation! After a person lives through these basic truths and experiences and then turns his back on Christ, then there is no way to renew him to repentance a second time. That person will suffer great loss of his heavenly rewards!
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 shows us that if a person’s works are worthless and are burned up in the Day of Judgment, then that person will “suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” It is a picture of a person coming through a burning house. His hair is singed, he may have some burns, his clothes may have burn spots in them, but the man is still alive! He did not die in the flames.
It is interesting to realize that the word “fall away” in Greek is from the word “parapito” and means simply “to stumble, to fall down”. It would be impossible to give it the meaning of apostatize. It is the same word used of our Lord when He went into the Garden of Gethsemane, fell on His face, and prayed. There are many examples of people in the Bible who have “fallen away”. The apostle Peter fell, but he was not lost. John Mark failed so miserably on the first missionary journey that when his Uncle Barnabas suggested that he go on the second journey, Paul turned him down. Paul never said that John Mark was lost. But later we see that Paul acknowledge that he had misjudged John Mark and writes “Take Mark and bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering” (2 Timothy 4:11).
So when a person professes Jesus Christ and then turns away, then hardness of heart settles in. They settle into a life style that makes repentance impossible. This is the same as if they rejected the wonderful works of Christ on the cross and brings scorn to the work of Christ. These people, in their desire to avoid earthly persecution, deny the very Christ that saved them. This indeed is a very severe warning! It is easy to see why many come to the conclusion that a person can be saved and then lost because of this passage.
we must view this preparatory passage in the flow of the entire book and conclude that it is a terrible thing to crucify afresh the Savior. Such a drastic action will indeed be severely punished! However, that person will emerge from Judgment singed, burned, and with few reward (if any) but will still be saved (1 Corinthians 3:15).
In fact, this person is likened unto the field that is well watered but only brings forth weeds. The owner burns the weed-infested field and says words of cursing and rebuke over the field. But notice that the owner doesn’t ever sell the field!
This brings us to verse 9, which is the crux of this passage! In spite of the seriousness of the warning and the associated loss of rewards, the author is convinced of better things for his audience. In spite of the terrible warning just given, the author uses the word “
BELOVED”. The author has done his duty. The shock of such a warning is now over and he rushes to follow up by reiterating his love for them. This is the first and last time in the book that the author calls them beloved. It is only right that the term is used just after the fiercest of the warnings!
The author is ready to assume that his readers are all saved and showing forth real evidence of their salvation.
His warning was given with the idea that the shock of the warning would better prepare them for deeper spiritual truths. It was as if he was thinking, “If I didn’t love you so much, I wouldn’t speak this way. I would rather scare you with words than have to endure sorrow over your backsliding.”
One of the important things that accompany salvation is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is the main characteristic of the New Covenant! Although the Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30) God is constantly working to bring out the best in His children (Philippians 1:6). The potential for each Christian is truly amazing.
The flow of this chapter now leads to the blessing side of this same warning.
Lloyd
