In regard to partakers of the Holy Spirit, the word translated “partaker” can certainly refer to a saving partaking in Christ, as we read in
Hebrews 3:14, yet it can also refer to a less than saving association or participation. See
Luke 5:7 and
Hebrews 1:9 - "comrades, companions," which describes one who shares with someone else as an associate in an undertaking. These Hebrews who fell away had obviously in some aspect shared in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but in what way? There are other ministries of the Holy Spirit which precede receiving the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit, which only genuine believers receive. (
Ephesians 1:13)
These certain individuals who fall short of obtaining salvation certainly may have become partakers of the Holy Spirit in his pre-salvation ministry, convicting of sin and righteousness and judgment to come by tasting the good word of God and temporarily responding to His drawing power which is intended to ultimately lead sinners to Christ, yet the writer of Hebrews does not use conclusive terms that these individuals were "indwelled by the Holy Spirit" or "sealed by the Holy Spirit." Genuine believers who have believed the gospel are sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession/unto the day of redemption. (
Ephesians 1:13-14;
4:30)
Hebrews 6:9 sums it up for me. The writer is speaking to those truly saved (refers to them as BELOVED). He says that even though he speaks like this concerning THOSE types of people, He is convinced of better things concerning YOU. Things that ACCOMPANY SALVATION. Thorns and briars and falling away permanently do not accompany salvation and are not fruits worthy of authentic repentance.
In regard to Hebrews 10:29, if the word 'sanctified' is used to describe saved people who lost their salvation, then we have a
contradiction because the writer of Hebrews in verse 10 said
"sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (
Hebrews 10:10) and in verse 14, we read,
"perfected for all time those who are sanctified." (
Hebrews 10:14) So in
Hebrews 10:10, we clearly read
..WE have been
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all and in
Hebrews 10:14, we read - For by one offering He has
perfected for all time THOSE who are
sanctified. To go from sanctified back to un-sanctified would be in
contradiction here.
*NOWHERE in the context does it specifically say the person who "trampled underfoot the Son of God and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant" was "saved" and/or "lost their salvation." The reference to "the blood of the covenant that sanctified him" in verse 29 "on the surface" appears to be referring to a Christian, but this overlooks the fact that the word translated "sanctified" (which is the verb form of the adjective "holy") which means "set apart," and doesn't necessarily refer to salvation.
Strong's Concordance
hagiazó: to make holy, consecrate, sanctify
Original Word: ἁγιάζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: hagiazó
Phonetic Spelling: (hag-ee-ad'-zo)
Definition: to make holy, consecrate, sanctify
Usage: I make holy, treat as holy, set apart as holy, sanctify, hallow, purify.
*In
1 Corinthians 7:14, Paul uses it to specifically refer to non-Christians who are "sanctified" or "set apart" by their believing spouse
(and by this Paul does not mean that they are saved). A non-Christian can be "set apart" from other non-Christians without experiencing salvation as Paul explained. So, the word "sanctified" means to be "set apart." If the word "sanctified" simply meant saved, then you would have to say that the seventh day was saved (
Genesis 2:3), the tabernacle was saved (
Exodus 29:43), Moses saved the people after coming down off the mountain (
Exodus 19:14), the priests and the Levites saved themselves (
1 Chronicles 15:14), the Father saved the Son (
John 10:36), the Son saved Himself (
John 17:19) and many other things that do not line up with scripture.
In verse 39, the writer of Hebrews sets up the
contrast that makes it clear to me that he was referring to make believers/nominal Christians and not saved Hebrews: But
WE are not
OF THOSE who
draw back to perdition, but
OF THOSE who believe to the saving of the soul. Those who
draw back to perdition do not believe to the saving of the soul and those who
believe to the saving of the soul do not draw back to p. erdition.
