Hebrews 6:4-9
These
are basics of Christianity that had Jewish roots
Elementary
Teachings (three sets of twos):
- “Repentance from acts that lead to death”
a.
This
is believer’s response to the gospel.
b.
The
believer must stop two types of dead works:
i.
Self-righteous
works in an attempt to earn salvation
ii.
Sinful
acts that come from the unregenerate heart
c.
Hebrews
9:14 mentions them again in relationship to the conscience
d.
In
the Didache the way of death is described with a catalog of sins like “murders,
adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, sorceries,
robberies, false depositions, hypocrisies, a double heart, fraud, arrogance,
malice, obstinacy, covetousness, filthy language, envy, audacity, haughtiness,
boastfulness.” This is what Paul refers
to in Romans 6:21, “the wages of sin is death.”
e.
The
Qumran community considered themselves to be “the repentant of
f.
The
main line of John the Baptists was “repent”
- “Faith in God”
a.
Belief
and trust in God is foundational through out scripture
b.
Abraham
Gen. 15:6
c.
Habakkuk
2:4
d.
This
faith in God would include faith in God’s word and faith in God’s messenger,
which in this case was Jesus
e.
In
the sequence of this list this would refer to responding in faith to God’s
message of salvation.
- “Instruction about baptisms (washings)”
a.
“washings”
(plural) is “baptisma” in the Greek
b.
This
word could refer to:
i.
Christian
baptism but the Greek word is plural
ii.
Jewish
washings which were many
iii.
Both
Jewish washings from the Old Testament and the New Testament counterpart, baptism. The instruction would have explained NT
baptism in light of OT washings.
iv.
Or
the different baptisms in the NT:
1.
John’s
baptism of repentance (Acts 19:1-5)
2.
Jesus’
baptism into the office of the Messiah
3.
Christian
baptism
4.
Baptism
with the Holy Spirit
5.
Baptism
into the body of Christ
v.
In
line with the
- “Laying on of hands”
a.
Done
to a person at baptism
b.
Done
to a person when entering an office (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6)
c.
Done
to a person when receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17; 19:6)
d.
In
the OT it was used:
i.
To
commission someone for office
ii.
Part
of the sacrificial ritual
iii.
Later
Rabbis were ordained this way
- “Resurrection of the dead”
a.
An
eschatological doctrine
b.
i.
Isaiah
26:19
ii.
Daniel
12:2
c.
The
Pharisees believed this
d.
Jesus
supported this with his teaching in Mark 12:26
- “Eternal judgment”
a.
Another
eschatological doctrine
b.
Notice
that an understanding of eschatology is part of the basics for the young
believer.
c.
An
understanding of our resurrection and judgment are necessary for a solid
foundation upon which to build the Christian life.
d.
Daniel
7:9-14
6:3
“And God permitting we
will do so.”
_______________
These
next verses are some of the most disputed verses concerning proper interpretation
in the entire NT.
Note:
1) in verses 5:11, 12 the author uses “you”
2) in 6:1 the author uses “us”
3) in 6:3 the author uses “we”
4) now in 6:4 the author switches to “those”
“If”
clause that introduces verse 6 is important.
1. the conditional is expressed here in the Greek with the participle “parapesontas” or parapesontaV . This verb
is used only here in the Greek NT.
2. it is aorist active participle and is conditional
3. parapesontaV means “to
fall beside, to go astray, to miss. And
refers to a falling away from an excepted standard
4. It came to mean “apostasy” in theology (see para - pesontaV)
5. The aorist tense means a complete falling away that
has occurred after the enlightenment and the sharing of verses 6:4,5.
6:4, 5
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have
tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted
the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,”
αδυνατον γαρ τους απαξ φωτισθεντας γευσαμενους τε της
impossible for
the ones once being enlightened and tasting of the
δωρεας της επουρανιου και μετοχους γενηθεντας
gift heavenly and sharers becoming
πνευματος αγιου και καλον γευσαμενους θεου
spirit of
holy and good tasting of
God
ρημα δυναμεις τε μελλοντος αιωνος
word powerful deeds of a coming age
απαξ “hapax” means “once for all” (9:7, 26’ 27’ 28;
10:2; 12:26, 27).
1.
hapax can govern each of the five
participles.
2.
This points to something complete. It is not a partial or incomplete work
The Five Participles describing “those”:
- “Enlightened” refers to illumination by the Holy
Spirit
a.
2
Corinthians 4:4 the world is blind
b.
John
8:12 and 1:9 Jesus is the light
- “Tasted the heavenly gift”
a.
Tasting
is more than the “knowledge” or “enlightenment” of #1.
b.
Tasting
implies personal experience
c.
Psalm
34:8
d.
1
Peter 2:3
e.
Knowing
about food (looking at it) has a completely different affect on the body than
eating and tasting the food.
- “Shared in the Holy Spirit”
a.
“sharers”
is “metochoi” and is used in 1:9
(“companions”); 3:1(“share in the heavenly calling”); 3:14 (“share in Christ”)
b.
Also
used in Luke 5:7 as “partners in the other boat”
- “Tasted the goodness of the word of God”
a.
“tasting”
is used again
b.
“goodness”
is “kalon” indicates both “beauty” and “moral goodness”
c.
The
Word of God is not tasted but the “goodness” of it is tasted.
d.
“Word
of God” is “theou rhema” (again in 11:3) not “logos tou Theou” (4:12; 13:7)
e.
Focus
of “rhema” is the specific communication from God and not the general message.
f.
This
again refers to not just having heard Bible teaching but having experience the
results of the application to one’s life.
- “Powers of the coming age”
a.
“tasted”
also applies to “powers of the coming age”
b.
“these
last days” 1:1
c.
Simon
Magus saw the goodness of God’s word and the power in Acts 8:5 but it was to no
avail
d.
Matt.
12:28
e.
The
readers of this book had experienced spiritual manifestations just like the
Galatians had (see Galatians 3:5)
f.
Jesus
ministry announced that “the
g.
Jesus
coming ushered in the “last days”
i.
Hebrews
1:2
ii.
Acts
2:16-18
iii.
1
John 2:18
iv.
Jude
18
h.
This
coming of the kingdom comes in two phases and is directly related to his two
comings.
i.
Jews
of Jesus day had this confused.
ii.
Christians
today (Dominion Theology, and others) have this confused today.
i. The “powers of the coming age” refer to works of
the Spirit but even the New Birth is from the coming age.
6:6
“if they fall away to be brought back
to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all
over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”
και παραπεσοντας παλιν ανακαινιζειν εις μετανοιαν
and
falling away again to renew to repentance
ανασταυρουντας
εαυτοις
τον υιον του θεου και
crucifying again for themselves the
Son of God
and
putting to open shame
In 6:5 this sentence begins with “impossible” which in the Greek is αδυνατον or “adunaton”. This word comes from:
1)
“a” or a which is the negative particle. When used at the beginning of the word it
means no or nullifies the following word.
The English example would be “non-” or in the case of this translation
“im-”
2)
“dunatos” or dunatoV from dunamai which means
powerful, capable, possible, power, strong, able.
So 6:5, 6 begin by saying it is “non-able” or
“im-capable” or “no-strong” or “im-possible” for the events in verse 6:6 to
occur.
“falling
away”
is παραπεσοντας is from two words:
1)
“para” a preposition with a wide ariety of meaning and
application: above, against, among, at, before, by , contrary to, from.
2)
“pipto” means to fall, to fail, to land on. it means
“Renew” or ανακαινιζειν is the word that
connects to the word “impossible in 6:5.
1)
This word means “to renew again, to make new again
2)
It is impossible to “renew” or “redo” the “repentance”
3)
THIS HAS NOT SAID A PERSON LOSES THEIR SALVATION. It says it impossible to redo
repentance.
a.
Clearly from John 1:9 a believer can confess their sin.
b.
Jesus tells
“Repentance” or μετανοιαν
“metanoian” is
from two words:
1)
“meta” is a primary preposition denoting accompaniment. Here it means “after” implying change
2)
“noieo” means “to exercise the mind” and “to comprehend,
consider, perceive, think, understand”.
It is from the word “nous” which means mind and is the seat of moral
thought.
3)
(EXAMPLE: “pronoeo” from “pro” (means “before”) and “noeo”
(“mind”) means “to perceive beforehand”)
4)
“metanoian” means “to perceive or consider after”
5)
This does not mean it impossible to “repent” of your actions after
you have been saved already.
6)
This “repentance” refers to turning from sin and accepting
Christ for salvation. It is used this
way throughout the New Testament:
a.
Acts 5:31
b.
Acts 11:18
c.
Romans 2:4
d.
2 Timothy 2:25
7)
It is used of turning from sin after salvation (new birth,
baptism, etc.) in:
a.
2 Corinthian 12:21
b.
Revelation 2:5
c.
Revelation 2:16
d.
Revelation 2:21
e.
Revelation 3:3
f.
Revelation 3:19
(“Repent” is used in
reference to 5 of the 7 churches in Rev. 2,3.
It is not spoken to
- What
we see here is two things:
- “repent”
is used in reference to coming to Christ for salvation.
- “repent”
is used as a command to believers to consider their thoughts (ways) and
change.
- Scripturally
it is possible for a believer to “sin” and “repent” (1 John 1:9)
- The
context here is to say it is “impossible” to “repent” (or, get saved
again!)
“Crucifying
again”
or ανασταυρουντας, is from
1)
“ana-“ which means here “repetition”
2)
“stauroo” which is the word for impaling on a cross or to
crucify.
3)
This word means “re-crucify”
Linguistic Key says:
“If the readers were
to return again to Judaism, no possibility existed for them to
begin their spiritual life anew. This
would require a recrucifixion of Christ, putting Him
to open shame. For this reason they must
continue toward maturity despite the difficulties,
problems, and persecutions that attend their walk.”
Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
(vol.7):
“In the NT the word (ανασταυρουντας) occurs only at Hb.
6:6. The author is arguing
that willful apostasy from faith rules out any fresh repentance. Those guilty of
such apostasy are called “anastaupounteV eautoiV ton
uion tou qeou. Since avastauroun
usually means “to crucify,” one should strictly translate: “they personally crucify
the Son of God,” aligning themselves with those who brought Christ to the cross
and thus committing the same sin as these did.”
“for
themselves” from εαυτοις is the dative of advantage for
themselves. This word indicates these
individuals would be taking full responsibility for the disgrace.
παραδειγματιζοντας
“to
expose public, to make a public example of, to expose to disgrace”.
Basically Acts 3:12:
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there
is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved.”
Views:
1)
The Shepherd of Hermes and Clement of Alexandria write of a view
of the early second century (100-150 AD):
Baptism was equivalent to the blood of Christ and it washed away your
sins committed up to that point. Sins
after baptism (or, salvation) would not be covered. Some then taught that the blood of your own
martyrdom would cover the sins after baptism (or, the blood of Christ.)
a.
False application #1: Postpone baptism until death bed
b.
False application #2: Seek martrydom
2)
Ambrose, Aquinas, Wordsworth said the “impossible” referred to
man but “with God all things are possible” (mark 10:27) If this were true the qualification should
have been in the text here in Hebrews.
The text here says “impossible” and it means “impossible.”
3)
Erasmus said “impossible” means “difficult”. This is a clear case of isogesis.
4)
Others say it means that as long as those who have fallen away
continue in their current state they can not repent. It would be like saying it is impossible to
repent until you repent. This is true
but hardly worth writing. FF. Bruce says
concerning this view: “to say that they cannot be brought to repentance so long
as they persist in their renunciation of Christ would be a truism hardly worth
putting into words.”
5)
Calvin believed God kept the elect understood the tasting here
as a partial experience and that the people of Hebrews did not respond to
it. But no where are these verses
talking about partial enlightenment.
6)
This may speak of the unpardonable sin of Matthew 12. Many people would be concerned with having
committed this “unforgivable sin”. If
they sense guilt and desire to repent would not God accept them?
7)
Others say the writer does not indicate here or anywhere that
his readers were in this position.
i.
This then is a warning of potential
ii.
This warning only views salvation from the human side
iii.
Other places in the scripture indicate the divine involvement
1.
Romans 8:35-39
8)
The passage is stating
the impossibility of the condition of repentance that is first referred to in
verse 6:1. This is the initial state of
entry into salvation. Once phase one is
initiated it can not be redone. Once you
are saved you can not go back and get saved again. You must simply continue the Christian walk
and face the challenges and the hardships.
a.
If baptism represents
the new birth the believer can not return to baptism and repent since they
would be saying that they needed Jesus to die (re-crucify) for them again. They would be bring public disgrace on Jesus
by saying with their actions that the power of Christ death had wore off or
they had committed a sin greater than Christ’s sacrifice.
b.
Romans 6:4
c.
Ephesians 4:22-24
d.
Romans 6:3, 6
e.
Colossians 2:14
f.
Jesus’ was crucified
once for all and died for sins once. So,
there is in practice one baptism which can not be repeated without violating
the principle of Christ’s once for all sacrifice.
g.
The association of
“renew”, “repentance” and “re-crucifying” indicate the topic here is the
impossibility of being “re-baptized”, or “re-born again (“born again-again”)
h.
The way is always open
for those who are ready to repent, confess, etc.
i.
If someone did pass
through verses 6:1,2 and then renounced their baptism and Christ (6:4-6) then
two situations are possible:
i.
The person indicated
by the rejection that they never really “experienced” (“tasted”) salvation and
are still on the side of the heathen that crucified Christ
1.
John 15:1 – “The True
Vine – “If a man remains in me . . .”
2.
1 John 2:19 – “They
went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had
belonged to us, they would nave remained with us; but their going showed that
none of them belonged to us.”
3.
Examples of apparent
confessors who never were saved:
a. Simon Magus was baptized (Acts 8:13, “Simon himself
believed and was baptized.”
b. Demas was involved in Christian work (2 Tim. 4:10,
“Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to
Thessalonica.”)
c. Judas was involved with healing, casting out demons
(Mark 6:12; Matt. 10:5)
4.
Matthew 7:21, “Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, . . .
many will say. . .did we not prophesy, . . .drive out demons, . . .perform many
miracles?”
ii.
The person is still a
believer and God will continue to work in their lives.
1.
Romans 8:31-39 – “I am
convinced that . . . nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God.”
2.
Philippians 1:6 – “He
who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion”
6:7
“Land that drinks in the rain often
falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed
receives the blessing of God.”
γη γαρ η πιουσα τον επ αυτης
πολλακις
ερχομενον υετον
και τικτουσα
βοτανην
ευθετον
εκεινοις
δι ους
και γεωργειται
μεταλαμβανει
ευλογιας απο του θεου
6:8
“But land that produces thorns and
thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.”
εκφερουσα
δε ακανθας
και τριβολους
αδοκιμος και
καταρας
εγγυς
ης το τελος εις καυσιν
Examples
of False Believers:
1) Simon Magus was baptized
2) Demas was involved in Christian work
3) Judas was involved with healing, casting out demons
(Mark 6:12; Matt. 10:5)
6:9
“Even though we speak like this, dear
friends, we are confident of better things in you case – things that accompany
salvation.”
πεπεισμεθα
δε περι υμων αγαπητοι τα κρεισσονα
και εχομενα
σωτηριας ει και ουτως
λαλουμεν
6:10
“God is not unjust; he
will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped
his people and continue to help them.”
ου γαρ αδικος ο θεος επιλαθεσθαι
του εργου υμων
και του κοπου της αγαπης
ης ενεδειξασθε
εις το ονομα
αυτου διακονησαντες
τοις αγιοις
6:11
“We want each of you to
show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.”
επιθυμουμεν
δε εκαστον υμων την αυτην
ενδεικνυσθαι
σπουδην προς την πληροφοριαν της
6:12
“We do not want you to
become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what
has been promised.”
ινα μη νωθροι γενησθε μιμηται δε των
δια πιστεως και μακροθυμιας
κληρονομουντων