Hebrews 6:4-9
These
are basics of Christianity that had Jewish roots
Elementary
Teachings (three sets of twos):
i.
Self-righteous
works in an attempt to earn salvation
ii.
Sinful acts that
come from the unregenerate heart
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
vi.
i.
To commission
someone for office
ii.
Part of the
sacrificial ritual
iii.
Later Rabbis
were ordained this way
i.
Isaiah 26:19
ii.
Daniel 12:2
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.
Two
extremes:
1) These verses are only teaching of a straw man. An impossible situation
2) These verses are speaking to any sin committed after
baptism (Tertullian)
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).
The
Five Participles describing “those”:
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
“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”.
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.”
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)
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.
2)
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?
3)
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
4)
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.
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.”
The
Vineyard song of Isaiah 5:1-7
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.”
6:9
“Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in you case – things that accompany salvation.”