The
book of Hebrews was most likely written to Jewish Christians who were on the
verge of apostasy. These Jewish
Christians were enduring heavy persecution, and were tempted to go back to the
old practise of Judaism. Jim George says
concerning the Jewish believers, “many find themselves under intense
persecution as they try to live out their new found faith in Christ while
living in Jewish communities where the Old Testament is the focus of religion”
(George 2006, 259). Although the authorship
of the book of Hebrews is uncertain, its message is not. This book clearly exalts the supremacy of
Jesus Christ, and warns fiercely of the danger of abandoning the apparent
commitment that these people have to Jesus.
Since the threat of persecution was so intense and the temptation to go
back to the old covenant was strong, Hebrews contains some frightening passages,
warning Christians to not turn away from the Christ. There is some tension over the Book of
Hebrews, because of a seeming dichotomy.
The author is very exhaustive in proving the effectiveness of Jesus’s
sacrifice to save a person completely for all eternity, but the author also
warns severely about the danger of abandoning faith in Christ. The warning passages seem to suggest that
people could lose their salvation. Yet other passages exalt the sufficiency of
Christ’s sacrifice to not only forgive and cleanse sin, but also the transforming
power to create a new heart. These
doctrines cannot coexist. It is either that
the believer is saved forever and their salvation is secure, or when the
believer receives forgiveness through faith in Christ, they can still renounce
their faith and be pronounced guilty again. Although the book of Hebrews warns against
falling away from Jesus, it also teaches that the true believer does not commit
apostasy, but rather perseveres in faith and holiness.
Hebrews 6:4-6 is one of the most
controversial passages in the book of Hebrews.
Spurgeon said of this passage, “this is one of the texts which have been
trodden under the feet of controversy; and there are opinions upon it as
adverse as the poles, some asserting that it means one thing, and some
declaring that it means another” (Spurgeon 1856). It describes a dire situation that is a
warning to people who have experienced a certain list of blessings poured out
from God, that if they fall away “it is impossible to renew them again to
repentance” (Heb. 6:6 NASB). The word that
invokes terror is: “impossible.” The
impossibility is about repentance, which implies that a person could
potentially come into a state whereby repentance is utterly not possible, and
thus salvation is unattainable; or as Hebrews 10:26 puts it: “there no longer
remains a sacrifice for sins.” At a
quick reading it would seem as if this passage is about a Christian. If this passage is about a Christian, a
person who is forgiven by God and under the grace of God, then it certainly
suggests that a Christian can lose their salvation. Notice in verse 6 it describes an apostasy
which happens after the blessings of verses 4 and 5 are experienced. Hebrews 6 can either be interpreted as a
Christian losing their salvation or an unbeliever that has experienced certain
spiritual blessings, and failing to truly put faith in Jesus Christ and finally
entering into a dreadful state.
Although the blessings described in verses 4 and 5 seem
to be a by-product of salvation, there is much reason to believe that these specific
blessings can most certainly be experienced by unregenerate people. The first blessing, found in verse 4, speaks
on being “enlightened.” Regarding this
blessing of being enlightened, John MacArthur says, “they had received
instruction in biblical truth which was accompanied by intellectual
perception. Understanding the gospel is
not equivalent of regeneration” (MacArthur 2005, 1850). Enlightenment is certainly a gift from God,
but it must be accompanied with faith. Faith
is man’s response to the gospel when the heart becomes enlightened. Enlightenment is not in and of itself faith,
but rather it gives opportunity for faith.
The next blessing listed is: “[tasting] of the heavenly
gift” (Heb. 6:4). Although it is unclear
as to what the “heavenly gift” is, one thing that is certain is how much
participation this hypothetical person has with the heavenly gift. The word “tasted” suggests that a person can
experience the heavenly gift to a certain degree, but then reject it and thus
not reap the benefit of the heavenly gift.
It is similar to how one might taste food, but then spit it out, and
fail to swallow the food and derive nutrition from it. Matthew Henry says, “they may taste of the
heavenly gift, like people at a market, who taste what they will not buy, who
only taste and leave it” (Henry 1708, 2195).
The language surrounding the next blessing is similar to
the previous blessing in that it does not speak of the blessing as being
received in full consummation. The Greek
word for “partaker” is metochos.
Metochos is a loose word used for describing having some kind of
relationship with something or someone.
It does not necessarily imply the person of Hebrews 6 has experienced
the Holy Spirit in a saving way—a regenerating way. Wayne Grudem says:
to become a ‘partaker’
of the Holy Spirit means to be associated in some way with the work of the Holy
Spirit and to share in some of the benefits the Holy Spirit gives”…”regeneration
is not the only way for people to partake in the Holy Spirit or receive some of
His benefits, and therefore we cannot assume that regeneration is the sense
intended here (Grudem 1995, 147 & 148)
An example of people
having some relationship with the Holy Spirit and yet not being a believer is
found in Matthew 7. Jesus said, “many
will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and
in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ And I
will declare to them, ‘I never knew you…” (Matt. 7:22-23). Certainly
the Holy Spirit is required to prophecy, or do wonderful miracles, but even
these manifestations of the Holy Spirit are not evidence of salvation. Jesus said, “I never knew you” (Matt.
7:23). This means that these people had
never possessed salvation.
The last two blessings, found in verse 5, have similar
language. Again, the participation with
the next two blessings is described as “tasted.” The “good word of God and the powers of the
age to come” are experienced in partiality (Heb. 6:5). The good word of God is most likely hearing
the scriptures read, and the gospel explained.
The powers of the age to come could be prophecy of some sort, but its
full meaning is unclear, and not imperative to understanding the hermeneutic of
these verses. The message that is
undeniably clear in these verses is that these blessings are all from God.
By interpreting the blessings of verses 4 and 5 as gifts
from God that can be experienced by regenerate and unregenerate alike, verses 7,
8, and 9 makes perfect sense. The
parable in verses 7 and 8 is a metaphor for two potential reactions when the
blessings of verses 4 and 5 are poured out.
The rain is symbolic of the blessings of verses 4 and 5. The ground is symbolic of the type of heart a
person possesses. The rain does one of
two things for a human being. When the
rain falls on the ground and it “brings forth vegetation useful” to God, it
describes a person who has experienced the same blessings, but faith is
developed and fruit is produced (Heb. 6:7).
When rain falls on the ground and it produces “thorns and thistle”, it
describes a person that even after experiencing the blessings of verses 4 and 5
they do not develop faith and commit apostasy (Heb. 6:8). In light of the dangerous and terrifying
description of a person neglecting the gospel of Jesus Christ found in verses 6
and 8, the author then says in verse 9: “Even though we speak like this, dear
friends, we are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany
salvation” (Heb. 6:9 NIV).
“Things
that accompany salvation” consist of a transformed life that clings to Jesus as
Savior, and perseveres in faith and holiness (Heb.6:9). John Piper says, “the key phrase is "things that accompany
salvation." The "better things" that he is confident about are
things that always go with salvation (literally, are possessed by salvation).
They belong to salvation” (Piper 1996). Apostasy does not
accompany salvation. Rather, a
transformed heart, which is manifested in holiness, is symptomatic of salvation. The author of Hebrews is quite emphatic on
the fact that perseverance is symptomatic of salvation. Hebrews 3:6 says, “Christ was faithful as a
Son over God’s house. And we are his
house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.” The present tense is “we are his house”,
which means one is a Christian; and proof that one is a Christian is the
holding on of courage and hope. In other
words, proof that one is currently a believer is if that person continues
courageously holding on to the hope that is in Christ. Hebrews 3:14 is similar, it says, “We have
come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at
first.” Now the author emphasizes a past
experience. The past experience is
coming into union with Christ—becoming a Christian. Proof that someone has truly become a
Christian is if that person perseveres until the end. If someone abandons faith in Christ, it only
proves that person never truly possessed faith.
Perseverance is not only proof of salvation, but it is in
fact a by-product of being a beneficiary of Christ’s sacrifice; once a person
has truly come into union with Christ, they are forgiven and cleansed for all
eternity by the blood of Christ. Salvation
can be summed up as receiving forgiveness of sins, obtaining an eternal
redemption, cleansing of the conscience, receiving a new heart, and being
perfected or all eternity (Heb 9:12, 9:14, 10:14, 10:16-17). The author has exhaustively exposited on the
implications of the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice in Hebrews 7, 8, 9, and
10. Hebrews 10 essentially concludes and
reiterates what has been said in the previous chapters. One of the main concepts is the sufficiency
of Christ’s blood to cleanse and make perfect the sinner for all eternity. Hebrews 10 distinguishes Christ’s blood from
the blood of bulls and goats by contrasting their effects. He says, “it is impossible for the blood of
bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). But of Jesus he says, “we have
been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”
(Heb. 10:10). The writer continues his argument and says:
Day after day every
priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the
same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time
one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God (Heb. 10:11-12).
By Christ taking a seat
at the right hand of God, it implies His work is completely finished. A person is either in Christ, forever
perfected, or not in Christ, and remains guilty. Charles Stanley says, “to say that Christians
can lose salvation is to say that the blood of Christ is inadequate to perfect
for all time those whom God has sanctified.
To say that is to equate His blood with the blood of bulls and goats”
(Stanley 1990, 154).
A
great verse summoning up the purifying power of Christ’s blood and how it
affects the sinner is Hebrews 10:14: “by one sacrifice he has made perfect
forever those who are being made holy.”
It is through the sacrifice of Jesus that one is cleansed and deemed
righteous; and it is through Christ’s sacrifice that a person undergoes
sanctification, which is manifested as holiness. The “being made holy” is a result of a
transformed heart, which is accomplished by Christ’s sacrifice. It is through the sacrifice of Jesus that the
“new covenant” is put into place. “This
is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I
will write them on their minds” (Heb. 10:16).
This is what God had promised in the Old Testament. It is this transformed heart and mind that
causes the believer to grow in holiness and persevere.
Even
though the true believer will progressively grow in holiness, this fact does
not nullify the importance of the warning passages. The author of Hebrews does not try and
discern who is a Christian and who isn’t.
He writes the warning in such a way that it targets anyone who has spent
time with the body of Christ, and has experienced some spiritual blessings as a
result. Obviously for the false converts
it is very important to read these warnings.
Hopefully it will spur them on to cling to Jesus as Savior. The warnings contained in this book are also
beneficial for the believer, because it can shake one out of a lethargic state
of mind. The salvation from Christ is
too great to neglect, and the doom of failing to put faith in Jesus Christ
dreadful beyond imagination.
REFERENCE
LIST
George,
Jim. 2006. The Bare Bones Bible Handbook.
Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers
Spurgeon,
C.H. 1856. Final Perseverance. 23
March 1856. http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0075.htm
(accessed 04 February 2012)
MacArthur,
John. 2005. The MacArthur Bible
Commentary. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas
Nelson Inc.
Henry, Matthew. 1708. The
New Matthew Henry Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan
Grudem,
Wayne. 1995. The Grace of God, the
Bondage of the Will. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Baker Books
Piper,
John. 1996. When is saving repentance
impossible? 13 October 1996. http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/when-is-saving-repentance- impossible (accessed 06 February 2012)
