Introduction
Hebrews 6:4-6 has given rise to much controversy and the opinion of commentators and of the Christian world is fiercely divided about its meaning. Some hold that the passage is not intended to describe true Christians, but only those who have come close to salvation and then fell back. Others maintain that it refers to those who are true Christians and then apostatize. The contending parties have been Calvinists and Armenians; each party, in general, interpreting it according to the views which they hold about the possibility of true Christians falling from grace. This passage has been difficult for both sides – difficult for Calvinists because it sounds like a saved person falls away and does not persevere; difficult for Arminians because those who “fall away” cannot be renewed to repentance.
Can we form an unbiased view of the meaning of the passage or must we read it with our minds already made up and force it to fit with our Theology? You will have to judge this for yourselves! It is hard to look at a passage without colouring it with our preconceptions.
Options
My studies have identified 7 options to explain this passage the people referred to were:
1. true Christians who sinned in some gross way and were condemned to eternal judgement with no hope of restoration
2. true Christians who sinned in some gross way and could not be restored by any human intervention, but God will bring some devastating judgement into their lives after which they will turn back to Him
3. true Christians who sinned in some gross way and could not be restored by any human intervention while they continued to disgrace the Lord
4. true Christians who sinned in some gross way and could not be restored to repentance in this life, they would die and go to heaven, but only by the skin of their teeth as it were
5. not genuine Christians, but had come within a gnat’s whisker of salvation. Having come so close they knowingly renounced the gospel and turn back to their old life. After this there was no further hope for them.
6. Jewish apostates – this passage is no longer relevant because the temple has been destroyed.
Or finally
7. this is a hypothetical scenario and if it were possible for a Christian to sin is such a gross way then it would also be impossible to restore them, but it isn’t
Whichever option we adopt has to meet fit the following points that the passage makes:
1. the fivefold description of the people concerned in vv 4 and 5
2. the terrible verdict on their actions in v 6
3. the analogy of the land, its produce and end described in v 7&8
In considering this we must also bear in mind
• the immediate and general context of the passage
• the teaching of the remainder of Scripture, for it never contradicts itself
• the danger of reading in words or statements that are not there
• a general maxim of interpretation that it is foolish to interpret a straightforward passage in the light of an obscure one. Start with teaching that is clear and unambiguous and let this illuminate passages that we find hard to understand.
So we have 7 options. Each option has three criteria and each criterion 4 maxims. Phew! With 84 combinations how on earth are we going to deal with this today? The answer is, of course, that we can’t, but we can make a start.
1. The fivefold description (Who are they?)
This is not an academic study for many Christians have worried that they had committed this sin and were lost for ever. It is important for us to know if it teaches that Christians who fall into serious sin can never be restored to faith.
The first question is who is the writer was writing about. If we can answer this we may be able to narrow down the options. Does it describe the saved or the lost? Christians or non-Christians? Whoever they were they are described as the:
• once enlightened v4
• tasted the heavenly gift v4
• partakers of the Holy Spirit v4
• tasted the good word of God v5
• tasted the powers of the age to come v5
What do you think? Do these terms describe a Christian?
• Certainly we could not become a Christian unless we were enlightened. Naturally we live in darkness until God gives us light by the Holy Spirit.
• It is also quite reasonable to describe us as having tasted the heavenly gift, after all Ps 34:8 encourages us to taste and see that the LORD is good.
• In the same way true Christians are certainly partakers of the Holy Spirit for it is He that reveals our sin and points us to Christ for salvation. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His Ro 8:9. Interestingly the word translated partakers means partners. Isn’t it amazing that God chooses us as partners in the work of the Gospel. The writer has already used this word twice in chapter 3
1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end
These obviously refer to Christians and the reference in ch 6 clearly fits Christians as well.
• Again the description that they had tasted the good word of God fits Christians for the Word of God shows us ourselves in our sin and need, but it also shows us God in His glory, holiness and love and is essential to salvation and a fruitful Christian life.
• As Christian’s we have also tasted the powers of the age to come v5. This heavenly power has been applied to us, giving us life from the dead. We also have the Holy Spirit indwelling us with the intent of making us bear fruit to the glory of God.
So, in summary these terms clearly fit Christians. Is there any reason, then, from this passage to doubt that the writer has Christians in mind? Well, yes there is. Have a look at verse 9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation. Why would he say this if the earlier description was of Christians? But if that is the case then what on earth was the writer thinking of?
Kadesh-Barnea
The 3 fold tasting in vv 4-5 reminds me of the story of the spies when the Israelites turned back at Kadesh-Barnea instead of going forward to take possession of the Promised Land, as described in Deut 1:19 and Num 13. We looked at this story back in chapter 4 where we saw how Israel came so close to the Promised Land and then turned back to waste 40 years in the wilderness because of the discouraging advice of 10 of the 12 spies. Could this have been in the writer’s mind?
The spies saw the land of God’s promise to Abraham and to the generations until Moses and tasted its produce. They knew how wonderful it was from personal experience. They took back with them some of the produce of the land including a bunch of grapes that was so heavy it took two of them to carry it. They also brought back some pomegranates and figs. They poetically described the land’s wonderful fertility It truly flows with milk and honey.
Tragically, however, they were afraid of the inhabitants and scared the other people too into thinking that they could not win in battle against them. Like the people described in this chapter they came close to a promised new life, but drew back with tragic consequences. The spies tasted the wonderful fruit, but would have returned to the food of the wilderness. But is it reasonable to read taste in passage in such a short term way? I think the use of the word elsewhere in Scripture suggests that this usage is entirely consistent. Consider a few examples:
Mt 27:34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Jesus tried the wine, but He did not drink deeply.
John 2:9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. They were tentatively sipping the wine to see what it was like.
Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Perhaps the most famous verse on this theme in the NT. Jesus truly experienced death and really died, but the grave could not hold Him. Death could not keep His prey Jesus, my Saviour. He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord. Up from the grave He arose.
These verses all use taste to mean a short term experience. Real experiences, but short ones. But do the descriptions in these verses fit the story of the spies and people that almost became Christians? All had:
• been enlightened about God’s plan for His people v4
• tasted the heavenly gift v4 for themselves. In the one case this was a literal tasting of the fruit of the Promised Land. In the other case they understood about forgiveness and of salvation.
• partakers of the Holy Spirit v4. The spies were partners with the Holy Spirit in that they were spying out the land and reporting back to Moses as He had commanded. Perhaps the Hebrews:
- had come under conviction – for the Holy Spirit 8will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged Jn 16. To describe this as partnership, however, there must have been some response to the working of the Holy Spirit. They must have been very close to salvation.
- They may even have performed some Christian service – for, after all, as Jesus said 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 "Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Mt 7. It is possible to be doing all the right things, as far as one can see outwardly, but not to be right with God on the inside.
• tasted the good word of God v5. The spies had experienced the literal fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham. Those in Heb 6 had listened to the preaching of God’s Word and come to appreciate it, perhaps even to believe it, in their heads, to some significant extent.
• tasted the powers of the age to come v5 – it is hard to be sure what this refers to. The spies had seen God’s power demonstrated against the Egyptians, in the Red Sea and time and time again in the wilderness. Yet, having seen His power they did not trust God to do the same in the Promised Land. It may be that the Hebrews had also witnessed miracles, perhaps performed by the Lord Himself or one of the Apostles. Certainly they must have seen miraculous changes in those that were truly saved.
2. The terrible verdict on their actions in v 6
Our second test is the verdict. Does it fit with people who have come so close to salvation and then knowingly turned back to their old way of life? V6 says they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
How tragic to be among the people who one day took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: "Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!" Joh 12:13 and a week later cried out "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" … "We have no king but Caesar!" John 19:15. Like their leaders before them these Jewish people had effectively declared ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ Lu 19:14
To behave like this dishonours God’s beloved Son for, in rejecting Him when they had come so close, they were effectively nailing Him to the cross for themselves.
3. The analogy of the land, its produce and end described in v 7&8
What was God’s reaction to the way the Jewish leaders treated His beloved Son? It was, and remains, the severest judgement in all of history. As Jesus put it in the parable of the vineyard ‘bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me’ Lu 19:27. And what is the verdict on these people? When they produce thorns and briars God’s rejects them and says they are near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned V8. Their judgement has been announced and will shortly come to pass.
Lu 12:48For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Conclusion
Our time is gone, even though there is much more to say. I believe that this is the right interpretation of the passage, but DV we’ll look further into the contrasting views next time.
In closing I want to emphasise that although this passage does not indicate that Christians can loose our salvation we can drift away, as we were warned in Ch 2. We have to maintain our vigilance and focus on Jesus if this is not to be our fate.
