The Baptist Examiner Forum: pt. 2

April 8, 1978   Question:
        Please explain Hebrews 6:4-8.

(Hebrews 6:4-10)  "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, {5} And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, {6} If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. {7} For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: {8} But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. {9} But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. {10} For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

    Answer:
        This narrative shows how far people may go in religion, and, after all, fall away from their own steadfastness and perish forever.  Some object to the thought that anyone could go as far as those apostates had gone without being saved, but verses 9 and 10 are proof positive that this is the very case.  Verse 9 tells us that things better than what the Apostates had are the things which accompany salvation, and verse 10 tells us these "better things" are wrought by a "labor of love" and that God would not forget their labors.  True saving grace brings forth "better things" than what is stated herein of these apostates.
    Now let us note some things about these apostates, and their fatal shortcomings:
        1. They had been, at one time enlightened (verse 4), not as to the truth as it is in Christ, but as to the claims of Jesus' Messiahship.  They had more than the common light of mere profession. They had light which made them strong religionists, but which came short of the true light. At best, theirs was a natural knowledge of spiritual things.
        2. They had tasted of the "Heavenly gift" (verse 4).  A person may get a good bite of religion, like what he tastes, and would continue to eat if some of the demands connected with the eating were relaxed.  Christ did not say, "He that tasteth Me shall live by Me", but "he the eateth Me even he shall live by Me"  (John 6:57). Their tasting is contrasted with eating.
        3. They were partakers of the Holy Ghost (verse 4).  This does not mean that they were, at any time, indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  It does not say they were born of the Spirit, nor does it say that the Holy Spirit had wrought in them their measure of light. It simply means they had beheld the supernatural operations and manifestations of the Holy Spirit, and were thereby restrained in their overt sinning. In that sense, became partakers of the blessings bestowed on the church by the Holy Spirit.
        4. They had tasted the good word of God (verse 5).  They had been introduced to the prophetical Word and had believed the prophecies were fulfilled by the Apostles. Note, how the author belabours the term "taste" that is to keep the reader ever aware that he has reference to those who has yet not eaten the Word of God. Jeremiah says "Thy words were found and I did eat them" (Jeremiah 15:16.) They had tasted of the cup of the Gospel, and in some manner appreciated what they tasted, but they were unwilling to drink the full cup. An intellectual assent to the truth of the Gospel, is but to taste the Gospel, and will profit nothing.
        5. They were made aware of the powers of the age to come (verse 5).  These Hebrew Apostates had been the subjects of preaching which declared the sovereignty of God in the Old Testament economy, and of the miracles of Christ in the introduction of the New Testament.  They were instructed as to the coming again of the Messiah, and of His great power in the coming Millennial age.
        6. So while these apostates had an outward familiarity with Christianity, they had never experienced the efficacious work of the Holy Spirit inwardly. "If they shall fall away ... " (verse 6) in this verse the apostle describes the dreadful and awful frame of mind of those who after having gone so far in the right direction, fall away from it. Or as the term apostasy means, a total denunciation of their former belief. In this case, they being Hebrews, it would mean an approval of what the Jews did in crucifying Christ, and if the opportunity presented itself, they would crucify Him afresh. They totally abandon God, and, and the nature of such apostasy is so absolute that true repentance is the most alien thing to it. Thus the appropriateness of the term "impossible" (verse 4).