What in the world does Hebrews 6:4-9 mean? In this message Pastor Brian surveys the 4 major interpretations of this passage and gives the pros and cons of each – the Free Grace, Hypothetical, Arminian and Reformed views. Then we study the surrounding context to see how it might help us in our quest for correct understanding.
The Point of No Return
Hebrews 6:4-9
We come this morning to arguably the most difficult passage to interpret in the New Testament!
The meaning of Hebrews 6:4-9 has been debated for centuries. There are at least four different interpretations of this passage. I’ll go through each briefly.
- The Free Grace Position. The people mentioned in 6:4-5 are true Christians. However “falling away” does not refer to losing salvation and being eternally condemned. They believe it means that a person defects into carnal living, legalism, or a public rejection of Christ. They further believe that this person is still saved and cannot lose their salvation, though they may lose eternal rewards. They do believe it is impossible to renew them to repentance, but because they once made their “decision for Christ” they are saved and saved forever. In other words, even if a person publicly rejects Jesus Christ, in their view, he is still saved and can’t ever be lost.
What do you have to swallow in order to believe this view? You have to accept the fact that this warning is only about losing eternal rewards, not forfeiting eternal salvation. That is very difficult for me, because the passage seems to be speaking about salvation, not rewards. Rewards are never mentioned in the passage.
- The Hypothetical View. This view states that the people mentioned in 6:4-5 are true Christians. It also affirms that true Christians can never be lost. This view states that the “falling away” is hypothetical. If a true Christian were to fall away and reject Christ, it would be impossible to restore him. However, they believe that in the life of a true Christian, God’s sovereign grace will keep them from ever falling away, but that he will use this strong warning in Heb. 6:4-6 as the means to preserve them from falling away. It would be similar to a father telling his son, “If you jump off that leg, you will break your legs.” He tells them this so that they won’t jump off the ledge.
So, what do you have to swallow to hold to this view? You have to believe that this strong warning is given to those to whom it is impossible to fall away. You have to believe that the warning is only hypothetical and will never actually happen in real life.
The other difficulty with this view is that the word “if” is never found in the passage. Rather, it is stated as something that actually happens to some people – “For in the case of… and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them to repentance.” That does not sound like a hypothetical situation at all but actual cases.
- The Arminian View. In this view, the people in 6:4-6 are true born again believers who lose their salvation.
What do you have to swallow to hold to this view? 1) You must believe that once you have fallen away, you can never be restored again.
Pros: You can take the description of these people in 6:4-5 at face value and accept that they are true Christians.
Cons: You must believe that a genuine believer can lose their salvation. And even if you could accept that premise, you would also have to agree that once salvation is lost, it can never be regained.
Because I believe there is strong Biblical evidence to show that a true born again believer will be preserved by God to the end, I have a difficult time accepting this view.
- The Reformed View. This view holds that the people described in 6:4-5 are professing Christians who have been exposed to the gospel and Christianity, have been involved in a local church, and even witnessed the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, but are not born again.
What do you have to swallow to hold to this view? The primary thing is that you have to believe that the description of these people in 6:4-5 is only that of a professing Christian, not a regenerated believer.
In every single one of the four major views, there are difficulties of interpretation. None of the four views are without difficulties. There is something you have to swallow in each of them. So, the interpreter has to ask himself what he can accept and what he cannot.
I’ll just share with you my own journey in this passage. I’m unable to accept the premise that this is only talking about the loss of rewards, and that this passage is talking about people who will end up in heaven in spite of the fact that they have fallen away. Therefore, I can’t hold to the Free Grace view.
I’m unable to accept the premise that the warning given here is only hypothetical, and never actually happens in real life. The way the Scripture is written leads logically to the conclusion that whatever this warning is, it is actual, not hypothetical. Therefore I can’t hold to the Hypothetical view.
I’m unable to accept the premise that some true regenerated believers will fall away and be eternally lost. The Biblical teaching on the perseverance and preservation of the saints is strong and well founded. Therefore, I can’t hold to the Arminian view.
Well, what’s left? The Reformed view. Now, this view has its own difficulties. The most natural way to understand 6:4-5 would be to assume the people spoken of here are true born again believers. But, can these verses be understood in any other way? Yes, and that’s what I want to show you this morning.
We are going to ask and answer four questions this morning:
- Who are the people described in 6:4-5?
- What does it mean to “fall away”?
- What happens if they fall away?
- What does the surrounding context teach?
1. Who are the people described in 6:4-5?
Those who have once been enlightened. This refers to those who have come to understand the gospel, and various truths about Jesus Christ, and eternal salvation. They have mentally assented to these truths. They have experienced a temporary illumination of their minds, but their hearts have not been renewed by the Holy Spirit.
Their situation would be similar to the seed which fell on rocky soil, and immediately sprang up. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched and because they had no root, they withered away. Jesus interpreted his own parable by saying, “this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”
Those who have tasted of the heavenly gift. They have “tasted” the heavenly gift. There is a distinction between tasting something and actually eating and digesting it. When Jesus hung on the cross, they gave Him wine mixed with gall. Mt. 27:34 says that after tasting it he was unwilling to drink it. He tasted it, but would not drink it. Some people understand the gospel and get involved in a gospel church, but never actually feed on Christ by saving faith. They sample the heavenly gift, appreciate it, but never actually take it in so that it becomes a part of them.
The people tasted things like the peace of the Christian community, the beauty of living a pure life, saw God answer prayers in their midst, but stopped short of receiving and digesting the gift of salvation in Christ.
Those who were made partakers of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit often does some things in unregenerated people who are never born again. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He spiritually enlightens the minds of lost people so that they understand the way of salvation. He imparts spiritual gifts like prophecy or teaching or healing, even to those that are unregenerate. He even gives a temporary sense of joy at hearing the gospel.
However, in the elect, the Holy Spirit goes further. He regenerates them, taking out their heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh. He unites them to Christ. He progressively sanctifies them throughout their entire life.
An example of this kind of person would be King Saul. Though we do not have evidence that he possessed saving grace, we do read of the Spirit of God coming upon him so that he prophesied (1 Sam. 10:10). We also know that Judas Iscariot was sent out not only to preach the gospel, but to heal the sick and cast out demons. However, Jesus called him the son of perdition.
Those who have tasted the good word of God. This would describe those who have heard Biblical preaching and have experienced intellectual pleasure and/or emotional comfort in the preaching, yet were never converted.
We read that Herod Antipas heard John the Baptist gladly (Mk. 6:20), and Felix trembled at Paul’s preaching (Acts 24:25), yet neither repented and were converted.
Those who have tasted the powers of the age to come. Because they were members of a New Testament church, they saw dramatic answers to prayer, miracles of the Holy Spirit, and supernatural gifts in operation.
But just because they “tasted” those powers, does not mean that they had been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Someone can join a church, and see the evidence of the power of God, and never truly repent, believe, and be saved.
Remember, that many on the Day of Judgment will say to the Lord, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then the Lord will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Mt.7:22-23). These people’s confidence was in the fact that they did the miraculous, but they were cast away from the Lord in the end.
2. What does it mean to “fall away”?
Let’s try to think about this question in its historical context.
The whole point of this book is that Jesus is Superior. He is superior to the prophets, angels, Moses, Aaron, and the whole Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system. Now, why would the author go to such great pains to show this truth? The answer is that some of them were being tempted to leave Christ to return to Judaism. Why would they be tempted to this? Initially, Christians were seen as just a sect of Judaism, which was a recognized legal religion within the Roman empire. However, as time went on, Christianity was seen as a distinct religious group, rather as a sect within Judaism. Consequently, Christians were faced with loss of property, and imprisonment, as seen in Hebrews 10:32-34. If they wanted to worship the God of Israel, returning to the synagogue meant they had a safe harbor. They no longer needed to face Roman persecution or social exile from their Jewish families and friends.
That’s why the author of Hebrews continually exhorts them not to drift away, not to neglect salvation, not to fall away from the living God, to hold fast the beginning of their assurance firm until the end, not to harden their hearts, but to be diligent to enter that rest.
These professing Christians were in danger of leaving Christ and the gospel, and returning to a Christless Judaism which could not save.
What would the modern day parallel be to “falling away”? It would be to reject Christ and Christianity, and join another religion which can not save. Think of the person who leaves Christianity to become a Muslim, or Hindu, or Buddhist, or Mormon, or Jehovah’s Witness. They are apostatizing from the true faith, and joining a false religion.
So, the modern application is not that someone might sin grievously and so lose his salvation. It is that someone may have full exposure to the gospel and the church, and then leave Christ altogether for a religion that is powerless to save him.
3. What happens if someone falls away?
“It is impossible to renew them again to repentance.” Having already received full exposure to the truth of the gospel, and then deliberately reject it for another religion, it is impossible for them to be renewed to repentance. They already had the full light of the gospel and rejected it. There is nothing more that can be done for them. There is only one sacrifice that can save them, and they have rejected it.
“they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” A Jewish professing Christian who left Christ to go back to Judaism, would in effect be saying that Jesus’ sacrifice was not enough. Instead, they have gone back to animal sacrifices to save them. That would be to put Christ to an open shame. He was an imposter. His sacrifice does not save.
4. What does the surrounding context teach?
The Soil Metaphor (6:7-8). Here we are told of two different kinds of soil. The same rain falls on both. One brings forth vegetation and receives God’s blessing. The other yields only thorns and thistles, is worthless and close to being cursed. It ends up being burned.
The metaphor is not about one soil which once had life and fruitfulness and then lost it. The worthless soil never produced vegetation and fruitfulness. The problem was not receiving enough rain. The text speaks of “the rain which often falls on it.” This barren and cursed field received all kinds of rain. So too, the professing Christian has received the rain of the Word, gospel, Spirit, miracles and church, but it has not produced any fruit.
In contrast, the true believer has received those same blessings from God, but they have produced vegetation useful to others.
So, this metaphor does not seem to picture a true Christian losing their salvation, but a professing Christian, who was never regenerate, and never brought forth the fruit of the Spirit.
Better Things (6:9). “But beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.” The author is convinced that the Hebrews possessed better things than being ground that receives rain but only produces thorns and thistles, is worthless and close to being cursed and ends up being burned. Now, that is a description of those who fall away and can’t be renewed to repentance. And the author says that the better things he is convinced of are things that accompany salvation. Therefore, those things in 6:4-5 that the apostates had, were not things that accompany salvation. The things that true believers possess are things that accompany salvation. Therefore, those who commit apostasy cannot have had the things that accompany salvation. Therefore, those who commit apostasy were never saved.
Hebrews 3:14 “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.” How will a person know if he has become a partaker of Christ? He will hold fast the beginning of his assurance firm until the end. These apostates did not hold fast their assurance firm until the end. Therefore, these apostates were never partakers of Christ.
Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are [being] sanctified.” All those who are currently born of the Spirit and indwelt by the Spirit, and are being sanctified by the Spirit, were perfected for all time by Jesus’ one offering. If they were perfected for all time, then they can’t be justified at one point, and lose their justification at another point.
Of course, the author of Hebrews is not going to contradict himself. He is clear in these other passages that a real Christian will persevere to the end, and that Christ perfected him for all time when He died on the cross. Therefore, it is not possible that the regenerated person can fall away and be lost forever.
The apostle John spoke of this very issue. 1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.” Those that forsake the true people of God and join some other religion were never of the true people of God.
Conclusion
So, what is the big idea of this passage? It is a sober warning for anyone who has been exposed to the light of the gospel, been baptized, part of a local church, heard the teaching of the word of God, and even seen God’s supernatural works. If that person turns his back on Jesus Christ and rejects the gospel, and then replaces it with a dead religion that cannot save, he has apostatized and has crossed the point of no return. The reason he can’t repent and return is because he already has full light and has rejected that light. There would be no reason for him to return. He has scorned the cross-work of Christ. There is no other sacrifice for sins that will actually remove them. Once he finally rejects Christ and His cross-work, He is lost forever.
Remember, that the author is speaking to some professing Jewish believers who were stuck in spiritual stagnation. They were not maturing and progressing in their faith. All they could take in was milk instead of meat. They were like the 20 year old wearing a diaper and sucking on a bottle. It was tragic. They had learned a few surface-level basic doctrines, and were content to affirm those doctrines, and stay in their spiritual infancy.
The author is concerned about them. He knows that their spiritual stagnation may be a sign that they are not saved at all. They may simply have joined the church and learned a few basic truths. The fact that they are not growing might indicate they are not regenerate. And their spiritual stagnation may lead to them abandoning Christ altogether. This would be extremely tragic, for it would indicate that they are eternally and hopelessly lost.
So, what is the application for you and me? Make sure you are not spiritually stagnant, stuck in spiritual kindergarten, and never making any progress. Peter ends his second letter by saying, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). If you stay in spiritual stagnation, it may be that you will become bored with the Christian gospel, and look for fulfilment in some other dead religion. If that happens, it would be good for you if you had never been born.
Are you growing in your faith?
Are you getting to know the Lord more and more?
Are you learning to rely upon Him in greater measure?
Are you taking sin more seriously?
Are you repenting of all known sin?
Are you learning the Scriptures better and better?
These are the kinds of questions that you should be able to say “Yes!” to. I pray that is the case. Let’s pray.
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