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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | disciplerami, it is impossible (Heb 6:6) | Heb 6:6 | Reformer Joe | 75785 | ||
Thanks for the explanation, Tim. It seems that taking such an approach weakens the warning somewhat, and also seems to make the statement somewhat illogical in my view. Since repentance is the disposition of rejecting sin and relying on Christ, saying that as long as one is unrepentant that he cannot be brought back to repentance doesn't make much sense. The conclusion the would be that once he repents he can be brought back to repentance. That's like saying if I lock myself out of my house, I cannot go back in until I go in and get the key. When you pair this warning up with its companion in Hebrews 10 ("there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins"), it seems even less likely to me that the epistle writer is describing a revolving door for those who have "fallen away." You wrote: "Here I thought you read ALL of my posts! ;-)" I do read most of them, but I am still working on committing them to memory. :) --Joe! |
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2 | disciplerami, it is impossible (Heb 6:6) | Heb 6:6 | Morant61 | 75788 | ||
Greetings Joe! I don't find your statement to be illogical. Repentance is, more than anything else, an attitude. If someone is unrepentant, of course they will not be willing to repent. The issue of Hebrews 6 (to me at least) is those (primarily Jewish Christians) who have placed their faith in Christ, but have begun to show signs of going back to the Law and Judaism. A very loose paraphrase of Hebrews 6 might simply be: "If you reject Christ, there is no other source of salvation." Obviously, one cannot bring (or renew) someone to repentance if they are actively rejectings Him, especially if they had already been Christians. So, I think the warning is more valid under this interpretation than when considering Rom. 6 as a impossible hypothetical. The warning would be in essence, "If you reject Christ, you are lost; and as long as you reject Him, you will remain lost." Concerning a revolving door, I don't see that passage as advocating that, nor in my experience have I seen in demonstrated. Most people who accept Christ, continue on with Christ at an increasing level of maturity. Very few, who really know Christ, would ever reach the place where they would actively reject Him. I know that I have been through some very tough times in my life, but at no point have I ever even considered the possibility of rejecting Christ. And that is what I see in this passage, not a Christian who stumbles and is lost, but a Christian who willfully, and knowingly rejects Christ after having experienced all of the things mentioned in this passage. Such a person, at least while they are rejecting Christ, will not come to repentance. Indeed, they may never. This, at least in my mind, is a very dire warning. And, it is grammatical. The 'main' verb of the verse is 'to renew'. It is a Present, Active, Infinitive. The last two verbs are present participles, and present participles normally convey action which is contemporary with the action of the main verb. While, aorist participles usually convey action which is prior to the time of the main verb. So, grammatically, it makes excellent sense to say: It is impossible for those who have.....(add the list of items) to renew them to repentance, while they are.... p.s. - If you have time to memorize my posts, I need to become a teacher! :-) Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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3 | disciplerami, it is impossible (Heb 6:6) | Heb 6:6 | disciplerami | 75810 | ||
Tim, that's much better than how I said it. Right on, friend. Good day. |
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