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NASB | Hebrews 6:4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 6:4 For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit, |
Subject: Heb6:4-6 Loosing salvation or what? |
Bible Note: Greetings Doc! I've noticed the same thing about Calvinism. It sure has changed over the years. :-) While I can't speak for anyone else, when I was growing up, I had no idea who Jacobus Arminius was. I couldn't have explained the differences between him or Calvin. The source of my theology was Scripture. Later, in college, I discovered that I had much more in common with Arminius theologically than I did with Calvin. But, as we have discussed in the past, I owe no obligation to either man to believe or accept what either has to say other than Scripture. Sometimes I agree with Arminius, while other times I disagree. I even agree with Calvin sometimes. :-) I did read the letter you cited, and I came away unsure exactly what he was saying. In the immediately preceding passage, he seemed to be saying the opposite of your quote. The 'if' of your quote makes me wonder if he believes the following point are is arguing against someone else's position. Either way, the crux of the matter for me is the phrase 'partakers of the Holy Spirit'. Can this phrase describe an unregenerate person? Many of those who argue that it can, seem to take the phrase to mean that they are partakers of the general gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, this seems to be an example of 'eisgesis' since the text says that they were partakers of the Holy Spirit, not His gifts. Matthew Henry went so far as to claim that the gifts of the Spirit were poured out upon the unsaved during the Apostolic age. Unfortunately, this particular phrase is not ever used again in Scripture. However, the author of Hebrews does use the word 'partakers' several other times. They are: Heb. 1:9 - "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." Heb. 3:1 - "Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess." Heb. 3:14 - "We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first." Heb. 12:8 - "If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons." Unfortunately, his uses of the word are varied enough that no one could be dogmatic about the meaning in Heb. 6:4. The closest to his use in Heb. 6:4 would seem to be Heb. 3:14. Each usage does seem to have the common feature of some sort of relationship. So, my problem still remains, how could it be said of an unregenerate person that he is a 'partaker of the Holy Spirit'? Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |