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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: Heb 6:4-6 What does it mean...? 6:4 |
Bible Note: What Apostasy in Hebrews 6 really means and which clearly shows you can lose your slavation. Apostasy (Gk apostasia) appears twice in the NT as a noun (Ac 21:21; 2Th 2:3) and here in Heb 3:12 as a verb (Gk aphistemi, translated “turn away”). The Greek term is defined as a falling away, defection, rebellion, abandonment, withdrawal or turning from what one has formerly turned to. (1) To apostatize means to sever one’s saving relationship with Christ or to withdraw from vital union with and true faith in him. Thus, individual apostasy is possible only for those who have first experienced salvation, regeneration and renewal through the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 8:13; Heb 6:4—5); it is not a mere denial of NT doctrine by the unsaved within the visible church. Apostasy nay involve two separate, though related, aspects: (a) theological apostasy, i.e., a rejection of all or some of the original teachings of Christ and the apostles (lTi. 4:1; 2Ti 4:3), and (b) moral apostasy, i.e., the former believer ceases to remain in Christ and instead becomes enslaved again to sin and immorality (Isa 29:13; Mt 23:25—28; Ro 6:15—23; 8:6—13). (2) The Bible issues urgent warnings about apostasy, designed both to alert us to the deadly danger of abandoning our union with Christ and to motivate us to persevere in faith and obedience. The divine purpose of these warning passages must not be weakened by the view that states, “the warnings are real, but the possibility of actual apostasy is not.” Rather, we must see these warnings as speaking to the reality of our probationary period, and we should regard them with alarm if we want to attain final salvation. A few of the many NT warning passages are: Mt 24:4-5,11—13; Jn 15:1-6; Ac 11:21—23; 14:21—22; lCo 15:1—2; Col 1:21—23; lTi 4:1,16; 6:10—12; 2Ti 4:2—5; Heb 2:1—3; 3:6—8,12—14; 6:4—6; Jas 5:19—20; 2Pe 1:8—11; un 2:23—25. (3) Examples of actual apostasy can be found in Ex 32; 2Ki 17:7—23; Ps 106; Isa 1:2—4; Jer 2:1—9; Ac 1:25; Gal 5:4; lTi 1:18—20; 2Pe 2:1,15,20—22; Jude 4,11—13; see article on THE AGE OF THE ANTICHRIST, p. 1872, for comments on apostasy predicted to occur within the professing church in the last days of this age. (4) The steps that lead to apostasy are as follows: (a) Believers, through unbelief, fail to take the truths, exhortations, warnings, promises and teachings of God’s Word with utmost seriousness (Mk 1:15; Lk 8:13; In 5:44,47; 8:46). (b) As the realities of the world become greater than the realities of God’s heavenly kingdom, believers gradually cease to draw near to God through Christ (Heb 4:16; 7:19,25; 11:6). (c) Through the deceitfulness of sin, they become increasingly tolerant of sin in their own lives (lCo 6:9—10; Eph 5:5; Heb 3:13). They no longer love righteousness and hate wickedness (see Heb 1:9, note). (d) Through hardness of heart (Heb 3:8,13) and rejecting God’s way (3:10), they ignore the repeated voice and rebuke of the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30; lTh 5:19—22). (e) The Holy Spirit is grieved (Eph 4:30; cf. Heb 3:7—8) and his fire put out (lTh 5:19) and his temple violated (lCo 3:16). He eventually departs from the former believers (Jdg 16:20; Ps 51:11; Ro 8:13; lCo 3:16-17; Heb 3:14). Reference - Full Life Study Bible, Zondervan Publishing House Grand Rapids Mich, editor Donald Stamp. Pg 1918 Part 1 cont on part 2 |