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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: Hebrews 6:4 |
Bible Note: Lionstrong; In your post you stated: "this passage cannot be talking about a true believer" and you also stated; "The label attached to my theological persuasion is Reformed" While I personally don't claim to be of either the Reformed or Remonstrant persuasion , many will label me as being slanted toward one persuasion more than the other. However the label I prefer is Christian... a follower of Christ. Having said that, I will appeal to you from the words of a famous Reformed preacher and as to whether he thought those mentioned in Heb 6 were true Christian's even though he still maintained his "Eternal Security" position. Charles H.Spurgeon on Heb. 6:4-6 (Are those mentioned true and real Christian's) "We come to this passage (Hebrews 6:4-6) ourselves with the intention to read it with the simplicity of a child, and whatever we find therein to state it;and if It may not seem to agree with something we have hitherto held, we are prepared to cast away every doctrine of our own, rather than one passage of scripture." (Charles Haddon Spurgeon) "A child reading this passage, would say, that the persons intended by it must be Christians. If the Holy Spirit intended to describe Christians, I do not see that he could have used more explicit terms than there are here. How can a man be said to be enlightened, and to taste of the heavenly gift, and to be made partaker of the Holy Ghost, without being a child of I think that I shall be able to show that none but true believers are here described. First, they are spoken of as having been once enlightened, This refers to the enlightening influence of God's Spirit .... I cannot consider a man truly enlightened unless he is a child of God. The next thing that God grants to us is a taste of the heavenly gift, by which we understand, the heavenly gift of salvation. We cannot think that the Holy Spirit would describe an unregenerate man as having been enlightened, and as having tasted of the heavenly gift, No, my brethren, If I have tasted of the heavenly gift, I am one of his. No man can be a partaker of the Holy Ghost, and yet be unregenerate. Further..... they have tasted the good word of God .... I say again, if these people be not believers-who are? They had received the powers of the world to come.... powers with which the Holy Ghost endows a Christian. These, we say, whatever may be the meaning of the text, must have been, beyond a doubt, none other than true and real Christians" (Charles Haddon Spurgeon) God richly bless you as you daily spend time with Him in His word In Christ zach† |