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NASB | Hebrews 6:6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 6:6 and then have fallen away--it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace. |
Subject: Fallen 'Partakers of the Holy Spirit?' |
Bible Note: Part 4 "And one thought more. There is nothing in Scripture which teaches us that there is any salvation, save the one salvation of Jesus Christ—nothing that tells us of any other power, super-excellent and surpassing the power of the Holy Spirit. These things have already been tried on the man, and yet, according to the supposition, they have failed, for he has fallen away......: that if grace be ineffectual, if grace does not keep a man, then there is nothing left but that he must be damned. " (Spurgeon) If we fall from the faith, it doesn't reflect negatively upon God's faithfulness, but rather on our unfaithfulness (zach) "If Christians can fall away, and cease to be Christians, they cannot be renewed again to repentance. "But," says one, "You say they cannot fall away." What is the use of putting this "if" in, like a bugbear to frighten children, or like a ghost that can have no existence? My learned friend, "Who art thou that repliest against God?" If God has put it in, he has put it in for wise reasons and for excellent purposes. Let me show you why. First, O Christian, it is put in to keep thee from falling away. God preserves his children from falling away; but he keeps them by the use of means; and one of these is, the terrors of the law, showing them what would happen if they were to fall away. There is a deep precipice: what is the best way to keep any one from going down there? Why, to tell him that if he did he would inevitably be dashed to pieces. ." It leads the believer to greater dependence on God, to a holy fear and caution, because he knows that if he were to fall away he could not be renewed, and he stands far away from that great gulf, because he know that if he were to fall into it there would be no salvation for him. " (Spurgeon) There is no conditional participle present in the Greek text to support any claims that the word "if" in Heb. 6:6 was in the original text. The writer in Hebrews simply says to us …. kai parapesontas – "and they have fallen away" (second aorist active participle). The Greek conjunction "kai" usually means "and" has an adversative force here, meaning and yet. The writer is saying "they had all these blessings and yet in spite of all this, they have still fallen away" (A.T. Robertson) The NEB translates the phrase, "and after all this" There is nothing in either the language or the context to indicate that the instances of apostasy cited in Heb. 6:4-6 are only hypothetical. Those who hold to the unconditional eternal security position take this text to say that "this is not a warning of apostasy, but rather a warning against imagining that apostasy is possible." Their reasoning comes from Paul's statement "But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you." They fail to reckon with the transition from the third person (those, they, and them) in verses 4-6 to the second person (you) in verse 9. The writer is persuaded of better things for "you" not "them" (from zach) If I thought as the Arminian thinks, that I might fall away, and then return again, I should pretty often fall away, for sinful flesh and blood would think it very nice to fall away, and be a sinner, and go and see the play at the theatre, or get drunk, and then come back to the Church, and be received again as a dear brother who had fallen away for a little while. (Spurgeon) Well I don't know in full what an Arminian thinks, I can only say that I personally don't think the way Spurgeon describes above. If you fall away, thats it in my understanding of Scripture, you trampled underfoot Christ and His grace and no other present, or future offer will ever be made available to such who fall away (zach) Take care, then Christian, for this is a caution. (Spurgeon) I too believe it's a caution and much more. It is also a strong warning, and an actual possibility, not a hypothetical situation as some believe (zach) |