Hebrews 6
4 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,
5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
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.
7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;
8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.
Commentary excerpts for your consideration:
(6:4–6 See Interpretive Challenges at the bottom of this post)
6:4 enlightened. They had received instruction in biblical truth which was accompanied by intellectual perception. Understanding the gospel is not the equivalent of regeneration (Hebrews 10:26, Hebrews 10:32). In John 1:9 it is clear that enlightening is not the equivalent of salvation. Hebrews 10:29. tasted the heavenly gift. Tasting in the figurative sense in the NT refers to consciously experiencing something (Hebrews 2:9). The experience might be momentary or continuing. Christ’s “tasting” of death (2:9) was obviously momentary and not continuing or permanent. All men experience the goodness of God, but that does not mean they are all saved (cf. Matthew 5:45; Acts of the Apostles 17:25). Many Jews, during the Lord’s earthly ministry experienced the blessings from heaven He brought—in healings and deliverance from demons, as well as eating the food He created miraculously (John 6). Whether the gift refers to Christ (cf. John 6:51; 2 Corinthians 9:15) or to the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts of the Apostles 2:38; 1 Peter 1:12), experiencing either one was not the equivalent of salvation (cf. John 16:8; Acts of the Apostles 7:51). partakers of the Holy Spirit. Even though the concept of partaking is used in Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 3:14; and Hebrews 12:8 of a relationship which believers have, the context must be the final determining factor. This context in vv. 4–6 seems to preclude a reference to true believers. It could be a reference to their participation, as noted above, in the miraculous ministry of Jesus who was empowered by the Spirit or in the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8) which obviously can be resisted without experiencing salvation (cf. Acts of the Apostles 7:51).
6:5 tasted. This has an amazing correspondence to what was described in Hebrews 2:1-4. Like Simon Magus (Acts of the Apostles 8:9-24), these Hebrews had not yet been regenerated in spite of all they had heard and seen (cf. Matthew 13:3-9; John 6:60-66). They were repeating the sins of those who died in the wilderness after seeing the miracles performed through Moses and Aaron and hearing the voice of God at Sinai.
6:6 fall away. This Gr. term occurs only here in the NT. In the LXX, it was used to translate terms for severe unfaithfulness and apostasy (cf. Ezekiel 14:13; Ezekiel 18:24; Ezekiel 20:27). It is equivalent to the apostasy in Hebrews 3:12. The seriousness of this unfaithfulness is seen in the severe description of rejection within this verse: they re-crucify Christ and treat Him contemptuously (see also the strong descriptions in 10:29). The “impossible” of v. 4 goes with “to renew them again to repentance.” Those who sinned against Christ in such a way had no hope of restoration or forgiveness (cf. Hebrews 2:2-3; Hebrews 1:26-27; Hebrews 12:25). The reason is that they had rejected Him with full knowledge and conscious experience (as described in the features of vv. 5, 6). With full revelation they rejected the truth, concluding the opposite of the truth about Christ, and thus had no hope of being saved. They can never have more knowledge than they had when they rejected it. They have concluded that Jesus should have been crucified, and they stand with his enemies. There is no possibility of these verses referring to losing salvation. Many Scripture passages make unmistakably clear that salvation is eternal (cf. John 10:27-29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:4-5). Those who want to make this verse mean that believers can lose salvation will have to admit that it would then also say that one could never get it back again. ~Again, see Interpretive Challenges below.
6:7, 8 Here are illustrations showing that those who hear the gospel message and respond in faith are blessed; those who hear and reject it are cursed (cf. Matthew 13:18-23).
6:8 rejected. See the use of the term in Romans 1:28 (“debased”); 2 Corinthians 13:5 (“disqualified”); and 2 Timothy 3:8 (“disapproved”).
6:9 beloved. This term shows a change of audience and a change from a message of warning to a message of encouragement. That the address is to believers is further confirmed by the expression of confidence that “better things” could be said of them (as compared to those who were being warned in the preceding verses). The “things that accompany salvation” are their works which verify their salvation (Hebrews 6:10; cf. Ephesians 2:10; James 2:18, James 2:26). The very statement implies that the things described in
Hebrews 5:11–6:5 do not accompany salvation but are indicative of unbelief and apostasy.
though we speak in this manner. Though it had been necessary to speak about judgment in the preceding verses, the writer assures the “beloved,” those who are believers, that he is confident of their salvation.
~MacArthur, J. Jr., Hebrews Notes, MacArthur Study Bible (excerpt)
Hebrews Interpretive Challenges
A proper interpretation of this epistle requires the recognition that it addresses 3 distinct groups of Jews:
1) believers;
2) unbelievers who were intellectually convinced of the gospel; and
3) unbelievers who were attracted by the gospel and the person of Christ but who had reached no final conviction about Him.
Failure to acknowledge these groups leads to interpretations inconsistent with the rest of Scripture.
The primary group addressed were Hebrew Christians who suffered rejection and persecution by fellow Jews (Hebrews 10:32-34), although none as yet had been martyred (Hebrews 12:4). The letter was written to give them encouragement and confidence in Christ, their Messiah and High-Priest. They were an immature group of believers who were tempted to hold on to the symbolic and spiritually powerless rituals and traditions of Judaism.
The second group addressed were Jewish unbelievers who were convinced of the basic truths of the gospel but who had not placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their own Savior and Lord. They were intellectually persuaded but spiritually uncommitted. These unbelievers are addressed in such passages as Hebrews 2:1-3; Hebrews 6:4-6; Hebrews 10:26-29; and Hebrews 12:15-17.
The third group addressed were Jewish unbelievers who were not convinced of the gospel’s truth but had had some exposure to it. Hebrews 9 is largely devoted to them.
By far, the most serious interpretive challenge is found in Hebrews 6:4–6. The phrase “once enlightened” is often taken to refer to Christians, and the accompanying warning taken to indicate the danger of losing their salvation if “they fall away” and “crucify again for themselves the Son of God.” But there is no mention of their being saved and they are not described with any terms that apply only to believers (such as holy, born again, righteous, or saints). This problem arises from inaccurately identifying the spiritual condition of the ones being addressed. In this case, they were unbelievers who had been exposed to God’s redemptive truth, and perhaps made a profession of faith, but had not exercised genuine saving faith. In Hebrews 10:26, the reference once again is to apostate Christians, not to genuine believers who are often incorrectly thought to lose their salvation because of their sins. ~MacArthur, J., Jr.