I said this:
"Amen. And if eternal life could be lost, taken back, etc, that would make Jesus' promise in
John 10:28 a lie."
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
True this book is written to the Jewish christians, who had just been exposed to the wonderful truth that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah. If they rejected the clear evidence of the Word and Holy Spirit regarding this precious truth, there was nothing more that God could do to convince them.
The whole context of Hebrews is to Jewish believers.
This is what Jesus referred to when He said, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31 NKJV). In other words, if we reject Jesus and the Holy Spirit after knowing them, we are turning away from the best that God has to offer us. There is nothing better He can send to convince us to follow His Word.
The audience for Hebrews were Jews who HAD believed the gospel, but, due to persecution from orthodox Jews, were turning back, or planning, to animal sacrifices.
This truth is borne out more fully a little later in Hebrews: “For if we sin (including himself) willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26, 27). God cannot save us from continuing in willful sin and rejection of the Holy Spirit.
Let's look at v.18 first, for context:
And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
The author establishes that, because of Christ's perfect sacrifice, there are no more sacrifices needed. He did it all.
So, v.26 simply re-states that principle. And the context for the rest of ch 10 is that those believers who DO sin willfully WILL be heavily disciplined.
The term fallen away
Strongs
Strong's Concordance
parapiptó: to fall in, into or away, to fail
Original Word: παραπίπτω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: parapiptó
Phonetic Spelling: (par-ap-ip'-to)
Definition: to fall in, into or away, to fail
Usage: I fall away, fall back (into the unbelieving and godless ways of the old time).
HELPS Word-studies
3895 parapíptō (from
3844 /pará, "from close-beside" and
4098 /píptō, "to fall") – properly,
fall away, after being
close-beside; to
defect(abandon).
3895 /parapíptō ("fallen from a close position") refers to a
close-follower of Christ who becomes a defector.
It suggests this person (at least at one time) was a believer (note the
para).
3895 (
parapíptō) is only used in Heb 6:6.
Absolutely! Once a believer, always saved.
Here's proof from Scripture:
John 3:18 - Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands
condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
2 Thess 2:12 - and so that
all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Do you see the point of these 2 verses? Condemnation is based on NEVER having believed. Not having believed but then changing to unbelief or rejection.
Believers are believers whether jewish or not.
Once a believer, there is no condemnation. Ever.
Verses in Hebrews that support this idea?
My comments about the believing Jews returning to animal sacrifice is noted by a number of scholars. Persecution was great against believing Jews. It was tempting to go back to animal sacrifice to avoid persecution.
I will quote from my own study Bible on the background for the occasion of the book:
"Persecution is a real threat to the church at Rome. This persecution causes many Jewish believers, who have died to their legalistic,, Judiac ways, to take some steps backward. The author uses this occasion to express the freedom that Christ has given to all believers, and asserts that with Christ there is no need for any of the rituals offered by Judaism. Appealing to their knowledge of the OT, the author especially comments on parallels from the Pentateuch."