Explanations of a particular passage.

[tobethebest]

Here are a couple of verses that I have heard several different explanations to its meaning, so I just thought I would throw it out to everyone:

"For it is impossible for those who have been once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and of the powers of the age to come.

If they fall away, to renew them again to repentence, since they crucify again to themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame." Heb. 6.

I know this does not mean you can lose your salvation. God will not turn His back on us. But what it does mean should have a broader meaning. Who can expound on this for us?

 

[TamaraLynne]

subscribing

 

[TamaraLynne]

I have my thoughts but it is to early for me to post them...I need to think on it a bit more.

 

[K2K]

All the Scriptures must be right, but how to interprete them?

The is another place where Jesus says that He would loose any that are given Him, and both verses must be right. Then there is another verse where Jesus says a day will come when many will tell Him that they cast our demons in His name, healed the sick in His name, and prophesied in His name, but He say that He never knew them.

So I have a question: Does the verse in Hebrews actually say the person actualy knew Jesus, or did they just become familiar with the Spirit who was sent from heaven as a gift?

I believe we can get to know Jesus Christ via the Spirit of God, but I believe that it is possible for the Spirit to be sent to a person that repents yet they remain lawest and do know actually come to know the Lord though they have tasted the power of the Spirit of God.

Because of this my message is get to know the Son of God, Jesus Christ! That varies slightly with some that seem to proclaim the Spirit of God.

For example: My mom has a sister that became part of a new age movement. They believe in the Spirit of God, but think Jesus Christ is in a farway place called heaven. They specifically seek the Holy Spirit but never Jesus Christ. Yet the Scriptures explain that the Spirit of God glorifies the Son, Jesus Christ. By the Spirit we say the Jesus Christ is Lord. By the Spirit we say the Jesus Christ took on flesh, went to the cross and rose again. Jesus said that He and the Father are One and that they would come and make their abode in us.

So we have the Father, Son, and Spirit all with us, yet I have seen Christians talk as if the Father and Son are in some faraway place called heaven, and sent the Spirit to us from their, and thus they start to sound alot like that new age movement.

Christians we say you have to get to know the Holy Spirit, but the Scripture explain the Spirit does not speak on His own, but only speaks what He hears. And the Scriptures explain that the Spirit has us proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. And Jesus said My sheep hear My voice.

So I believe it possible to have come into contact with the Spirit of God but not still come to know the Son, though the Spirit is trying to get us to know the Son, Jesus Christ. And think the verse in Hebrews refers to someone like that, or how else can it also be true the Jesus holds on to all those the Father gave Him?

 

[Biblicist]

I know this does not mean you can lose your salvation. God will not turn His back on us. But what it does mean should have a broader meaning. Who can expound on this for us?

As the time is now late in my part of the world I will keep my post short; suffice to say, man can certainly but incredibly choose to forfeit his Salvation and how can any of those who choose such an incredible pathway where they have negated the Sacrifice of Christ ever expect that his death can be treated so lightly – for such a man there is no pathway for repentance.

 

[mrhappy3]

Hebrews 6, 10 and Matthew 7 indicate we can LOSE something...but who it refers to is wide ranging.

 

[TamaraLynne]

As a little girl Jesus was my best friend. Oh how I loved him...

As I grew I also was without direction and I was in bondage and got caught up in the world. the entire time I was caught up in the world it was horrible for me...temptation would quickly turn from oh this feels good to ouch! ouch! to hot! to hot! I was not like a frog that slowely gets use to the water until it is to late.

If I take those verses and think about my life...imagine Jesus walking by my side when temptation arose and I gave in over and over again...I don't see into the spiritual realm but i could just imagine the snickers from the demonic world and how people might have looked upon me because i showed not a lick of Jesus to them...not only am I a mockery but in the same breath it is like I'm downplaying the power and love of Jesus...as if Jesus has no power to make things better...for me or for others.
My thoughts go to what happened to Jesus by others before he was crucified and I imagine that that is what i displayed by straying I was replaying the mockery that was shown to Jesus before he died
I never really thought of this before until just now

 

[TamaraLynne]

As a little girl Jesus was my best friend. Oh how I loved him...

As I grew I also was without direction and I was in bondage and got caught up in the world. the entire time I was caught up in the world it was horrible for me...temptation would quickly turn from oh this feels good to ouch! ouch! to hot! to hot! I was not like a frog that slowely gets use to the water until it is to late.

If I take those verses and think about my life...imagine Jesus walking by my side when temptation arose and I gave in over and over again...I don't see into the spiritual realm but i could just imagine the snickers from the demonic world and how people might have looked upon me because i showed not a lick of Jesus to them...not only am I a mockery but in the same breath it is like I'm downplaying the power and love of Jesus...as if Jesus has no power to make things better...for me or for others.
My thoughts go to what happened to Jesus by others before he was crucified and I imagine that that is what i displayed by straying I was replaying the mockery that was shown to Jesus before he died
I never really thought of this before until just now

One more thing...I hung on to Jesus the entire time...I never ever once decided I was going to let go of his hand...I never rejected him....
i was so lost though

 

[K2K]

Hebrews 6, 10 and Matthew 7 indicate we can LOSE something...but who it refers to is wide ranging.

Jn 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

Yeah - there is something or someone we might lose, but we can lose eternal life if that has been given. Perhaps we can loose the gift of God or the presence of the Holy Spirit who is sent to us, but not eternal life if indeed it was given to us.

Jn 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

I believe there are many that might be called Christians. They might think they have eternal life, but they don't actually know Jesus Christ. They don't actually hear His voice and follow the instructions given from Him.

So they don't actualy know Him, though they might have seen the power of God. They might have cast out demons in His name, but still do not know Him. They might have healed the sick in His name, but still do not know Him. They might have prophesied in His name, but still do not know Him. They might have repented of their ways, had the Holy Spirit sent to them, but never came to know the small voice of our Lord.

So we preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In this we come into agreement with the Spirit of God, who also proclaims Jesus Christ and Him crucified. You have to know Him! You have to hear from Him! He actually has to be your Lord, meaning you get instructions from Him!

Yet sometimes we wind up preaching the Spirit of God or the Bible, and wind up leading people to a wrong conclusion. Yeah - true believers get to know the Spirit and the power of God, and yeah - true believers read and study the Scriptures, but true believers confess Jesus Christ as their Lord because they know Him and He gives them instructions.

Jn 10:16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become on flock with one sheperd.

I was once at a large mens barbeque my church had. Several hundred men were there. The pastor explained that the Lord wanted him to ask for a show of hands from any who had ever heard the small voice of the Lord, and about half the men there raised their hands.

It's seems to be a pretty good Charismatic Christian church, but only half the men going there claim to ever have heard the small voice of the Lord, according to their own show of hands. It seemed to me that half the men their indeed had a whole lot to loose!

 

[Yitzchak]

Here are a couple of verses that I have heard several different explanations to its meaning, so I just thought I would throw it out to everyone:

"For it is impossible for those who have been once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and of the powers of the age to come.

If they fall away, to renew them again to repentence, since they crucify again to themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame." Heb. 6.

I know this does not mean you can lose your salvation. God will not turn His back on us. But what it does mean should have a broader meaning. Who can expound on this for us?

One of the basics when interpreting a passage is to look at the context. We all have heard this.

When looking at context , one thing that helps greatly, is to pay special attention to the transitional phrases which connect one part of the passage to another part. Words like " therefore " and "for".

So the first thing to notice is that the chapter begins with a therefore. Meaning that the last part of the previous chapter was meant to lead us to the conclusion stated in the first few verses of this chapter. One idea builds upon another.

Also notice the word "for" in verse four which connects those verses to the first three verses of the chapter. I take the word "for" to mean that verses four through six ( the verses , in question ) are given to support the idea expressed in verses one through three. One thing that is 100% certain is that transitional phrases connect one part to another an these verses were not written to stand upon their own. These are part of a larger discussion / teaching.

Worth noting is that verse seven begins with the word "for " which indicates that what is expressed in verse seven supports the idea expressed in the passage in question.

So in order to correctly understand the passage in question , we need to look at the surrounding context and see how the one part builds upon the other.




Here is what the end of the previous chapter says.

Heb 5:11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
Heb 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,
Heb 5:13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.
Heb 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Heb 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3 And this we will do if God permits.
Heb 6:4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
Heb 6:5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Heb 6:6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
Heb 6:7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.
Heb 6:8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
Heb 6:9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.

One idea that comes through very clearly in the passage is that it is not appropriate that someone stay as a child forever. they are expected to progress in the faith.

One possible explanation to the passage in question is that we cannot keep having a do over , again and again. Which fits with the context. We cannot keep repenting of the same things again and again and getting saved again and again. We need to move on from that.

I am not sure why you rule out losing salvation because that is exactly what the context seems to indicate if we look at verses seven through nine.

 

[Faulty]

Here are a couple of verses that I have heard several different explanations to its meaning, so I just thought I would throw it out to everyone:

"For it is impossible for those who have been once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and of the powers of the age to come.

If they fall away, to renew them again to repentence, since they crucify again to themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame." Heb. 6.

I know this does not mean you can lose your salvation. God will not turn His back on us. But what it does mean should have a broader meaning. Who can expound on this for us?

Here's how I understand it in it's context. The next few verses give this context:

For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. v7-8
​

This reminds me of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Of the two types of ground that sprouted anything, one was ground that sprouted thorns, and the thorns choked the seeds. Meanwhile, the good soil sprouted good fruit. These are the same two soils described here which is an explaination of the verses just before it, being those you quoted. These passages expand on each other.

The end of the thorny ground, being burned would be the same theology in 1 Corinthians 3 where the works are burned up, but the people are still saved, but described as those saved by fire.

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. v 9-12
​

This next paragraph continues the commentary on the "works" of the people. This is an admonition to finish the race and not be sluggish, because there is still a rest to be entered into, which is described already in great detail in chapters 3 and 4 and the need to strive to enter that rest ourselves, and is a reminder of Pauls statements in Phillipians 3 where he states he's straining forward towards the goal for a prize of the high calling of Christ.

These are verses pertaining to our works and our eternal rewards or losses, and as you say, not our salvation.