Hebrews 6.4-6

[elman]

Possible interpations:
1) Arminians believe that this is talking about loseing one's salvation, but notice it is not possible to be saved a 2nd time

2)Some think this is not referring to genuine believers, the falling away is knowledge of truth, but not actually acting on it, therefore, no faith. They know Jesus saves, but come short of placing thier faith. I may know that a chair can hold me up, but if I don't sit in it, then I'm not placing my faith in it.

3)Some think that it is talking about true believers, but the "falling away" is only there to stregthen the warning. Hence, "It is impossible for a student to turn back the clock, once enrolled in the class, to start over again. Therefore, let all students go deeper into knowldege"

I find it hard to accept #1 becasue it does not allow for one to be saved more than once.

I go with number one because the verse is talking about people who have connected to God being disconnected. I think the impossible to be saved is an exageration just like the scripture that says no one ever seeks God. Ezekiel 18 clearly teaches we can be spiritually dead from our sins and turn again to God and be made righteous again by God-be made spiritually alive. Also the prodical son parable assures us of this. Just as the verse that says none seek God is trying to say how ineffective our efforts to seek God are, this is saying how difficult it is to reconvert a former believer. First John five telling us our prayer for the brother who is committing the unforgivable sin is along the same line. I believe we can, as long as we have physical life, turn to God, begin to love each other, and be born again spiritually--as taught by the workers in the vineyard and the last employed still getting paid.

 

[theseed]

I think the impossible to be saved is an exageration just like the scripture that says no one ever seeks God. Ezekiel 18 clearly teaches we can be spiritually dead from our sins and turn again to God and be made righteous again by God-be made spiritually alive.

You are thinking of Rom. 3.11, that verse means that no one seeks God on thier own--they need God's help.

 

[Theophorus]

This is a troubling passage. I have observed some in churches who get "saved" numerous times meaning that they backslide and return many times and treat it as if they are being saved all over again. Some even get baptized several times. My feeling is that this is refering to this practice being wrong.

The "golden-mouthed" St. John Chrysostom (347-407), monastic and Patriarchate of Constantinople, agrees with you.

 

[Dmckay]

John tells us that They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would shown that they all were not of us. Jesus' parable of the sower and the soils taught early on that there will be those who will hear the Word and give superficial evidence of having been saved. However when trials or the cares of this world or even the pleasures of this world take on more importance to them then their first shallow commitment to Christ they will be gone. The writer to the Hebrews is stating something similar, but even more tragic. Writing to Hebrew believers who had professed a belief in what they had learned about Jesus being their eternal High Priest, and the true greater sacrifice for sin there were some Hebrew believers who longed for the old ritualism of the Mosaic sacrificial system.

Not only were they showing that they were never saved by leaving after once learning of salvation and the sacrifice of Christ, but because they were wanting to go back to a system that they had come to understand had never been designed to permanently save them in the first place. Nothing remained for them. They were leaving thee true source of salvation for a system that at best was meant to be a temporary stop gap until the Messiah came. The Messiah had come, they had embraced Him superficially, enough to reject the Mosaic system that they now wanted to go back to. Talk about being lost.