Study of Hebrews 6:4-8
Okay, I'm too into this conversation to sleep, so I studied some of the book of Hebrews, especially the passages you recommended, along with other versions and their footnotes. I am thoroughly blessed by what I've learned. Praise the Lord for you leading me there! It doesn't, however, disprove my understanding of Salvation as "Once saved, Always saved". As a matter of fact, it actually bolsters my understanding. I'll try to explain:
Hebrews 6:4-8
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessings from God:
8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
KJV
Overall, the book of Hebrews does two specific things throughout it's chapters: First, it describes how, through the Crucifixion, the era of Judaism had come to an end. Secondly, it warns the Jewish
professed believers(they may very well have been believers, but they hadn't yet taken the last step) of the danger of lapsing back into Judaism, or pausing and turning back from the threshold of Salvation; faith in Jesus Christ.
Focusing specifically on the passages you suggested, and considering it within it's entire context, I find the understanding that these Jewish people had
professed their faith, they had
tasted of the heavenly gift, they were once enlightened, meaning their faith was under the Mosaic Covenant, which came before the New Covenant. Once the New Covenant was made, they were required to change direction, so-to-speak. To meet a new, different requirement.
*(I suggest for both of us, that we study, in depth, both the Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant, and the difference between the two, to fully understand what we're discussing here.) :wink:
That requirement was the acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Saviour, their Messiah. In accepting Him, they received Salvation.
When the words
falling away occur in the passages, it's in the context of warnings given to these Jewish
professed believers that if they 'halt short of faith in Jesus Christ after advancing to the very threshold of salvation', in other words, if they fail to renew themselves, refuse to repent and accept Christ and His gift of salvation, they will be rejected and they will be like the land that bore thorns and briers; whose end is to be burned.
In short, the people referred to in Hebrews 6:4-8 had not yet believed Jesus was who He was and what His crucifixion meant for them. They were within reach of salvation, but at risk of falling away from the best thing that ever happened to them.
In modern times, the lost are in the same type situation. They climb an uphill incline before they reach the precipice of the cliff where,
in this case, jumping is a good thing (salvation), but they eventually fall back away from the edge and tumble back down to the bottom; back into the struggles and anguish they fight so hard to leave behind. That would be "falling away".
Also of note, the footnotes of Hebrews, chapter 6 makes reference to Deuteronomy 1:19-26. In these passages we read the story about how God commanded Moses to lead the Israelites, finally, out of the wilderness and in to possess the land of the Amorites. When they came to Kadesh-barnea, they sent men ahead to check out the land. Then men returned with fruit in hand and reported that the land God had given them was good. But they disobeyed God's commandment and did not go because they feared the Amorites. They distrusted God. They had seen the land was good, they had the very fruit of it in their hands, yet they turned back!
mg:
Hope this helps.
Amen!
