Hebrews 6:1-6
The first several verses of this chapter have caused a lot of confusion in many believers’ minds. Since God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), the problem lies with how we are interpreting the scripture, and how we have been taught to do so.
To properly understand what the author (who I believe is the Apostle Paul) is saying, you must notice that in the last few verses of chapter 5, he breaks away from talking about the High Priesthood of Jesus to explain that some people are not maturing in their walk with God enough to handle such information. They have been saved long enough to be teaching others, but they still need taught themselves (Hebrews 5:12).
Chapter 6 is Paul’s attempt to bring them back to the foundation of the New Covenant. He opens by taking them past the “principles of the doctrine of Christ”. He is not insinuating that there is something other to preach than Christ’s finished work, for the phrase means the “word of the beginning of the Christ” in Greek. He is taking them past the Old Testament prophets, which is where many Jews were getting stuck.
He wants them to understand their perfection in Christ (verse 2), which he will further explain in the 10th chapter. He explains that they no longer need the “foundation of repentance from dead works”, this is the sacrificial system, and “of faith toward God”. Our faith is not toward God under the New Covenant, it is toward Jesus.
He ends up with three verses that have caused the grief in some, for he says that “it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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” (Hebrews 6:4-6).
These verses refer to someone who was “enlightened” and have “tasted” and are “partakers of the Holy Ghost”. The phrase ‘partakers’ is from the Greek, ‘metochous’ meaning “going along with”. They go along with the teaching of the Holy Spirit but do not know His power. These are individuals who hear the gospel message but never accept it by faith. If this is the case then there is truly no way to “renew them again unto repentance” because they have rejected the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. They have put His finished work to an open shame because by rejecting it; they are saying that it isn’t enough!
As the message of God’s pure grace is ministered to you, please do not just “go along”. Accept His love and forgiveness freely and allow Him to wash you with the water of His words. If you reject grace, there is nothing left to accept but your own works of the law for righteousness. Having viewed Christ’s sacrificial death, for you to go back to your own works is to crucify Him afresh, saying that His finished work is an unfinished work. Believer, His finished work is a COMPLETELY finished work. Rest in Him today!
The first several verses of this chapter have caused a lot of confusion in many believers’ minds. Since God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), the problem lies with how we are interpreting the scripture, and how we have been taught to do so.
To properly understand what the author (who I believe is the Apostle Paul) is saying, you must notice that in the last few verses of chapter 5, he breaks away from talking about the High Priesthood of Jesus to explain that some people are not maturing in their walk with God enough to handle such information. They have been saved long enough to be teaching others, but they still need taught themselves (Hebrews 5:12).
Chapter 6 is Paul’s attempt to bring them back to the foundation of the New Covenant. He opens by taking them past the “principles of the doctrine of Christ”. He is not insinuating that there is something other to preach than Christ’s finished work, for the phrase means the “word of the beginning of the Christ” in Greek. He is taking them past the Old Testament prophets, which is where many Jews were getting stuck.
He wants them to understand their perfection in Christ (verse 2), which he will further explain in the 10th chapter. He explains that they no longer need the “foundation of repentance from dead works”, this is the sacrificial system, and “of faith toward God”. Our faith is not toward God under the New Covenant, it is toward Jesus.
He ends up with three verses that have caused the grief in some, for he says that “it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 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” (Hebrews 6:4-6).
These verses refer to someone who was “enlightened” and have “tasted” and are “partakers of the Holy Ghost”. The phrase ‘partakers’ is from the Greek, ‘metochous’ meaning “going along with”. They go along with the teaching of the Holy Spirit but do not know His power. These are individuals who hear the gospel message but never accept it by faith. If this is the case then there is truly no way to “renew them again unto repentance” because they have rejected the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. They have put His finished work to an open shame because by rejecting it; they are saying that it isn’t enough!
As the message of God’s pure grace is ministered to you, please do not just “go along”. Accept His love and forgiveness freely and allow Him to wash you with the water of His words. If you reject grace, there is nothing left to accept but your own works of the law for righteousness. Having viewed Christ’s sacrificial death, for you to go back to your own works is to crucify Him afresh, saying that His finished work is an unfinished work. Believer, His finished work is a COMPLETELY finished work. Rest in Him today!
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