Re: Heb. 6:6

From: David Moore (dvdmoore@dcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us)
Date: Thu Aug 17 1995 - 22:56:46 EDT


Rod Decker <rdecker@accunet.com> wrote:
Re: Heb. 6:6

>In v. 4,
>'hapax phwtisthentas' is an alternative way of saying 'regenerated'
>('phwtizw' is almost a tech. term for regeneration in the NT). I.e., once a
>person has been regenerated, if he then 'falls away' v. 6 (which I
>explained in my orig. post), it is impossible, etc. BECAUSE this is the
>significance of what they have done: 'anastaurountas, etc.'

        It doesn't look as though the data on FWTIZW supports your
assertion for a t.t., Rod. But no matter how one understands FWTISQENTAS
in v. 4, IMO, one must take into account the larger context of what the
New Testament says about the unpardonable sin in order to understand what
is being said in Heb. 6:4-8 about this matter.

        The context in which Jesus pronounced sin against the holy Spirit
to be unpardonable, was the ocasion of the Pharisees tactic of claiming
that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of the prince of demons.
By pointing out that the Pharisees were aware of the kind of power that
was needed to cast out demons (Mat. 12:27-29; Lu. 11:19,20), Jesus
illustrated that they were not slandering out of ignorance but with full
knowledge that they were resisting and blaspheming the work of God.

        Something similar also appears to be the case with those mentioned
in Heb. 6:4-8. Their sin had not been for lack of understanding, of
experience, or of power. Rather, their sin had been committed with the
full light of understanding. If we take Hebrews as most interpreters do,
believing it was written to Jewish believers who were facing strong
temptation to deny Christ and return to the Jewish cultus, we might expect
that the _sin_ referred to in this passage is some sort of radical and
public reject ion of Christ.

        Then, there is the matter of the previous state of those souls
referred to here who have fallen beyond hope. (That is the implication of
PARAPESONTES since the compounding of PESONTES with the preposition PARA
serves to intensify of the verb's meaning and to imply enduring results.)
We know, from what is said of them, that they have had some fairly close
relation to the things of God. But we also know that they are destitute
of eternal life. It may be that they have had some form of temporal faith
as we find in the parable of the sower typified in two of the types of
soil that produce no fruit. (Cf. Heb. 6:7,8.) Is it necessary to be more
specific?

        We should not overlook that the verses following this passage
sound a contrasting note of hope, essentially holding out the certainty of
salvation to those whose lives show the sincerity of their faith.

David L. Moore Southeastern Spanish District
Miami, Florida of the Assemblies of God
dvdmoore@dcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us Department of Education



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