It was a sad day in the Sharp family when the doctor sadly announced that my grandmother had terminal cancer of the liver. Nothing could be done for her physical welfare but to control the pain and await the inevitable end. Six months later Steve Cawthon and I preached her funeral.

The Great Physician warns that some patients are beyond remedy.

For it is impossible for those who were 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 the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:4-8)

What is the plight of one who falls away from Christ?

Past Condition

In verses four and five the inspired writer uses five descriptive phrases of the past condition of these hopelessly lost souls.

They “were once enlightened.” The great Puritan commentator, John Owen, comments that “enlightened” here means “to be instructed in the doctrine of the gospel, so as to have a spiritual apprehension thereof” but not to savingly believe (Hebrews. 3:74). Owen was a Calvinist, who believed that a child of God could not so sin as to be finally lost, and his theology clouded his view. In contrast, lexicographer J.H. Thayer writes that the term means “to enlighten spiritually, imbue with saving knowledge” (Lexicon. 663). Who is right? The term is found in one other passage in Hebrews. “But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings.” (Hebrews 10:32) The word “illuminated” is from the same Greek term (photizo) as “enlightened.” The subjects of Hebrews 10:32 had “a better and an enduring possession ... in heaven” (verse 34). Sounds like saved people to me. The light (Greek “phos”) Jesus gives is “the light of life.” (John 8:12) It cannot be demonstrated that the word translated “enlightened” in Hebrews 6:4 is ever used of lost people. Thayer is correct. The subjects of this passage were savingly enlightened.

They further had “tasted the heavenly gift.” Owen here comments:

The expression of tasting is metaphorical, and signifies no more but to make a trial or experiment.... It doth not, therefore, include eating, much less digestion and turning into nourishment of what is so tasted; for its nature being only thereby discerned, it may be refused.... (Ibid. 79)

The apostle as it were studiously keeps himself to this expression, on purpose to manifest that he intendeth not those who by faith do really receive, feed, and live on Jesus Christ, as tendered in the word of the gospel, John vi. 35, 49-51, 54-56. (Ibid. 82)

Owen’s contention is that those the writer warns about just tested God’s heavenly gift but never received it. Is he right? Jesus tasted death “for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9) Did He just test death, or did He actually experience it? Peter wrote to those who “have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1 Peter 2:3) He described them as “a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (verse 5) Saved or lost? Testing or experiencing? Yes, the writer studiously used the word “tasted,” but the word is used of actually experiencing the thing being tasted.

Owen contends the “heavenly gift” is the Holy Spirit, a reference to the miraculous spiritual gifts of the first century (Ibid. 77). He adopts this position to keep from admitting they were saved. It is true that the phrase “gift of the Holy Spirit” is used of the miraculous reception of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, cf. verses 16-21; 10:44-48). And the Holy Spirit was indeed sent from heaven (1 Peter 1:12). But salvation is also the gift of God (John 4:10; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8), and it too is a heavenly gift (Ephesians 1:3). Furthermore, the Hebrew writer next observes that these people “have become partakers of the Holy Spirit.” Why would the reception of the Holy Spirit be listed twice in this series? Owen tries to extricate himself from this difficulty by claiming:

... this participation of the Holy Ghost is placed, it may be, in the midst of the several parts of this description, as that whereon they do all depend, and they are all but instances of it. (Ibid. 81)

Do all the things that lead to salvation depend on miraculous spiritual gifts? Not even Pentecostals go that far! No, the “heavenly gift” is salvation.

The subjects of the passage also “have become partakers of the Holy Spirit.” Owen correctly observes:

So to partake of him is to have a share, part, or portion, in what he distributes by way of spiritual gifts.... 1 Cor. xii. 11.... Acts viii. 21. Wherefore, to be ‘partaker of the Holy Ghost,’ is to have a share in and benefit of his spiritual operations. (Ibid. 80-81)

The gift of the Holy Spirit was to follow the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Thus, partaking of the Holy Spirit follows the heavenly gift of salvation in Christ.

Furthermore, they had “tasted the good word of God.” Remember, “taste” refers to experiencing the benefits. It is the “good word of God.” The word of God, of which the writer speaks, is the gospel (Acts 11:1; 15:7), the “good news” of salvation in Christ. The benefits of the “good word of God” are salvation (James 1:21) and that which follows, joy and peace (1 Peter 1:3-9; 2 Peter 1:3-4).

The meaning here is, that they had experienced the excellency of the truth of God; they had seen and enjoyed its beauty. This is language which cannot be applied to an impenitent sinner. He has no relish for the truth of God; he sees no beauty in it; he derives no comfort from it. It is only the true Christian who has pleasure in its contemplation, and who can be said to ‘taste’ and enjoy it. This language describes a state of mind of which every sincere Christian is conscious. It is that of pleasure in the word of God (Barnes [Presbyterian]. 130; cf. Psalm 1:1-2).

Finally the subjects had “tasted ... the powers of the age to come.” The “age to come” means the age of the Messiah, the Christ (Hebrews 2:5-9; Psalm 8:3-6), the age in which we now live (Hebrews 1:1-2). The powers of the age of Messiah came with the outpouring of the Holy Sprit (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 1:6-8; 2:1-4, 16-21; Hebrews 2:1-4). Yes, these apostates had participated in the miraculous spiritual gifts of the kingdom of Christ.

I regard the description here, therefore, as that which is clearly designed to denote the state of those who were born again, and who were the true children of God; and it seems plain to me that no other interpretation would have ever been thought of, if this view had not seemed to conflict with the doctrine of the ‘perseverance of the saints.’ (Barnes. 131)

Each of these experiences are those the Lord uses to draw the sinner to Himself and to build up the Christian in the faith: (1) enlightenment by the truth, (2) reception of salvation, (3) receiving the Holy Spirit, (4) enjoying the contemplation of the good word, and (5) the miraculous gifts by which divine truth was confirmed. These are the means God employs to save sinners and keep saints faithful.

Present Condition

In the NKJV and KJV the description of their present condition begins with the two letter word “if.” The Greek word most commonly translated “if” (ean) is

a conditional particle ... which makes reference to time and to experience, introducing something future, but not determining, before the event, whether it is certainly to take place.... (Thayer. 162)

Thus, as they render the passage, falling away is a possibility, something which might or might not happen in the future.

There’s just one problem with this. There is no “if” in the Greek of this text. The ASV translates this “and then fell away,” the NASB renders it “and then have fallen away,” and the NIV has it “who have fallen away.”

Why, then, does the word “if” appear in some translations?

Nevertheless our translators, following Beza, who without any authority from ancient MSS. hath inserted in his version the word Si, If, have rendered this clause, If they fall away; that this text might not appear to contradict the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. (MacKnight [Presbyterian]. 532)

The ASV, NASB, and NIV are correct. This is not a statement of possibility but of fact. It is past tense. It had already occurred at the time Hebrews was written. “And then have fallen away” is the sixth clause in the chain of actual events. Just as certainly as the subjects of the passage

were 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 the powers of the age to come,

To dodge this bullet at the head of the doctrine of the impossibility of apostasy, Barnes, having admitted that “if” is not in the text, argues:

It is not an affirmation that any had actually fallen away, or that in fact they would do it; but the statement is, that on the supposition that they had fallen away, it would be impossible to renew them again. It is the same as supposing a case which in fact might never occur: - as if we should say, ‘had a man fallen down a precipice it would be impossible to save him,’ or ‘had the child fallen into the stream he would certainly have been drowned.’ But though this literally means, ‘having fallen away,’ yet the sense, in the connection in which it stands, is not improperly expressed by our common translation. (Ibid. 131-32)

And why not take it in its literal and usual meaning? To save his precious doctrine, “received by vain tradition from” the “fathers,” which he is unwilling to part with though the passage he comments on plainly contradicts it.

Indeed, herein is a wonder. In contradiction to the plain meaning of the passage we are to believe the writer, to encourage his readers to “go on to perfection” (verses 1-3; Notice the “For” at the beginning of verse four.), warned them of a plight they could never experience. Wherein is the encouragement to renewed growth? Why, pray tell, would the inspired word of God deliver a solemn, ominous warning to Christians about a danger they could never encounter?

If there is no possibility of falling from grace, and so forfeiting our claims to eternal life, then for what purpose was this Epistle written? And why all the warnings and admonitions to Christians that abound, not only in this Epistle, but also throughout the whole Bible? God does not so deceive his children. He is too kind, too merciful, too benevolent, and too just, to allow anyone, speaking by the Holy Spirit, to alarm and terrify his people by either false representations or delusive arguments. (Milligan. 176)

If, then, it be asked what was the use of warning like this, I answer, (1) It would show the great sin of apostasy from God if it were to occur. It is proper to state the greatness of an act of sin, though it might never occur, in order to show how it would be regarded by God. (2) Such a statement might be one of the most effectual means of preserving from apostasy. ... Thousands have been preserved from going over the Falls of Niagara by knowing that if it should occur there would be no possibility of escape from death; and so effectual has been this knowledge, that it has preserved all from such a catastrophe, except the few who have gone over by accident. So in religion. The knowledge that apostasy would be fatal, and that there could be no hope of being saved should it once occur, would be a more effectual preventive of the danger than all the other means that could be used. (133-34)

So there you have it. Warn folks about a nonexistent sin, and they won’t commit it. Tell folks of the danger of something that can’t happen, and they’ll avoid it. The reason there are warnings about the danger of going over Niagara Falls is it is possible to do so. When’s the last time you saw a warning not to swim up the falls? I want to warn you against the danger of a one horned, one eyed, flying, purple, people eater. No, of course there’s no such creature, and you’re in no danger, but by being warned you’ll steer clear of this mythical monster. Why not just reduce the Bible to a book of fairy tales and absurdities?

Nor does the fact the writer had confidence of better things from those to whom he writes (Hebrews 6:9) offset the fact that some had fallen away and others could. To ensure that his readers did not also fall away, he exhorts them to continued diligence, faith, patience and hope (Hebrews 6:10-20).

So the Hebrew writer plainly states some had fallen away. What does this mean?

First it means that the one falling away was once in Christ. One can’t fall away from a place he never stood. I can’t fall away from the summit of Mt. Everest. I’ve never been there and don’t plan to ever go.

But what is falling away? It certainly doesn’t mean to be tempted, for we are exhorted, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials (same word as “temptations”).” (James 1:2) It is not just to fall into sin, for we can receive forgiveness for that (1 John 1:9). It is not to fall into error, for we can be taught the truth (2 Timothy 2:24-26). Earlier in the Hebrew letter the writer had warned “holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” (3:1):

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12-13)

They were in danger of losing their faith. The apostle Paul warned, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” (Galatians 5:4) They were in danger of leaving the faith. To fall away is to lose one’s faith and leave the faith.

When people do this “they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” Their hearts are so hardened in unbelief, they would have joined those who shouted, “Crucify him!”(Mark 15:13-14) They would mock and spit upon the Son of God (cf. Matthew 27:27-31,39-44).

Plight

It “is impossible ... to renew them again to repentance...”

Notice, it does not say God is unwilling to forgive if they repent. The Lord is willing to forgive the vilest of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15-16).

It doesn’t mean the local church shouldn’t receive back sinners who repent and confess. Even a man who commits fornication with his father’s wife should be welcomed back in love if he repents (1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:3-8).

It does mean one’s heart can become so hardened that he cannot be brought to repentance (Acts 28:24-27). The gospel is the power of God to save (Romans 1:16). If one, having believed and obeyed the gospel message, being enlightened by its truth, impressed by its evidence and gladdened by its blessings, turns his back on Christ, leaves the faith and loses his faith, the Lord has nothing left to reach him. As long as his heart remains so willfully hardened he cannot be brought to repentance. The only sin that will surely, without remedy and without exception result in condemnation is persistent, willful, hard hearted unbelief (cf. Matthew 12:22-32).

Such a one “is rejected and near to being cursed....” Two fields receive equally the blessing of rain from heaven. One bears a good crop; the other produces only thorns and briers. What will happen? The first “receives blessing from God”; the second “is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.” Two Christians receive equally the evidence from the gospel to produce faith in Christ and the blessings from God in Christ. One bears the fruit of the Spirit (Matthew 13:23; Galatians 5:22-24); the other brings forth the thorns and briers of carnality (Matthew 13:22; Galatians 5:19-21). The first Christian “receives blessing from God”; the second “is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.”

There is a great lesson. Let us not remain spiritual babes, in danger of falling away, but press on to perfection (Hebrews 5:12 - 6:3).

Conclusion

There is a dread in the back of our minds of hearing a doctor say, “Nothing can be done. Your condition is terminal.” How infinitely worse to hear, “Nothing can be done. Your spiritual condition is hopeless. You are lost without remedy. Your end is to be burned.” Such is the condition of one who having believed and obeyed the gospel, enjoyed fully the blessings in Christ, then turns his back on the Savior and the gospel, leaves the faith and falls away into complete unbelief. He has rejected the only cure for sin, the gospel. We can do nothing to reach him. His end is eternal damnation.

Let us therefore not remain babes but go on unto perfection, renewing our diligence, patience, faith, and hope.

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12-13).

Works Cited

Barnes, Albert, Notes on the New Testament [Hebrews].
Bible,
- American Standard Version
- King James Version
- New American Standard Bible
- New International Version
- New King James Version
- MacKnight, James, Apostolical Epistles.
- Milligan, Robert, The New Testament Commentary [Volume 9, Epistle to the Hebrews].
- Owen, John, An Exposition of Hebrews.
- Thayer, J.H, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.