Hebrews 6: 6 Commentary

Scot Dale post#4: AND WHAT IS MY ULTERIOR MOTIVE IN POSTING SUCH A COMMENT?
By ulterior motive as defined in the dictionary:

underlying motive: a second and underlying motive, usually a selfish or dishonorable one

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By TIUCHE (wrote 3264 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/24/2011 10:34 am

T.Snow (Post #6): I have not read Dr. Charles Stanley’s book on Eternal Security, but from having listened to him in the past, I do not think he has ever taught that a believer can lose his salvation or use free will to throw it away.

By Roland G (wrote 1651 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/24/2011 05:06 am

Suggested reading > “Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure?” by Dr. Charles Stanley. In this book there are some good points regarding apostasy, falling away, and this passage in Hebrews 6.

By T Snow (wrote 285 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/24/2011 04:30 am

Scot Dale: AND WHAT IS MY ULTERIOR MOTIVE IN POSTING SUCH A COMMENT?
By ulterior motive as defined in the dictionary:

underlying motive: a second and underlying motive, usually a selfish or dishonorable one

Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

By TIUCHE (wrote 3264 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/23/2011 10:16 am

How can the “falling away” of 2 Thes.2:3 be the same as Hebrews 6:6 (post #3)? No one would make that comparison unless they had an ulterior motive. 2 Thes. is referring to the Day of the Lord and Hebrews 6 is dealing with 1st century believers!

In 2 Thes. Paul is talking about APOSTASY in the Last Days. The Greek word is “apostasia” which means defection or apostasy.

In Heb. 6:6 the author is talking about STRAYING FROM THE PATH of discipleship. The Greek word is “Parapipto” and literally means to slip aside; to deviate from the path (that leads to maturity).

Apostasy is taking the gracious Gift of God and throwing it away for expedience. A person cannot “apostatize” unless he is first a believer. You can’t throw something away that you never had. Judas was a regenerate man who yielded up the Grace of God for his own selfish ambitions and was destroyed. Satan could not have entered him had he not thrown away The Gift. THIS (and only this) is the “sin against the Holy Spirit” that cannot be forgiven. Once a person is regenerate, he cannot lose the gracious spirit that made him thus; however, he CAN consciously throw it away.

Hebrews 6:6 is not addressing either one of these conditions; rather, the author is talking about “throwing away your confidence” through carnality, immaturity or unbelief. He is NOT talking about “throwing away your salvation”. “Confidence” is the very thing the Joshua and Caleb possessed and so they inherited the promise. The rest of the 1st generation DID throw away their confidence at the mere REPORT of giants in the land and they, like Esau, FORFEITIED their inheritance (not their salvation). They spent 40 years wandering in the desert longing to repent of their despicable actions at Kadesh Barnea but the verdict had been given and their action could not be turned around (repented of). That time had passed.

So also with Esau. He wasn’t seeking repentance unto salvation, he was seeking repentance for the folly of selling his birthright for a pot of beans! But the transaction had already taken place and God gave the promise to Jacob instead. Even Isaac knew it could not be changed back.

“Falling away” does not always mean apostasy.

“Repentance” does not always refer to repentance unto justification.

Even “salvation” does not always refer to being rescued from God’s wrath and eternal torment!

By Scott Dale (wrote 581 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/23/2011 03:44 am

THE FALLING AWAY IN THIS VERSE-what does it really mean?

Does the “Falling Away” referred here the same that describe in 2 Thessalonians 2:3″… as there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition”.

Note: Both Hebrew 6:6 & 2 Thessalonians 2:3 have synchronizes about the Law and its matters…words such as REPENTANCE (stop transgressing the law), LAWLESS ONE (one who is w/o Law)…and etc.

1). The son of perdition-the man of sin is the lawless one , whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth(see 2 Thessalonians 2:3,8).The man of sin is a man that by deed and words rejects the Laws of God…he invents his own rules and laws. Tying this up with Hebrew 6:6…This means that a man who at first feared and believe God, repented of his own thinking and rules- obeyed the Laws of God and His Word but through the passage of time, his relationship with God had turned sour…he begins to question the Ways of God, He now thinks of himself as much better than God and would make himself a judge of God. He nows questions the deeds of God in history like accusing God as harsh-hard (Matthew 25:24)…he nows begins to question God in his enlightened state…

I have seen this happen to some believers…they started with us…tasted the Good Word of God, receive of His Spirit…catch a glimpse of the World to come…but later on…their love grow cold- the Spirit in them quench by their own foolishness (1 Thessalonians 5:19); the Holy spirit grieving in them and leaving them (Ephesian 4:30; 1 Samuel 16:14)…thus their state now becomes miserable-majority became athiest…unless of course they repent again which is quite hard..but possible..if they are willing. Once they recognize that they are the embodiment of the man of sin-the Lawless One….

But I perceive, It is quite hard in convincing these kind of people back to God because of the demonic doctrinesthey have embraced from those who departed from the faith, deceiving these very kind of people- those they get worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13)-deceiving others and being deceived themselves!

By TIUCHE (wrote 3264 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/22/2011 11:23 am

THOSE INVOLVE in the FALLING AWAY in this verse-WHO ARE THEY?

Note the following:

1). Those who are described as will be involve in the falling away have sometimes in the past repented of their sins, but now have fallen away;
2). Renewal of them again is still possible but will be hard;

Questions:
a. Who are being referred to her? Is it the unbelievers who have not repented of their sins? Or is it the believers who have repented of their sins because of their belief?

Answer: The one being referred to here as those will be involve in the falling away are believers, for only believers repent of their sins; and only believers received the Holy Ghost. Verses 4-6 of of this Hebrew chapter 6 makes this clear:

“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, 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…”

Let this be settled here once and for all that believers are the one being referred to in here!

By TIUCHE (wrote 3264 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/22/2011 10:23 am

This verse is often misinterpreted as proof that a regenerate believer can lose his salvation; but the verse says nothing of the kind. “If they shall fall away..” is not a reference to apostasy; rather it is a reference to a believer who falls away from the path of discipleship and embraces carnality. This is not to suggest that a believer just “happens” to fall away by accident. There are no such “accidents”. The believer falls away from the path when he chooses to embrace carnality and as long as he continues to do so, it will be IMPOSSIBLE to repent of such a condition and be restored in the community of the saints.

Verses 7 and 8 continue the thought by warning that such carnality will only produce “thorns and briars” which in the end will be burned up at the Judgment Seat of Christ right along with wood hay and stubble. The implication is not that the believer is rejected from salvation; but rather that he receives such a severe rebuke in this life that he is in danger of being cursed. In other words: excommunicated from the church and possibly even physical death. This is the very thing the immoral believer of 1 Cor 5 faced.

I trust that it goes without saying that excommunication from the church does NOT equate with a loss of salvation. The Catholic church (as well as other denominations) had been notoriously guilty of preaching such heresy; especially throughout the Dark Ages. To do so today is quite treacherous to the gospel.

By Scott Dale (wrote 581 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/22/2011 04:13 am