| 1.
Building on the Basics (Heb 6:1-3)
Again, the chapter division is unfortunate as the thought continues
from Heb 5:14. The author recognizes that there are foundational principles
in the gospel just as there are in other academic disciplines. These things
would involve basic life-changes, questions of curiosity, false conceptions
and other matters of interest to a young Christian. While these things must be periodically
reinforced, Christians must press ahead in their under-standing of deeper
aspects of truth. The writer intends
to provide such instruction “if God permits” (Heb 6:3). 1. What are “dead works”?2. What
“baptisms” might be referred to in Heb 6:2?
2. The Fate of Apostates (Heb 6:4-8)
This section has fueled endless debates across the centuries as men
grapple with the implications of what the author sets forth. The crux of the issue is “if they fall
away” (Heb 6:6). We must remember
what the author is addressing in this book: not merely succumbing to
occasional temptation but deliberate, calculated apostasy. He has warned against “departing from the
living God” through rebellion and unbelief (3:12, 16, 19). This was a chronic state of mind, a
conscious hardening of the heart (3:7, 15; 4:7) which caused them to abandon
their original confidence and confession (3:6; 4:14). Having fully and
completely experienced the joys and benefits of reconciliation in Christ
(6:4-5), these brethren choose to withdraw and, in the process, “crucify
again for themselves the son of God, and put Him to an open shame”
(6:6b). What is the result of such a
mindset? “It is impossible … to renew
them again to repentance.” This truth is so unsettling that our first impulse
is to soften or circumvent it. Please note that the text does not say that an
apostate cannot be forgiven. What it says is that the apostate’s frame of
mind precludes his repentance. In
other words, conscious rejection of the truth can result in a “point of no
return” wherein no value is seen in Christ and, consequently, no impulse to
repent is generated. This person is
likened to a patch of earth that drinks in life-giving rain but only produces
thorns and briers (6:7-8). Although it is beyond human capability to
determine when such a person is irrevocably apostate, this does not nullify
the author’s warning: such a condition
is possible and his readers are dangerously flirting with it. 3. Explain the significance of the word
“tasted” (Heb 6:4-5). Compare Hebrews 2:9.4. Explain the context of this
warning. What failure has led these
brethren to the brink of disaster? 3.
On a Positive Note … (Heb 6:9-12) The
author follows the above hammer-blow with gentle optimism. He assures them
that their past and present work has not gone unnoticed by God and they need
to “show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end” (Heb
6:11). “To the end” is a key phrase of perseverance (3:6, 14). A steady, patient faith has always been
required of God’s people to “inherit the promises” (6:12). 5. Of what is the writer confident
concerning his beloved brethren?6. How does Hebrews 6:10 complement Hebrews
6:4-5? See attached complete Lesson 6 |
