Latter-day Saints, as with most
other groups within the broad Christian spectrum, believe that it is possible
for a truly justified, believing individual to lose their salvation. This is
anathema to those within certain camps who hold to a form of eternal security,
whether “Once Saved, Always Saved” or the “Perseverance of the Saints” (the “P”
of the TULIP).
One of the most popular texts used
to show that one can lose their salvation is that of Heb 6:4-6 (cf. 10:26). The NIV provides the following translation:
It is impossible for those who have once been
enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy
Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the
coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to
repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and
subjecting him to public disgrace.
Readers of the KJV will notice a
slight difference between most modern translations and the KJV; verse 6 in the
KJV reads “if they shall fall away” (cf. the NIV's "and who have fallen away") giving some aid to the theory that
this pericope is only speaking hypothetically, and it is not a real possibility
that a saved individual could lose their salvation, but more of an admonition
to persevere. However, this is based on a mistranslation. The Textus Receptus,
from which the KJV was translated, does not have a verb in the subjunctive of
the verb παραπιμπτω (“to fall away”/”commit
apostasy”) but instead, is in the participle aorist active form (παραπεσοντας),
speaking of people who have indeed been regenerated, but have lost their salvation,
as such people were not superficial believers, but those who were enlightened
by the Holy Spirit and were initially brought to genuine repentance, as well as
having “tasted the goodness of the word of God.”
One possible reason for this
mistranslation is that the KJV translators were Reformed/Calvinistic in their
soteriology. In Reformed theology, it is impossible for a truly justified individual
to lose their salvation. This shows that all translations will be subject to
the bias of the translators, and one should be aware of how different,
reputable versions translate a given verse or pericope, and, furthermore, a
knowledge of some Hebrew and Greek are important.
