For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, since on their own they are crucifying again the Son of God and are holding him up to contempt. Ground that drinks up the rain falling on it repeatedly, and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and on the verge of being cursed; its end is to be burned over. Even though we speak in this way, beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Heb 6:4-12, NRSV)
Commenting on this pericope, one of the clearest passages in the NT proving a truly justified person can lost their salvation, Donald A. Hagner, the George Eldon Ladd Professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological seminary, wrote the following:
The Danger of Apostasy (6:4-12)
The Christianity o the readers if not in doubt. They are described as “enlightened” (v. 4), meaning that they have been brought from darkness to light (c. 10:32, “after you had received the light”). They also have “tasted” of “the heavenly gift” and “the goodness of the word of God” (“word” here is not logos referring to Chris as the Word of God, but rhēma, referring to what God has spoken). The word “taste” does not mean that they only partook of Christianity partially and did not participate fully in Christian salvation. In a similar way, the word “taste” in 2:9 does not mean that Christ did not fully die. This word is an idiom for experiencing the reality of something. The readers had become “partakers of the Holy Spirit,” the certain mark of genuine Christians. Furthermore, they had “tasted” (i.e., “experienced”) “the goodness of the word of God, and the powers of the age to come.” These last words are a clear indicator of the author’s perspective of realized eschatology.
These Jewish Christian readers who had no clearly participated in the fruit of Christian salvation, now contemplated turning away from it. Nothing could be more serious in our author’s view. He insists that their apostasy would be a form of betrayal and the shocking equivalent crucifying Jesus and subjecting him to public shame yet once again. IN effect, their apostasy would be a mockery of the cross itself.
By its very nature, apostasy is a final act, not a temporary one. This is the point our author wants to make when he says that it is “impossible” to restore again those who have decisively turned away. In principle, the point is true. What would our author say to the fact that some apostasies indeed have returned to faith? He would not deny that God can restore apostates to faith. Nevertheless, he hardly wants to present that option to his readers. They must not think that even if they “temporarily” apostatize, they of course may always come back later. By the very nature and seriousness of apostasy, no return can be guaranteed. That is the force of the word “impossible” here. The denial involved in apostasy amounts to a burning of bridges. That very fact cuts one of from the possibility of return. Apostasy therefore is a decisive and most dangerous act. (Donald A. Hagner, Encountering the Book of Hebrews: An Exposition [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2002], 90-91, italics in original)
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