Five participles
are employed in a generally parallel construction to describe the persons in
this case. They are ones having been enlightened, having tested the heavenly
gift, having become sharers of the Spirit, having tasted the Word of God and
powers of the coming age, and having fallen away. Grammatically there is no
warrant for treating the last one in the series of any differently from the
others. If the last one is regarded as conditional, “if they have fallen away,”
then each of the others should be treated as “if” clauses also.
The first
participle, enlightened (phōtisthentas), is qualified by hapax,
which means “once for all” (used also in 9:7, 26, 27, 28; 10:2; 12:26, 27). It
is possible to understand hapax as governing each participle in the
series. Although some of the ancients (e.g., Justin) explain this enlightenment
as water baptism, and many today explain it of spiritual exposure or
illumination short of regeneration, the use of “once for all” points to
something complete, rather than partial or inadequate. The very same participle
is used in 10:32 as well as 6:4 would lead us to assume real enlightenment by
regeneration.
The expression
have tasted the heavenly gift employs the word “tasted” (geusamenous)
in the common metaphorical sense of “experienced.” The verb itself did not mean
a mere sampling, but a real experience, as its use in Acts 10:10 attests. The
writer of Hebrews has already used “tasted” in the sense of “experienced” in
2:9 where Christ “tasted death.” Surely this meaning is that He actually
experienced it. Thus the people in this illustration have actually experienced
the heavenly gift. Certain identification of this gift (dōreas) is difficult.
Suggestions include salvation, eternal life, forgiveness of sin, the Holy
Spirit, or Christ, to give a sampling. To this writer the likelihood is strong
that Christ Himself is meant. Jesus used the term of Himself to the woman of
Samaria, “If you know the gift [dōrean] of God, even who he is who
speaks to you . . . “ (John 4:10). Such identification avoids duplication in
the series, and it is reasonable to suppose that the author would not have been
redundant. The matter is not a crucial one, however, because there is an
inherent connection between all of these possible identifications. Christ is God’s
gift to men; and when He is received by faith, He supplies the gift of
salvation, involving forgiveness and eternal life, all of which are resultant
from the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Have
become sharers of the Holy Spirit describe
these people are partakers in some sense of the Holy Spirit. Although absence
of the Greek article with Holy Spirit has led some to refer this to the Spirit’s
activity or gifts, rather than His person, this feature is not conclusive. Many
times the article is omitted and the expression is regarded as a proper name
which does not necessitate an article. What are the implications of sharers
(metochous)? The author has used the same word in 3:1 of his readers as
sharers of a heavenly calling, and in 3:14 as sharers of Christ. Hence to
dilute this expression so as to make it mean anything less than genuine
participation is inconsistent with the author’s employment of the term
elsewhere. The statement thus asserts a sharing of the Holy Spirit and in the
Christian context of this epistle, it refers to a sharing of the Spirit’s indwelling
presence. Normal understanding of the phrase would lead to the conclusion that
such persons are viewed as regenerated, not merely exposed to the Spirit’s
convicting power but unresponsive to it.
Have tasted the good word of God refers to the experiencing (same metaphorical use of the participle as above) the word of God in the gospel and finding it good. Emphasis is upon the word of God as uttered (rhēma), and one should compare 1 Peter 1:25 and 2:3 (Ps. 34:8) for a similar thought. Because the gospel has been received and experienced, certain powers of the coming age have also been witnessed. In 2:4 mention was made of “various miracles” (i.e., dunamesi, “powers”) performed by Christians as a confirmation of the supernatural character of the salvation message. They were a foretaste of what is to come when Christ returns.
Have
fallen away (parapesontas) represents
the last of the participles used in the series. The verb is employed only here
in the New Testament, although it occurs in the Septuagint in passages dealing
with apostasy (e.g., Ezek. 18:24; 20:27). It can hardly refer to sins committed
through weakness, for which Scripture gives many examples of restoration in
both Old Testament and New Testament. Because of the stated impossibility of
renewal, it seems most certain that the reference is to apostasy, that is, a
complete and final repudiation of Christ (as in 10:26, 27). Hence the normal
understanding of these descriptive terms, in the light of the author’s own
usage elsewhere in the epistle, if of those who are regenerated and then
repudiate Christ and forsake Him.
(2) The consequence.
(6:4a, 6b)
[For it is
impossible] . . . to renew [them] again to repentance . . . (6:6b)
The words are
stated without restriction. To qualify the meaning with suggestions that all
things are possible with God, and therefore the impossibility must be only on
man’s side, is gratuitous. The same could be stated for all cases of
repentance, since many is spiritually dead, and is always dependent entirely
upon God’s initiative. The statement then becomes a meaningless truism. The tenor
of the passage argues for something extraordinary here. It is better to see the
impossibility as just that—it is impossible for either man himself or God to
bring about a life-changing repentance to salvation apart from Christ. With
this understanding, the people described above have forfeited all hope of
salvation. It is not a question of needing to be saved again.
(3) The
reason. (6:6c)
. . . since
they are crucifying for themselves the Son of God and making a public exposure [of
him]. (6:6c)
The dire
consequence asserted above would occur because God’s only means of salvation
would be rejected. Crucifying (anastaurountas) is always used in extra-Biblical
Greek in the simple sense of “crucify” (with the prefix ana apparently
referring to the affixing “up” on a cross), rather than “crucify again.” No
strong reason exists for not employing the common meaning here. The author’s
point is that those who experience all that Christ provides and then turns away
from Him in a settled and final way are really joining the ranks of those who
crucified Jesus. Such action would be saying in effect, “Christ’s crucifixion
was proper, and our renunciation of Him adds our consent to that momentous act.”
The additional description as making a public exposure (paradeigmatizontas)
emphasizes the shameful character of apostasy. By renouncing Christ, they bring
more public shame upon Him than if they had never believed at all. The verb is
used in the Septuagint at Numbers 25:4 to describe a public hanging. (Homer A.
Kent, Jr., The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary [Grand Rapids,
Mich.: Baker Book House, 1972], 108-11)
