It Is Impossible to Crucify Christ Again

Let'southward suppose you died and stood before the Lord God and He said to you, "Why should I allow you into My sky?"  What would you say? What exercise y'all think you would say?

That question posed by Donald Barnhouse years ago probes to the depths of our relationship with God. Upon whom or what are yous depending for conservancy or eternal life?

The heart of Hebrews chapter six forces united states of america to ask the question, do you have eternal life? Are you saved? You are either lost or saved. You either take eternal life or you lot do not. In whom or what are you trusting for eternal salvation?

The salvation Jesus procured for us is "eternal." We have "eternal redemption," "eternal inheritance," and "eternal covenant." What a swell Savior!

The author of Hebrews will now stress the perseverance of the believer. We know a person is a true believer because he will persevere. The true believer will keep trusting Christ. He will go along to spiritual maturity in a growing relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews vi:1-6 contains some of the severest linguistic communication in the Bible. The author of Hebrews has a way of causing his readers to stop, wait, and heed. He wants them to take a serious await and evaluate their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He warns against false security and all forms of religious deception, especially religious experiences that exercise non produce spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.

"Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, permit united states printing on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction virtually washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this nosotros will do, if God permits. For in the example of those who take once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good discussion of God and the powers of the historic period to come, and so take fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they once more crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on information technology and brings along vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a approving from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, information technology is worthless and close to beingness cursed, and it ends upwards existence burned" (Hebrews 6:ane-eight, NASB95). All Scriptures are from New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update unless otherwise noted).

Alarm against consequences of betrayment (Heb. 6:4-8)

The context demonstrates that someone in the congregation had great religious experiences, and then the same person falls away and re-crucifies Christ past putting Him to open shame, and that results in the impossibility to renew that person to repentance. When is repentance incommunicable? That is a nigh serious situation.

This passage is non denying great blessings and highly religious experiences. And in spite of all these spiritual blessings and experiences this person falls away. He turns away from Christ, the Spirit and the powers of the age to come.

It is helpful to think this is ane of the almost disputed passages in the New Testament. In that location is no perfect interpretation of this passage because we do not have all of the groundwork on the first readers of this letter of the alphabet. Every interpreter is influenced by his theological background. I have tried to approach this passage in its context without bias and in harmony with the instruction of the whole Bible. There are basically four unlike interpretations by Bible assertive scholars.

4 interpretations

1.         Some scholars interpret this passage as saved persons who after lose their salvation. They view this passage equally people who are built-in once more, only lose their salvation by deliberate apostasy. This view fails to adequately consider the context of the book of Hebrews, and balance the Bible'south teaching on ballot and eternal security (John ten:26-30; Rom. viii:28-30; Phil. 1:3-v). The author offers no promise to the apostate. It definitely does not teach that salvation can be lost and regained many times. You are either saved or lost. You are a child of God, or you lot are not.

2.         Another group interprets this passage every bit saved persons who regress. They depict them as saved, just autumn into sin and lose their rewards in heaven. They suffer the "sin unto decease" (ane John 5:16), and stand at the judgment seat of Christ without rewards. The problem is these people cannot be reclaimed according to this passage in Hebrews. They cannot start over. In that location is no such matter as being saved a 2nd time. Yous are either saved, or lost.

three.         Some other popular view is a hypothetical instance is being presented by the writer to illustrate the recklessness of apostasy. These individuals are truly regenerated are under pressure to render to Judaism, simply why would they e'er want to requite upwards their perfect standing with God in Christ? To turn from Christ would simply provide the evidence that they had never been born again. B. F. Westcott observed, "There is cipher to bear witness that the conditions of fatal apostasy had been fulfilled, nonetheless less that they had been fulfilled in the case of any of these addressed." W. H Griffith-Thomas said, "The passage is plain a supposed case to correct their wrong ideas, and the argument seems to exist that if it were possible for those who have had the experiences of verses 4-6 to fall away, it would be impossible to renew them unless Christ died a second time."

four.         Other scholars run into this passage as professing Christians who have never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate even though they have had smashing emotional religious experiences. They take been inoculated with a grade of Christianity, but it is not the real thing. They have heard the bulletin of Skillful News, they take observed miracles, seen the work of the Holy Spirit in the congregation, have had emotional experiences, but similar the seed of the sower planted on rocky footing accept never been regenerated. The betrayment referred to is the final rejection of Christ. They have rejected the substitutionary penal sacrifice of Jesus Christ for their sins. They were sympathizers to the Gospel, but never believed in their hearts and therefore never saved.

Can a person exist a "partaker of the Holy Spirit" and not exist justified? Was this person who falls away like this always truly saved or justified or born over again? Disquisitional to this whole context in Hebrews six is tin can you be a partaker of the Holy Spirit and the give-and-take of God and the powers of the historic period to come and not exist justified? Can you lose your eternal position before God as a truly justified person and so be lost? Or is this passage teaching that you can have these keen religious emotional experiences every bit described in verses 4-5 and never be justified or saved or born again?

The Bible teaches unequivocally the Divine preservation and the human being perseverance of the saints (Heb. 6:13-20; John 5:24; 10:26-30; Rom. viii:28-39; Phil. 1:3-v). How do we reconcile these clear teachings with this passage? How exercise we concord fast to the unerring integrity of the Scripture?

In Hebrews 6:one-3 the author has been encouraging his readers to get on to maturity. Clearly he is addressing believers in the opening verses of this affiliate. At present nosotros see him changing his focus to give a stern warning to those who take to turn abroad from Christ.

"For it is impossible, in the case of those who have in one case been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and take tasted the goodness of the discussion of God and the powers of the age to come up, so accept fallen abroad, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and belongings him upward to contempt" (Hebrews half dozen:4-6, ESV).

The New American Standard Bible reads: "For in the instance of those who take once been enlightened and take tasted of the heavenly souvenir and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and accept tasted the practiced word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they once more crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame" (Hebrews six:4-6).

To whom is the author addressing when he says, "For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who were once enlightened"? The author does not say, "us who were once enlightened," nor "you," but "those who have one time been enlightened." He draws a sharp contrast between "Honey, nosotros are persuaded meliorate things of you lot," and this passage. It is true they enjoyed great privileges under Judaism, just they were not true Christians. They are not spoken of as God's elect, for whom Christ died, or every bit those born of the Spirit of God. The passage does not speak of their being justified, forgiven, cleansed and accustomed in the Beloved. Neither is anything said of their religion in Christ, nor obedience to Him. In that location is no indication that they were children of God.

A disquisitional discussion in the interpretation of this passage is adunatos translated "impossible" in all of our accurate English translations. It is besides used in Hebrews 6:xviii where the author tells us information technology is impossible for God to prevarication, In Hebrews 10:iv it is incommunicable for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins, and in Hebrews 11:6 we are told that without organized religion it is impossible to please God. Here information technology reads, "For it is impossible . . . to renew them again to repentance." The word "renew" must also exist taken with its total pregnant. Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit on the eye of the individual. The Holy Spirit brings well-nigh this change in the mind that affects the whole person.

They had "once been enlightened"

"Enlightened" (photizo) "to give calorie-free, to polish;" metaphorically means spiritual enlightenment. They had received spiritual lite or noesis past teaching. They had been instructed in the teachings of the gospel to some extent. Does it fall short of the spiritual enlightenment which transforms and regenerates?  "Just nosotros all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the celebrity of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). In that location is a big departure between existence enlighten and regenerated. Where is the submission to the enlightenment they had received?

"Tasted of the heavenly gift"

They take to a certain degree understood the truths, but not gone on to appropriate them. Jesus said, "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that i may eat of it and not dice. I am the living breadstuff that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the earth is My flesh." So the Jews began to contend with i another, proverb, "How can this man give united states of america His flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you lot swallow the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you take no life in yourselves. He who eats My mankind and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I volition enhance him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My claret abides in Me, and I in him" (John 6:50-56). His Jewish listeners took law-breaking at Him. They refused to appropriate Christ.

The "heavenly gift" refers either to Christ or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is ministering on the earth and in our hearts to glorify Christ and exalt Him. The Divine gift comes from heaven and leads u.s. to sky. Therefore, I am inclined to think of this gift equally Christ. He is the Male parent'due south gift from heaven and His goal is to accept united states of america to heaven to be with Him. The individuals in view had an acquaintance with Christ, but had never fabricated a commitment in one case and for all to Him. Jesus said, "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the discussion and immediately receives it with joy; even so he has no house root in himself, but is only temporary, and when disease or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away" (Matthew 13:twenty-21).

 "Accept been fabricated partakers of the Holy Spirit"

The word for "partakers" or "have shared" here is metochos and means "to have a share in" or just "companions."  John Chocolate-brown wrote: "It is highly probable that the inspired writer refers primarily to the miraculous gifts and operations of the Holy Spirit by which the primitive dispensation of Christianity was administered. These gifts were by no means confined to those who were 'transformed by the renewing of their minds.' . . . . At any rate they plainly show that their possession and an unregenerate country were by no means incompatible."  Several scholars notation the word "partakers" does not hateful to possess the Holy Spirit in the sense of His indwelling the believer. The thought of the permanent abiding presence of the Spirit is not included in the give-and-take for partake.

Simon Magus in Acts 8:8-xviii is a skilful example of someone who "partakers" just in the post-obit decades became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a true believer; he simply used Christianity for his own personal gain.

"Have tasted the practiced word of God"

They understood the promises regarding the coming of the Messiah. God has been faithful to His promise and they accept enjoyed, so far as an unconverted person tin can bask the blessings and advantages that come from these promises being fulfilled. A. Westward. Pink observed, these readers "could non say with Jeremiah, 'Your words were plant and I did consume them' (Jeremiah fifteen:16)." Of Herod information technology is written that he heard John the Baptist and "enjoyed listening to him" (Mark 6:20), but he did not repent and even had John murdered.

"Powers of the age to come up"

The new impunity ushered in by the Messiah according to the Old Testament prophesies has at present arrived. They saw the miraculous power of the mighty God at piece of work in the person of Jesus Christ. The "age to come" was already upon them because Christ has come up. "The fourth dimension is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" (Marking ane:15). Not only has God spoken "in these final days" to the states in His Son, only He has acted (Heb. 1:2). The principles of this new age are active at the nowadays time through the performance of the Holy Spirit. The Christian enjoys a genuine foretaste of the powers of the age to come, and will to a more glorious magnitude at the consummation when Christ returns a 2nd fourth dimension. However, these unbelievers had witnessed personally the miracles of Christ, and the wonders of Pentecost. They were now without excuse. They saw all the evidence that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God and refused to fully commit themselves to Him.

"And then fallen away"

This is a very potent emphatic argument made by the author of Hebrews. The word used here is different from apostasia which was used before. It is parapipto and it means literally "to fall alongside." It is a deliberate, consummate and final repudiation of Christ. There is no forgiveness for this sin. Information technology is a final rejection of Christ. So information technology is impossible to renew them again to repentance. Their condition is beyond recovery. Since they have rejected the atoning sacrifice of Christ in that location is no other gospel to be preached. They have rejected the one cede that can salvage from sin. Information technology is a total abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, information technology is "impossible to renew them once more unto repentance" those who have totally abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ. The "impossibility" is used absolutely here, without whatsoever qualification. It is impossible to water it down. F. F. Bruce notes, "to say that they cannot exist brought to repentance so long as they persist in their renunciation of Christ would be a truism hardly worth putting into words." There is no possibility of their restoration "since they over again crucify to themselves the son of God and put Him to open shame" (five. 7).

This is how serious this apostasy is. The effect of falling away is to re-excruciate Christ and put Him to open shame. When Christ went to the cross and died as our substitute He died to make us correct with God. When we turn our backs on Him and return to the earth we are saying the world is more than worthy than the dear of Christ. We are saying in effect that nosotros hold with those who crucified Christ.

The author is non describing backsliding Christians or believers who accept fallen into sin. Even Peter who denied Christ three times was "renewed unto repentance." The sin described in this passage is not the sin of a believer, but the open total renunciation of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Peter experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart considering he was a true believer. The unbeliever does not experience this kind of change in the eye.

The Bible is emphatic that the grace and forgiveness of sins and cleansing in the blood of Christ is freely available to every believer who sins and comes to Him confessing them (Heb. 4:14-sixteen; 10:nineteen-22; 1 John one:vii-10; 2:1-2).

John Brownish said: it is "in open, total, adamant renunciation of all the elective principles of Christianity, and a return to a fake religion, such as that of unbelieving Jews or heathens, or to open infidelity and open up godlessness."

The context of this passage of Scripture shows the willful sin described hither is deliberate apostasy. These individuals are in danger of renouncing Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, and are gear up to openly expose Him to public scandal of the cantankerous. They are willing to stand up in judgment of Christ and with the crowd shaking their fists and shouting, "Crucify Him! Excruciate Him!" If they had their chance, they would excruciate Him again. They have reached a decisive moment of commitment to betrayment. It is a point of no return. They take reached the point where they keep on crucifying the Son of God and property Him in antipathy. There is no possible render.

John Calvin said, "The campaigner is not here talking about theft or perjury or murder or drunkenness or adultery. He is referring to a complete falling abroad from the gospel, in which the sinner has offended God not in some one respect just just has utterly renounced His grace."

To so reject Jesus Christ is to be eternally damned. They get in at a spiritual state where they can no longer repent "since they once again excruciate to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." There is no ane else to turn to for conservancy.

"It is impossible to renew them over again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." This is a real warning against a real danger. It is true anytime there is a hardened heart of unbelief.

It is possible for those who are described in the language of verses 4 and 5 to "autumn away and not exist renewed." The critical question is were they ever born again? Were they ever saved?

They are not true Christians because they have never been regenerated past the Holy Spirit. They are like land that has received its rain, just bears no good fruit. It is a country full of thorns and weeds. They have participated in worship services, the fellowship in the Christian community, but they are like seed sown on rocky basis. There was no spiritual root and they fell away. They audio like Christians, but something is severely missing. They are non saved, and if they are saved the author is presenting a hypothetical example for them to not render to the temple worship and therefore crucify Christ once again.

Some scholars suggest if these Hebrews renounced their professed religion in Christ they would be going back to the erstwhile covenant and would exist irrevocably lost. Since there is no temple in Jerusalem today this sin cannot exist committed today. There are no sacrifices or a organization in which to return so the sin involves abandoning the type for the fulfilled reality in Christ.

I return to my opening questions. If you died today and stood before the Lord God and He asked you lot, "Why should I permit you lot into My sky? What would you say? How would you respond to Him? This whole passage of Scripture we are studying zeros in on this reality. What is your personal relationship with Jesus Christ? When the Holy Spirit applies the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ to depraved sinner the work of salvation cannot fail. Those who are genuinely saved do not fall away; they grow in the grace and noesis of Jesus Christ. Salvation is God's work; it is not man's piece of work. God's work cannot neglect to achieve its intended purpose. God never fails to complete His project. Your salvation is His project and He will bring it to its completion at the day of Christ (Phil. 1:3-6).

Perseverance in religion in Christ proves that y'all accept become a partaker in Christ. If you practise non persevere in religion in Christ it proves you never became a partaker in Christ. You may be very religious, but are even so lost. You may accept had great religious experiences, only accept never been justified.

Ultimately only the Lord knows who is saved.

There are individuals who distort this passage to teach that there is no repentance subsequently baptism and no forgiveness for Christian sinners. This false teaching completely distorts the rest of the Scriptures such as 1 John 1:7-ten. In that location is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins.  Cease and read carefully the post-obit verses.

"If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Calorie-free, we have fellowship with 1 another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that nosotros have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is non in u.s.. If we confess our sins, He is true-blue and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that nosotros have non sinned, we brand Him a liar and His word is not in us" (1 John 1:7-x).

All who profess to receive the Gospel are non born again.

Judas Iscariot is an splendid instance of a person who was in the presence of Christ, observed and experienced the great advantages of the Gospel, simply never was regenerated. He had all the evidence, just obviously was never saved.

In our 24-hour interval nosotros would say they had their names on the church rolls, merely were never saved. They partook of the Lord's Supper, were baptized, enjoyed fellowship dinners at church, enjoyed the social benefits and trappings of religion, but were never regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said: "Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some seed barbarous beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered abroad. Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and information technology yielded no ingather. Other seeds roughshod into the good soil, and equally they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced 30, sixty, and a hundredfold. And He was saying, He who has ears to hear, permit him hear" (Marking 4:3-ix).

What kind of soil is represented in the heart of the true believer? What kind of soil is being described in our passage in Hebrews? Only time reveals into what kind of soil the seed was planted. If information technology is expert soil information technology will have an abundant harvest of good fruit. Information technology will bear Christ'south likeness.

Some of the readers of the letter to the Hebrews never did belong to Christ; they were never spiritually regenerated. However, those who were true believers went on to spiritual maturity.

The Scriptures teach the perseverance of the saints.

Notation carefully, it is the perseverance of the saints, non unregenerate professors. Jesus said, All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out" (John 6:37). The apostle Paul wrote, "The Lord knows those who are His" (2 Tim. 2:xix). Our conservancy is guaranteed through all eternity by the mystery of the divine election.

We are kept by the ability of God through faith in Christ Jesus. It is the piece of work of the Holy Spirit energizing the true Christian. Abiding in Christ maintains united states of america in the presence of God. Jesus said, "I in you, and yous in Me." Christ did non die in vain; He rose from the expressionless to testify information technology.

They take been aware, tasted the heavenly gift, partaken of the Holy Spirit, tasted the goodness of the word of God and seen the mighty works of the coming age. Where is the show that they have been regenerated? Information technology is the continuance in Christ'due south discussion which proves that nosotros are His disciples. It is standing in the faith which demonstrates the reality of our profession.

Faith dies when it is separated from its object.

The sole object of our faith is Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our salvation.

What is your personal relationship with Jesus Christ? "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall exist saved" (Acts sixteen:31).

If you need help in condign a Christian here is A Gratuitous Souvenir for You lot.

Title: Hebrews half-dozen:4-vi Warnings against Crucifying Christ Once again

Series:  Hebrews

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