Sin of Apostacy

Here is found one of the more serious warnings in the epistle. This passage of Scripture has caused a great deal of difference of opinion. It has troubled a vast number of God's children, who have not been well instructed or thoroughly grounded in the truth.

The statement: "It is impossible ... if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance" does not have reference to those who have grown cold in their Christian experience. It does not have reference to those who have been unfaithful in service. Nor does it have reference to those who may have failed in time of temptation. For all these there is hope. The righteous advocacy of Jesus with the Father is abidingly at hand to meet the sins of such as are known to them, and who confess them in His name.

The passage is a solemn warning for those who had once received the truth of the gospel and had confessed Christ as Saviour, and were now departing from the living God by casting away their confidence in Christ.

The Hebrews were 'partakers of the heavenly calling.' They had confessed Christ their Apostle and High Priest. They could call to remembrance the former days in which, after they were illuminated they endured a great fight of affliction. Then they were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions. Then they had taken joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and enduring substance.

The pressure of persecution brought to bear upon them, hindered their progress in spiritual growth. They were sluggish, 'dull of hearing.' (5:11)They were absenting themselves from the assembly. (10:25) Not only were they growing cold in their Christian experiences, they were in danger of departing from the New Covenant truths and returning back to Judaism. To return to Judaism was to give up Christ.

Arthur Pridham in his book 'Notes and Reflections on the Epistle to the Hebrews' says: "But to return to Judaism was to give up Christ, to fall from grace, and place themselves anew beneath, not only the general curse of the Law, but that special imprecation which had bound the guilt of Jesus' blood to the reprobate and blinded nation of His murderers. They had confessed already to the fruitlessness of the former things, the vain conversation received by tradition from the fathers. They had made public avowal of the impotency of all other means of blessing, when they made confession of the cross of Christ. To fall away from that and to return again to mere external religiousness by a departure from the living faith of the Gospel, would be to give up God. For God is in the living Person of His Christ and can be found no longer among the shadows of the former things."

Because of the grave danger to 'draw back' (10:38) the apostle repeatedly warns his hearers. He had warned them of the sin of neglect. "We ought," said the apostle, "to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should slip away from them." (2:1) He had also warned them of the sin of unbelief. "Take heed, brethren," he warned, "lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." (3:12) Now he warns against the sin of apostasy. "It is impossible" is found in 6:18; 10:4; and 11:6 where it can only mean impossible. What they fall from is largely intimated in the descriptive terms which are applied to them before their fall. Note the five fold description applied to them"

To fall away they would relinquish and despise the light of life, the heavenly gift, the Holy Ghost, the good word or promise of God, and the powers of the world to come.

They were once enlightened, literally, 'once for all enlightened.' The phrase indicates that the enlightenment ought to have sufficed to prevent them from falling. The word translated 'once,' meaning 'once for all,' is found in 9:7, 26, 28; 10:2;12:26,27. They were enlightened through the revelation of God in Christ, the true light, and through the power of the Spirit. The word 'enlightened' in the Old Testament Septuagint is usually translated 'taught' or 'instructed.'

They had tasted of the heavenly gift. The meaning of the word 'tasted' is: 'have consciously partaken of.' Compare Hebrews 2:9 and 1Peter 2:3. The heavenly gift is the Holy Spirit. This is distinctly specified in the next clause: 'partakers of the Holy Spirit." The phrase 'heavenly gift' emphasizes the heavenly quality of this gift.

They had tasted the good Word of God: that is, the gospel of Christ as preached, "which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him" (2:3)

They had tasted of the powers of the world to come. The word 'world' is literally translated 'age.' This is the present age in which we are living. The age to come is the millennial age. These Hebrews had tasted of the powers of the world to come. They had tasted the Word and had seen the attesting miracles. Compare 2:4. These attesting miracles will again be performed in the Millennial Age when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to set up His kingdom on earth.

For those who had such experiences and would relinquish all, it would be impossible to renew them again unto repentance. To fall away, literally means 'to deviate,' 'to turn aside'. (Compare Ezek. 14:13; 15:8) Conversant with all the things aforesaid and then give them up was to fall back to what they were before the light of God shone on them in the Gospel. To renew such again unto repentance is pronounced to be impossible. The reason for this is explained. "They crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame." By falling away from the New Testament teaching and turning back to the Old Testament sacrifices they would crucify 'to themselves' the Son of God. "The apostate crucifies Christ on his own account by virtually confirming the judgment of the actual crucifiers, declaring that he, too, has made trial of Jesus and found Him no true Messiah but a deceiver and therefore worthy of death." Vincent says, "They declare that Christ's crucifixion has not the meaning or the virtue which they formally attach to it." The words 'put to an open shame' literally means 'to make an example of,' 'to make a public show.' compare Numbers 25:4, 'hang them up' where it implies exposing to ignominy or infamy. By so doing these Hebrews would render their hearts so hard that the ministry of the Holy Spirit would no longer have its affect upon them. They would be irrevocably lost.