Hebrews 6:4-6
At the start of the month, I moved into a new house. In essence, it’s a Christian fraternity—nine Christian guys living together. There are weekly chores, house events, and house roles. There is also a weekly Bible study, which fell on me to lead this week. My passage was Hebrews six, and after countless hours of study, I felt I was no closer to a sense of peace about its meaning than when I had begun.
This morning in my devotional I felt another Scripture served to interpret it quite well, so I will make the finding public here, but my goal is to open discussion for us all so as to perhaps more greatly illuminate the passage. I know some of you reading this have a lot more letters next to your name than I do by a long shot.
For those of you not familiar with Hebrews 6:4-6, it’s a passage in Scripture I’m very tempted to call a problem passage. (Yeah, probably shouldn’t call any of Scripture a problem). Anyway, here it is:
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, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Hebrews 6:4-6, 1984 NIV
As someone who has not forgotten his own back-slides, I squirm when I read these words.
Is it impossible for me to repent again?
Can Jesus’ death not cover me now?
Am I subjecting Christ to public disgrace?
Well, I think the following passage in the ESV answers these questions well.
For, if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”
2 Peter 2:20-22, 2016 ESV
As for the first question, is it impossible for me to repent again, for now, I really like my roommate Ryan’s answer:
When one first accepts Christ, he moves (for the first time) from a position of knowing only sin and death to a position of life with God. To repeat this exact journey again after already completing it would be to get back into the womb and be re-born. Pardon me for lack of a better example, but that man has already lost his spiritual virginity! One might have eye-opening or life-transforming experiences later in life, but he will never wrangle himself into rebirth. it is impossible, and this is a good thing! Small moments of growth, of course, will continue for the duration of his life.
Can we crucify Christ on replay?
I think this is redundant.
He entered once for all into the holy places…thus securing an eternal redemption.
For then he would have to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all.
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins…
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being made like Him.
Hebrews 9:12, 26; 10:12, 14, 2016 ESV//Exerpted
These are just four of the Scriptures in the same letter that teach Christ’s crucifixion will not be (nor does it need to be) repeated.
Am I subjecting Christ to public disgrace?
Well, I’m late for a rock climbing trip, but here are some thoughts which I think were expressed well.
I hope what’s written so far has got some gears turning! This is deep! Please, what are your own thoughts? Let’s share and progress together!
