Hebrews 6:4-6

[Guest Don]

"For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt." [RSV]


Could someone please explain the meaning of these verses? They seem to mean that it is impossible for apostates to be reconciled to the Church. I must be misunderstanding this as I'm sure it doesn't square with Catholic teaching.

Thanks.

[phatcatholic]

see our recent conversation on this passage, from the Apologetics board:
[url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=51028"]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=51028[/url]

[cappie]

I would say that it applies to a class of people whom it is impossible to restore again to repentance. Apparently these people had once repented . Now it is clearly stated that a renewed repentance is impossible.

Who are these people? The answer is given in verses 4 and 5.

They had once been enlightened. They had heard the gospel of the grace of God. They were not in darkness concerning the way of salvation. Judas Iscariot had been enlightened but he rejected the light.
They tasted the heavenly gift. The Lord Jesus is the heavenly Gift. They had tasted of Him but had never received Him by a definite act of faith.

It is possible to taste without eating or drinking. When men offered wine mixed with gall to Jesus on the cross, He tasted it but He would not drink it (Matt. 27:34). It is not enough to taste Christ; unless we eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, we have no life in us (John 6:53).


6:5 They had tasted the good word of God. As they heard the gospel preached, they were strangely moved and drawn to it. They were like the seed that fell on rocky ground; they heard the word and immediately received it with joy, but they had no root in themselves. They endured for a while, but when tribulation or persecution arose on account of the word, they promptly fell away (Matt. 13:20, 21).



6:6 If they fall away, after enjoying the privileges , it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. They have committed the sin of apostasy. They have reached the place where the lights go out .

The enormous guilt of apostates is indicated in the words since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame (v. 6b). This signifies a deliberate, malicious spurning of Christ, not just a careless disregard of Him. It indicates a positive betrayal of Him, a joining of forces against Him, and a ridiculing of His Person and work.

Maybe someone else can be more enlightening :