Articles
Warning Against Rejecting Jesus – Hebrews 6
Warning Against Rejecting Jesus – Hebrews 6
The writer of Hebrews challenges his readers with warnings inserted in between his main points. In chapter six he writes concerning those people who have:
· once been enlightened –
· tasted the heavenly gift –
· shared in the Holy Spirit
· tasted the goodness of the word of God
· [tasted] the powers of the age to come.
These were not unbelievers. He twice spoke of having 'tasted' these special privileges of the believers. 'Tasted' in these verses is used as it is earlier in 2:9 where it says that Jesus experienced "the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone". Bauer, in his Greek-English lexicon, gives two basic meanings of this word: 1) to partake of something by mouth, taste, partake of… 2) to experience something cognitively or emotionally, come to know something… These believers experienced and partook of the heavenly gift, the goodness of the word of God, and the powers of the age to come. They shared in the Holy Spirit.
The problem is that after experiencing this, some turned back and rejected Jesus. The writer says that this is to crucify the Son of God AGAIN. As Jesus was rejected and put to death at first, so now, these people are rejecting him. Having already heard, seen, learned, and experienced the blessing and position of believers, there is nothing left to bring them again unto repentance. They HAD repented, but bringing them to repentance AGAIN is now not possible. How would it be done? Preaching the good news of Jesus? They have heard, believed, and now rejected it. Warning them about the consequences of rejecting Jesus? They had heard that too and still have changed and now hold Him in contempt.
This warning follows the warning in chapter three that stated: "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you and evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God" (3:12). Our faith is not automatic or unfailing. If we don't care for it and feed it upon the word of God, it can become weak. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Let us be warned. Let us take care and provide for our faith. Let us hold on firmly and be not moved away from this faith.
Hugh DeLong
