WHO IS HEBREW 6:4-8 ADDRESSED TO? BELIEVERS OR UNBELIEVERS?

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

I want to start by saying that, if you wear the lenses of performance-based Christianity, this could be a scary scripture, for it sounds like your salvation hinges on your behavior. Do good, get good, but fall away and you’re lost forever.

We need to understand that the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish believers in Christ who were tempted under the threat of persecution to return to Judaism. The author is arguing for the superiority of the person and work of Jesus Christ. To abandon Christ for the old Jewish system is to turn from God’s supreme and final provision in His Son to that which is inferior.

Please bear in mind that in every letter written by the apostles that the audience of their letter is very often consists of a mixed audiences of faith professing and faith searching crowd.

First we see that the writer of Hebrew is addressing the mixed crowd that receives this letter. His instruction in Hebrews 6:1-3 is for a group of Jewish observers who are struggling to progress from sluggish faith to maturity. Their faith was more in the images of Christ than Christ himself.

I believe that, In this writer’s mind laying, a foundation for the understanding of Christ is different from teaching abou thow to live in Christ on the basis of that foundation.

The foundation he has in mind is described in 6:1d-2. The striking thing about this list is that it is not distinctively Christian. It is made up of foundational Old Testament and Jewish truths and practices that the readers probably built on when they were converted (or maybe they are in the verge of conversion).

The list has three pairs:

Pair one: “repentance from dead works and of faith toward God” (v. 1d);

Pair two: “instruction about washings, and laying on of hands;”

Pair three: “the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment” (v. 2).

All these are common Old Testament beliefs or current practices among the Jews. When these readers were evangelized and converted, these things, it seems, had been made foundational as a way of helping them understand the work of Christ. Christ is the goal and fulfillment of all these things.

So when verse 1 says they should leave the “elementary teachings about Christ (or literally: “the word of the beginning of Christ”), it means that they should not occupy themselves so much with the pre-Christian foundational preparations for Christ that they neglect the glory of the gospel and how to use it to grow into maturity and holiness. In other words, it’s what is  stated in Hebrews 5:14 — they need to learn how to take the milk–the basic truths of the gospel — and practice how to grow with them.

The need is not to rebuild foundational facts, but to stand on them and live by them. They need to learn how you take basic gospel truth about Christ and use it to become discerning people about good and evil, so that they attain the holiness without which they will not see the Lord (12:14).

I will like state here that, their problem is not lack of foundational knowledge, but lack of fruitfulness in life.

The progression from elementary to maturity is clearly understood when we find “that the writer proves twice over that the New Testament in Jesus’ Blood is superior to and takes the place of the First Testament in animal blood.  In the light of this demonstration, he warns them against falling away. He exhorts them to go on to faith in the New Testament Sacrifice. Having left the temple sacrifices, and having identified themselves with the visible Church, from what could they fall away but from their profession of Messiah as High Priest, and to what could they fall back to but First Testament sacrifices? Thus the words, “the principles of the doctrine of Christ,” must refer to the First Testament sacrifices, for these Jews are exhorted to abandon them.

Likewise, the word “perfection” must speak of the New Testament Sacrifice to which they are exhorted to allow themselves to be borne along.

We have to bear in mind that, All dependence upon the Levitical sacrifices is to be set aside in order that the Hebrews can go on to “perfection,” which speaks of the NT Sacrifice.  So leave the ABC’s of the Levitical Priesthood & the Old Covenant and be borne along to perfection to the perfection of the priesthood of Melchizedek.

Hebrew 7:19 says the law of Moses, the sacrificial law, made nothing perfect. Christ’s sacrifice was complete. Thus, the writer exhorts these Hebrews to abandon the type for the reality, that which is incomplete for that which is complete .

That means they are called to move from the shadow of Christ (symbolized in the sacrifices and its types) to the substances of Christ Himself!

Now, Who is The Text Addressed To?

It is very possible that in chapter 6 the author of Hebrew is speaking to a mixed group of believers and unbelievers. How do I know this?

There is a clear difference in the pronouns employed in chapter 6 . In our text in Hebrews 6:4-8 the pronouns are third person plural: “those,” “them,” and “they.” These folks are distinguished from the first person plural (“we”) or the second person plural (“you”) of the verses which precede (vs1-3) and follow (9-20) the troublesome words of verses 4-8.

In other words, those warned about in 6:4-8 appear to be outside the community of faith” (non believers).

Let me Summary this before we continue:

6:1-3 = We & You (more for believers)

6:4-8 = Those, Them & They (non believers)

6:9-20 = We and You (believers)

TO GO FURTHER

Again, those described in verses 4 and 5 are those who have come very close to faith, but who have never embraced the gospel personally for salvation. The most forceful example of this unbeliever would be Judas, a man who heard the gospel from our Lord, who experienced God’s power, but who never really believed in Jesus for salvation. It would seem that the kind of person who is described above is one who has heard the gospel, who has witnessed and perhaps even experienced its power, but who has not come to faith, and who after experiencing the gospel “up close and personal,” has rejected it”. I see these unbelievers as those who exercise a significant level of authority and influence in the church. I see these folks as being the source of much of the pressure and temptation to revert back to the law-works of unbelieving Judaism. ( I know if you stand for legalism , you will not agree with me, but that doesn't change the truth).  That's just by the way, Let's continue:

Note: In Hebrew 6:7-8 – The author distinguishes the false believers from the true by using an agricultural illustration in verses 7 and 8. Within the church, there were two kinds of soil. Both soils received the benefit of the rains, but while one soil produced a crop, the other produced only thorns and thistles. The good soil receives God’s blessing, while the bad soil is in danger of being cursed, the worthless produce being fit only for the fire.

Note that those described in verses 4-6 and 8 are the exception (they are the unbelievers) while the majority of the Hebrews are the “good soil” of verse 9. This the author makes very clear in verses 9-12. He begins by calling these believers  “dear friends” or “beloved”(verse 9).
This is the most intimate reference to these Hebrews so far in the book. He is convinced of better things than what he has just described. These “better things” pertain to what accompanies salvation – the fruit which grows from the soil of salvation.

Here is  P. Ellis;
1. The author is describing people who are “slow to learn” (5:11), who need someone to teach them “the elementary truths of God’s word all over again” (5:12). They need to hear the gospel again because they clearly haven’t grasped it.

2. He says they live on milk and are “not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness” (5:13). This is a reference to the gospel that reveals a righteousness from God (Rom 1:17).

3. He is exhorting them to leave the elementary and old covenant teachings pertaining to repentance from dead works, faith in God (as opposed to the faith of God), ritual baptisms, etc. We may get confused between OT shadows and NT realities until we recall he is addressing Hebrews schooled in the Mosaic Law and has just spent three chapters explaining Jesus using old covenant terms.

4. Then he says “even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation.” (v.9) In other words, the things he has just been speaking of are things which do not accompany salvation. He has been describing religious people who have had a taste – they’ve heard the gospel, benefited from signs and wonders – but they haven’t believed it. They need to hear it and see it all again. They have tasted and seen that the Lord is good but so far they have not actually put their trust in Him (Ps 34:8).

SHALOM.