Hebrews 6:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

NIV: and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

NASB: and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

CSB: and who have fallen away. This is because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt.

NLT: and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.

KJV: If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

NKJV: 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.

Verses 1 through 3 set up the motivation for this warning in chapter 6. Stagnant, immature faith is not merely weak, it is dangerous. Those who do not move beyond the basics of the faith risk straying from the truth, which is disastrous.

The central concept in verse 6 is the Greek word parapesontas, which means "to fall to the side, wander, or take the wrong path." This is not the term apostasia, which produces the English word apostasy. The full context of the book of Hebrews, since chapter 3, has been the threat of doubt leading to disobedience. The primary example given is Israel, who suffered forty years of judgment for that very reason (Numbers 13—14). In the book of Hebrews, this illustrates how even a saved believer can suffer when they fail to "hold fast" in their faith (Hebrews 3:12–19; 4:11).

The book of Hebrews is written to persecuted Jewish Christians of the early church. The leading verses in chapter 6 described some of the basic differences between Judaism and Christianity. Those who continued to wallow in spiritual immaturity, doubting those very concepts, placed themselves in a dangerous position. The ultimate outcome of this weakness is explained here in verse 6. It's important to recall that these words are all intended for saved believers—those who have "shared the Holy Spirit" (Hebrews 6:4; Galatians 3:2), and such persons can never lose that salvation (John 10:28–30). They can, however, sabotage their own effectiveness in serving God (1 Corinthians 9:27).

It's also helpful to notice the specific structure of this sentence in Greek. All of these phrases are in a "present tense," so that we could state the conditions as "who have…" done all of these things. That includes the rejection of Christ. In short, a Christian who falls into doubt, disbelief, and disobedience is siding—at least in practice—with the world which crucified Jesus. To "fall aside" from trust in Christ is to support the worldview which crucified Him. It means they are, as of the present time, impossible to reach. Once a person is in that frame of mind, no earthly argument or encouragement will bring them back.

The context of this verse not only depends on the setup of verses 1 through 3, but also the imagery of verses 7 and 8. There, a field which is unproductive is restored by fire—an often-used metaphor for the judgment of God. The field is not destroyed, just as the saved believer is not cast into damnation. However, the process of clearing away spiritual thorns and weeds is painful, to say the least. This work can only be done by God, not by men (Luke 18:27).

Christians cannot lose their salvation. However, those who falter due to a shallow, disobedient faith put themselves in a position where only hardship and suffering can bring them back.

Hebrews 6:4–8 is frequently cited by those who doubt the doctrine of eternal security, easily more so than any other passage in the New Testament. For that reason, it can be said these words are among the New Testament's most often misunderstood. Taken in context, this passage is a warning to Christians about the potential consequences of shallow, immature faith. Those who fall into doubt and disobedience cannot be ''restored,'' except by the fire of God's judgment. There is a natural flow in this part of Hebrews: from spiritual immaturity, to its consequences, to the confidence which ought to inspire our growth.

Chapter 6 completes a warning begun in the last verses of chapter 5. The author has deep points to make, but doubts that the readers are ready for them. Yet the only course of action is to press on: there is no time to re-establish the ABCs of the faith. Spiritual immaturity prevents growth, leading to doubt, discouragement, and eventually to judgment. Those who only scratch the surface of Christianity, then fall into disobedience, can't be restored to good standing until they've experienced some level of judgment. Rather than make that mistake, we should trust in the absolute promises of God, and the work of Christ, as we patiently pursue godly wisdom. Chapter 7 will resume the extensive discussion of Melchizedek's priesthood.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.