Four Passages

[AlexB23]

Hello folks. Here is my Bible study on Hebrews 6:4-6, Jeremiah 31:33, 1 John 1:9 and Romans 8:1-4. It is a big one, but here it goes.

Date​	April 28, 2024​
Verse​	Hebrews 6:4-6 (ESV): "For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 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." Jeremiah 31:33 (ESV): "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people." 1 John 1:9 (ESV): "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Romans 8:1-4 (ESV): "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."​
Explanation​	The four passages address different aspects of God's relationship with His people and the concept of salvation. Let's examine each passage and then discuss how they relate to one another. 1.Hebrews 6:4-6: This passage emphasizes the gravity of falling away from faith in Christ. It suggests that if someone has experienced the blessings of God's Word and the Holy Spirit, yet deliberately turns away, it might be difficult, but not impossible for them to return to repentance. However, this passage does not exclude the possibility of restoration entirely, as some interpretations may suggest. Instead, it highlights the seriousness of turning away from God and the potential consequences. 2. Jeremiah 31:33: This passage speaks of a new covenant that God will make with Israel and Judah, in which His law will be written on their hearts. This promises a deeper relationship between God and His people, emphasizing the importance of obedience and intimacy. It suggests that salvation is not only about forgiveness but also about transformation and restoration. 3. 1 John 1:9: This passage assures believers that if they confess their sins, God is faithful and just to forgive them and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. This passage emphasizes the importance of confession and the promise of forgiveness, reassuring believers that they can always return to God when they stumble or sin. 4. Romans 8:1-4: This passage declares that believers are free from condemnation because of Christ's sacrifice, allowing them to live according to the Spirit instead of the flesh. It highlights the power of God's grace and the transformation it brings about in a believer's life. ​ *Disclaimer: These passages do not exclude the possibility of God saving someone who has returned to Him after falling away. Each passage emphasizes different aspects of salvation and faith, but none of these verses suggest that God's mercy and forgiveness are limited to a specific period in one's life. Instead, they encourage believers to remain faithful, emphasizing the importance of repentance and obedience.
Societal Relevance​	In our modern lives, these passages serve as reminders of God's faithfulness, mercy, and the importance of remaining committed to Him despite any challenges or setbacks. They reassure us that, no matter how far we may stray, God's love and forgiveness are always available to us if we choose to return to Him. No sin is too great for His love and compassion. Additionally, they encourage us to live in obedience to God's will and to seek His guidance daily.

 

[jacks]

It's a lot to cover. Did you pick these verses at random, or did they seem related in some way?
As far a Hebrews 6:4-6. I've often considered the difference between "falling away" and "back sliding". They seem to be similar, but the falling away, seems like a longer time frame. And back sliding seems more forgivable. So is one temporary and one permanent? And if so what constitutes "permanent". Could one back slide say for 30 years and them come again to the lord? I'd say yes.

 

[AlexB23]

It's a lot to cover. Did you pick these verses at random, or did they seem related in some way?
As far a Hebrews 6:4-6. I've often considered the difference between "falling away" and "back sliding". They seem to be similar, but the falling away, seems like a longer time frame. And back sliding seems more forgivable. So is one temporary and one permanent? And if so what constitutes "permanent". Could one back slide say for 30 years and them come again to the lord? I'd say yes.

Well, I made this post, as a guy named @Aliemikeyj was struggling with hearing Hebrews 6. The verses seem related. And yes, it is possible for anyone to return to the Lord, if repentance is made.

Giving guidance while also not having a good relationship with god

So as you know from my other post I’m very far from god. I feel like I’ve become reprobate because these sins were abominations and I refused to let them go, grieving gods spirit to the point where he left. I wasn’t saved but the Holy Spirit was somewhat pursuing me. I fear I fell away from god...

www.christianforums.com

 

[St_Worm2]

Explanation​

1.Hebrews 6:4-6: This passage emphasizes the gravity of falling away from faith in Christ. It suggests that if someone has experienced the blessings of God's Word and the Holy Spirit, yet deliberately turns away, it might be difficult, but not impossible for them to return to repentance. However, this passage does not exclude the possibility of restoration entirely, as some interpretations may suggest. Instead, it highlights the seriousness of turning away from God and the potential consequences.​

Societal Relevance​

In our modern lives, these passages serve as reminders of God's faithfulness, mercy, and the importance of remaining committed to Him despite any challenges or setbacks. They reassure us that, no matter how far we may stray, God's love and forgiveness are always available to us if we choose to return to Him. No sin is too great for His love and compassion. Additionally, they encourage us to live in obedience to God's will and to seek His guidance daily.

Hello Alex, ἀδύνατος/impossible doesn't have a lot of alternative meanings (IOW, it never means difficult, hard, nearly impossible, etc.), so how did you justify the change in meaning from "impossible" (in the Bible) to "it might be difficult, but not impossible" (in your explanation)?

Since there are other words (used elsewhere in the Bible), such as χαλεπός (which means "hard to do, hard to take, hard to bear, difficult, troublesome, dangerous, etc.), or perhaps better, δυνατός (which translates as, "able, possible, to be able (to do something), having the power to do something, etc."), why do you think that the Lord chose to use ἀδύνατος/IMPOSSIBLE instead?

BTW, I think this is an excellent Bible study, thanks for posting it

God bless you!!

--David
p.s. - Hebrews 10:26-27 (and following) might be worth considering in conjunction with the OP passage from Hebrews 6, because I believe that the two are somewhat linked (so it may help us get to the bottom of why returning to the faith/being renewed again to repentance is said to be "impossible", at least is some cases, once someone has fallen away .. and it may also help us answer @jacks very important points and questions in regard to this as well by helping us understand what these passages actually mean and who, specifically, they were/are speaking to/about and why).

The following passages are taken from the NASB 95', just FYI.

Hebrews 6​

4 In the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ​

5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ​

6 and then have fallen away, it is ~impossible~ to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. ​

​

Hebrews 10​

26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there ~no longer remains a sacrifice for sins~, ​

27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. ​

28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ​

29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ​

30 For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” ​

31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.​

 

[AlexB23]

Hello Alex, ἀδύνατος/impossible doesn't have a lot of alternative meanings (IOW, it never means difficult, hard, nearly impossible, etc.), so how did you justify the change in meaning from "impossible" (in the Bible) to "it might be difficult, but not impossible" (in your explanation)?

Since there are other words (used elsewhere in the Bible), such as χαλεπός (which means "hard to do, hard to take, hard to bear, difficult, troublesome, dangerous, etc.), or perhaps better, δυνατός (which translates as, "able, possible, to be able (to do something), having the power to do something, etc."), why do you think the Lord chose ἀδύνατος/impossible instead?

BTW, I think this is an excellent Bible study, thanks for posting it

God bless you!!

--David
p.s. - Hebrews 10:26-27 (and following) might be worth considering in conjunction with the OP passage from Hebrews 6, because I believe that the two are somewhat linked (so it may help us get to the bottom of why returning to the faith/being renewed again to repentance is said to be "impossible", at least is some cases, once someone has fallen away .. and it may also help us answer @jacks very important points and questions in regard to this as well by helping us get to the bottom of what these passages actually mean and who, specifically, they were/are speaking to and why).

The following passages are taken from the NASB 95', just FYI.

Hebrews 6​

4 In the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ​

5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ​

6 and then have fallen away, it is ~impossible~ to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. ​

​

Hebrews 10​

26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there ~no longer remains a sacrifice for sins~, ​

27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. ​

28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ​

29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ​

30 For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” ​

31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.​

Hey, thanks for the compliments. Sorry. I am not Greek (so many people here post Greek or Hebrew words here, and it gets on my nerves, as it make me feel like they are pretentious, hopefully that does not rub off on you in the wrong way). Well, God can do the impossible. We also must not fear monger as Christians. I was trying to help a guy named Mikey with his anxiety. So, let us not cause distress in him.

• Matthew 17:20: “Nothing will be impossible.”
• Matthew 19:26: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
• Mark 10:27: “With men it is impossible, but not with God.”
• Luke 1:37: “With God nothing will be impossible.”
• Luke 18:27: “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

 

[St_Worm2]

Hey, thanks for the compliments. Sorry. I am not Greek (so many people here post Greek or Hebrew words here, and it gets on my nerves, as it make me feel like they are pretentious, hopefully that does not rub off on you in the wrong way).

Hello again Alex, no, I understand what you are saying. The reason that I go ahead and use them at times is to help us, particularly when looking at a difficult passage like this one, to make sure that we know and have considered the definition of the original Greek or Hebrew word, not just the definition of the translated word (which is often the same, but not always).

Well, God can do the impossible. We also must not fear monger as Christians.

Agreed. However, there are things that are impossible for God to do, and one of them is lying, yes?

What all of this tells me, in the end, is that the answer to His use of "impossible" in the Hebrews 6 passage probably means that we have to look a little deeper to understand what He is 'actually' getting at/actually trying to convey there (because I think that we all know, or at least know of, people who have fallen away from the faith for a time and later returned). God, of course, knows this too, so the question (again) becomes why did He choose to use the word "impossible" in Hebrews 6 if that's not what He meant/what are we missing

I was trying to help a guy named Mikey with his anxiety. So, let us not cause distress in him.

I certainly agree , but perhaps it would be better to do so by figuring out what is actually being said in this difficult passage and why, rather than simply telling him that it can't possibly mean what it says because of what other passages seem to say instead. Whenever a verse/passage seems to contradict what other verses/passages in the Bible say, I've always found that it's best to immediately go back and figure out why (because it never stops bothering me until I do ).

BTW, I totally understand where Mikey is coming from, because this passage used to cause me a LOT of anxiety and distress too (in my younger days as a believer)

Mickey, if you're reading this, one thing that I can promise you (after 37+ years as a Christian) is this, there really are good/rational/reasonable answers for every question that you have about God, His word and the faith The only "rub" for me was/is knowing (and remembering ) that patiently waiting to get the answers that I am seeking is necessary sometimes, so I've done my best to learn to put things on the "back-burner" for awhile, trusting that God will eventually help me see what I have been missing/failing to understand (and I have yet to be disappointed when I do). If you think about it, we (Christians) have all of the time in the world since, as believers, we came into possession of eternal life from the moment that we first believed (as the Lord Jesus tells us plainly in verses like the one below)

John 5​

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, ~has~ eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.​

• Matthew 17:20: “Nothing will be impossible.”
• Matthew 19:26: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
• Mark 10:27: “With men it is impossible, but not with God.”
• Luke 1:37: “With God nothing will be impossible.”
• Luke 18:27: “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

GREAT passages, and all spoken by the Lord Jesus Himself, too, I believe

Nothing is impossible for God .. unless He tells us that it is, yes

So, whenever He tells us plainly that something is "impossible" for some reason, I think it best and prudent to 1. take Him at His word and then 2. find out why, don't you? ... to figure out what He's ACTUALLY saying, because again, we all know people who have walked away from the faith only to return to it later, many times as stronger believers than they ever were before they walked away

So, rather than being afraid of what this passage MIGHT be saying, let's figure out what it is ACTUALLY saying instead, and put the fears that we have about it to rest!

In closing, the Bible tells us that God's love for those of us (who are or who will be His children, by adoption) is just like He is, "from everlasting" .. e.g. Jeremiah 31:3. This means that there was never a time in eternity past when He did not already love us, nor will there ever be such a time now, or forevermore

As pastor and theologian Charles Spurgeon once said (at the end of one of his daily devotional readings in Morning and Evening),

"Everlasting love shall be the pillow for my head this night" ​

The other good news to remember is that our loving, heavenly Father/Abba (Daddy) declared the end from the beginning .. e.g. Isaiah 46:9-10. This means that nothing that we do will EVER be a surprise to Him. IOW, He knew EXACTLY who and what He was getting when He chose to save us (as He could see the whole of our lives at that moment), but He went ahead and saved us anyway!!

So, no worries then, yes

Blessings to you in Christ!!

--David

 

[Bobber]

Hey, thanks for the compliments. Sorry. I am not Greek (so many people here post Greek or Hebrew words here, and it gets on my nerves, as it make me feel like they are pretentious, hopefully that does not rub off on you in the wrong way).

I totally agree. I don't like that at all or I should say I only do such once in a blue moon. When people have a habit of doing that are they so interested in really wanting to be sincere in teaching one or is it rather a trick to use in order to seek to impress. Half the time I've seen they're stretching the meaning of what the Greek says it has to mean anyway.

 

[AlexB23]

I totally agree. I don't like that at all or I should say I only do such once in a blue moon. When people have a habit of doing that are they so interested in really wanting to be sincere in teaching one or is it rather a trick to use in order to seek to impress. Half the time I've seen they're stretching the meaning of what the Greek says it has to mean anyway.

Amen brother. Once in a blue moon is okay. Yeah, it is probably a trick that some folks use here to impress. People probably use the Greek, cos we will not know the meaning of it and then purposely twist the meaning.