This is a continuation from
post #533 to explain Hebrews 6:4-6 which is a passage you cited in your post, Renniks:
Nonsense. Let's look at what Arminians and the Bible actually teach:
John 3:16-17 ??For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.??
John 3:36 ??He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.??
God desires all persons to be saved. This is not a hypothetical desire, or a desire which is overruled by God??s other decrees as in Calvinism.
The Lord isn??t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
God actually wants all people (literally, everyone) to be saved. As a result of this desire of God, Jesus died for the whole world. This is commonly referred to as universal atonement.
1 John 2:2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins??and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
Every Person Can Accept or Reject Jesus Christ
Another important part of Arminian theology is that it teaches that all people are able to exercise faith in Christ, or meet the conditions of salvation. In contrast to Calvinism, which teaches that only the elect can believe in Jesus, Arminianism teaches that each person has the ability to accept or reject Christ.
God has extended prevenient grace to all people which enables all people to make a choice about Jesus, whether to accept him or reject him. Every person has enough grace in their life to make a decision for or against God.
Titus 2:11 (NIV) For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
Predestination is based upon God??s foreknowledge.
Romans 8:29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Many Arminians teach that if a Christian renounces their belief in Jesus they can lose their salvation.
Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened??those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come?? and who then turn away from God.
I recall reading Hebrews 6:4-6 before I knew what a Greek/English interlinear was. When I read that passage in the NASB, it threw me. According to the rendition, there is a point of no return for the Christian. I recall the pastor of the church that we attended had a book that had an explanation, but it was after God brought to my attention the Greek/English interlinear that the true meaning of Hebrews 6:4-6 shines through!
The Greek/English interlinear of Hebrews 6:4-6 is copied at the bottom of this post. I put in both Scripture4All.org and Biblehub.com copies along with both the KJV and NASB.
For the sake of clariity, here is the NASB of Hebrews 6:4-6
For 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, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 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
Continuing for the sake of clarity, here is the Scripture4All word-for-word Greek to English translation of Hebrews 6:4-6
UN-ABLE for THE-ones ONCE BEING-enLIGHTenED TASTing BESIDES OF-THE gratuity OF-THE ON-heavenly AND WITH-HAVers BEING-BECOME OF-spirit HOLY AND IDEAL TASTing OF-God declaration ABILITIES BESIDES OF-beING-ABOUT AND BESIDE-FALLING AGAIN TO-BE-UP-NEWizING INTO after-MIND UP-impalING to-selves THE SON OF-THE God AND BESIDE-SHOWizING
We find that the NASB translators moved UN-ABLE (impossible) from verse 4 to verse 6. That is an unacceptable translation. The NIV adds quite a bit.
But, when we look at Hebrews 6:7-8 immediately subsequent to Hebrews 6:4-6, we find a compare and contrast, here is the NASB
For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
The Jews often repeat things, and Hebrews 6:7-8 is a form of repeat of Hebrews 6:4-6.
The compare and contrast is the positive in verse 7 "For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God" with the negative in verse 8 "but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned".
Let us return to the Hebrews 6:7-8 precursor which is Hebrews 6:4-6. Where is the positive in Hebrews 6:4-6? Well, the answer is this, that "Impossible for the ones once enlightened tasting the heavenly gift and become partakers of the Holy Spirit and goodness tasting of God's word power also coming age".
That's a powerful blessing (recall Hebrews 6:7), something is impossible for us believers!
What is the impossible thing? The answer lies in the contrast portion of Hebrews 6:4-6, that specifically is in Hebrews 6:6 "and fall away again restore to repeentance crucifying to themselves the Son of God"
That is a scary curse (recall Hebrews 6:8), yet that curse is impossible for us believers - see the very first word of Hebrews 6:4 which is "adynaton" in Greek and "impossible" in English (UN-ABLE in Scripture4All.org's English)!
Amazing is the point that Lord Jesus declares of His sheep "no one will snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:28).
And the Word of God says "My Father, who has given [them] to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father's hand" (John 10:29).
Behold how no one that is Jesus' own, not even a person can do to the person's self, can be snatched out of His hand, for His hand is powerful!
Hebrews 6:4-6 and Hebrews 6:7-8 are in accord with Lord Jesus' words as recorded by the Apostle John!
FROM THIS POINT DOWN IN THIS POST IS REFERENCE ON A LINE BY LINE BASIS ABOUT HEBREWS 6:4-6
Chapter:Verse
Scripture4All Translation
Scripture4All Further Translation
BibleHub Strongs Number
BibleHub Greek Transliteration
BibleHub Translation
KJV
NASB
6:4
UN-ABLE for THE-ones ONCE BEING-enLIGHTenED TASTing BESIDES OF-THE gratuity OF-THE ON-heavenly AND WITH-HAVers BEING-BECOME OF-spirit HOLY
it-is-impossible the-ones the the celestial partakers
102 1063 3588 530 5461 1089 5037 3588 1431 3588 2032 2532 3353 1096 4151 40
Adynaton gar tous hapax photisthentas geusamenous te tes doreas tes epouraniou kai metochous genethentas Pneumatos Hagiou
[It is] impossible for to those once having been enlightened having tasted then of the gift - heavenly and partakers having become of [the] Spirit Holy
For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
For 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,
6:5
AND IDEAL TASTing OF-God declaration ABILITIES BESIDES OF-beING-ABOUT
powerful-deeds of-impending
2532 2570 1089 2316 4487 1411 5037 3195 165
kai kalon geusamenous Theou rhema dynameis te mellontos aionos
and [the] goodness having tasted of God's word [the] power also [of the] coming age
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6:6
AND BESIDE-FALLING AGAIN TO-BE-UP-NEWizING INTO after-MIND UP-impalING to-selves THE SON OF-THE God AND BESIDE-SHOWizING
falling-aside to-be-renewing repentance ones-crucifying-again to-themselves holding-up-to-infamy-him
2532 3895 3825 340 1519 3341 388 1438 3588 5207 3588 2316 2532 3856
kai parapesontas palin anakainizein eis metanoian anastaurountas heautois ton Huion tou Theou kai paradeigmatizontas
and then having fallen away again to restore [them] to repentance crucifying in themselves the Son - of God and subjecting [Him] to open shame
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.
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.