What is Going on in Hebrews 6:1-9?

Dr. Couch, what is going on in Hebrews 6:1-9? I have had people say it is teaching the loss of salvation. Please explain. ANSWER:  I was privileged to take the book of Hebrew in graduate Greek from one of the best Greek teachers in America . And I can assure you this is not what the old "having fallen away" passage is all about!    I came to the conclusion years ago that the book of Hebrews, though passed on to believers in the church, is mainly addressing those Jews who had heard the gospel but had not received Christ as their Savior! They knew of Christ but were rejecting the message of salvation through Him! I stuck to my guns about the meaning of the passage because I'm a pretty good observer and that's what the verses are really all about—these folks were never believers! I discovered a few years back that one of the most brilliant Greek scholars of the last century, Kenneth Wuest, held to the same view.    It would take too long here to spell out the full reason that this is the case, so I can't do that in this short question and answer. But here is just one point that I think is important. When the author of Hebrews starts this section he uses the third person ("those, them"), and not the second person ("you"). In other words, he's writing about the rejecters who refused to believe that Christ was the Savior and the promised Jewish Messiah! He concludes the section by saying: "But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning YOU, and things that accompany salvation, …" (v. 9). Below are just a few of the comments that Wuest makes on the passage:    "The readers were enlightened as every sinner is enlightened who comes under the hearing of God's Word. But as the unsaved in an evangelistic meeting today clearly understand the message of salvation but sometimes refuse the light and turn back into the darkness of sin and continued unbelief, so these Hebrews (the readers) were in danger of doing a like thing. … The translation reads therefore, 'if they fell away.' [The writer] here presents a hypothetical case, warning these unsaved Hebrews from making such a thing a reality. Now the writer gives the reason why these Hebrews cannot be brought back to the place of repentance, should they return to the First Testament (the OT Law) sacrifices. They would crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame. Vincent adds, 'the greatness of the guilt is aggravated by the fact that they thus treat the Son of God.'"    Again, it would take too long here to explain the passage completely, but I hope that this helps some.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch

Hebrews 6:1-9 - Impossible to Renew Again To Repentance

Dr. Couch, what is happening in Hebrews 6:1-9, the old "It is impossible to renew them again to repentance" passage? ANSWER:  There are many interpretations of this passage but I believe, along with Dr. Kenneth Weist (one of the greatest Greek scholars of the last century), that I have it right. The prominent flow of Hebrews is a warning to the Jews who have not as yet trusted their own Messiah as Savior, though it is clear that the book, as indicated in the last chapter, was handed over to the church as an apologetic or as a polemic to be used in witnessing to the Jews.   With all of the testimony to the Jews about Christ, those who hardened their hearts against all of the evidence, would be cut off. This explains the "warning passages" throughout the book. And, this explains the book of Acts. The first part of Acts was about the testimony to Israel while the last half mainly was the witness to the Gentiles. There is a transition going on in the book! The last of Acts shows God's judgment against the Jews and how the Lord turned to the Gentiles and rejected Israel.   This would explain why Peter's two epistles were written to the believing Jewish community, but also gives warnings to the Jews who would be rejecting the testimony about their own Messiah. Peter says that, temporarily the disbelieving Jews escaped the defilement of the world "by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," but they again were entangled in sin and rejection of Christ. Their last state would be worse than their first state. "For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them" (2 Pet. 2:20-21).  Thanks for asking. Dr. Mal Couch