Dr. Couch, what is happening in Hebrews 6:1-9, the old "It is impossible to renew them again to repentance" passage?
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).
It would take too much explanation here to
fully explain Hebrews 6 in print but I do just that in my CD commentary
series on the book you can purchase here from this website. The set is
an eye-opener!
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
