Hebrews 6:4-6

& 10:26
The final word!
(open full screen)
The impossibility to return to repentance in Hebrews 6 was for these reasons.
First and foremost is to notice that the present tense participles modified the impossibility as
being limited to a time period.
During this time, it was impossible because their hearts were hardened, as the author warned of in
3:13 and 4:7. Because their mind set was to crucify Christ. Repentance is a change of mind
(metanoia) and the author is telling you their frame of mind. They bore thorns and thistles (6:8)
and not fruit worthy of repentance (Luke 3:8) why, because their frame of mind was set on
crucifying him. You cannot be influenced in opposite directions at the same time of crucifying
(present tense) him. You cannot drive north while presently driving south!

2. They fell back into repentance of dead works Hebrews 6:1. By rejecting Christ's sacrifice there
was no other to turn to, why? Because it was impossible for the blood of animals to take away
their sin, so once Christ was rejected, there was no other to turn to. See the impossibility in it's
context "For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins" (Heb.10:4)
there is no other to turn to.
Again this is temporal. Some have tried to speculate that the present tense participles could
have been meant to be casual because the author could have changed writing styles to be
creative, but there are 2 huge problems with this.
1. It is the word of God inspired by the spirit, it writes in perfect tenses. So one would have to
believe it is written by men and not God.
2. In Hebrews 10:26, the present tense is used once again to confirm.

As Dr. Van Lees stated “unless one has some exotic reason for doing so, a
present, active participle should not be translated with a causal idea”
You cannot drive north while presently driving south!
It’s repentance (metenoia Heb. 6:6) which comes from the renewal of the persons
mind, not forgiveness that is granted by God.
One can become profane like Esau, who could not change his mind.
Some false teachers feel it is their job to make those that have fallen feel utter
despair. Satan uses Hebrews 10 & 6 to prevent people from returning to Christ,
and uses people to spread that message.
Why do so many misread the passage to believe that the falling away must be
permanent? Because the KJV has been the standard for many years, and it is
hard to notice the present tense of the action.
“If the force of this present continuous tense is not
observed, it will be found that the passage proves too
much. It would teach the impossibility of the restoration of any
backslider at any time”. E.F. Kevan, M.Th.., PH. D

Once this is pointed out to them few people, like in all situations, will rarely admit they
were wrong. How many times in life, do you ever hear two people debating an issue an one
turn and say, yea, good point, I guess I was wrong?

One false teacher, stated, that it just feels right to the apostate can’t return? Really? He
went to state that most translators interpret Hebrews 6 as a permanent impossibility?
Really? No, the evidence and interpretations by major Bibles and Bible professors that will
be presented on this page will prove that false. He also makes Dr. Guthrie sound as if he
agrees with his own false assumptions. He stated that Guthrie said it is an absolute
impossibilty. However read Guthrie’s quote here
“ Repentance in Hebrews 6:4-6 is "impossible" because there is nowhere else to go for
repentance.” So by this he is saying that his view is not because God would not forgive
them, but based on their own choice to reject the only sacrifice to obtain repentance
compared to the Hebrews 6 falling away back in to animal sacrifice (repentance from dead
works Heb. 6:1). He disagrees with those who quickly rule out the impossibility of a return
in a footnote. He does however say in regard to the present tense participles, "the switch to
the present tense is significant since the author has used aorist tense to this point in the
passage.".... Continued... (in regard to those present tense participles)
“Futhermore the acts of crucifying and subjecting...to disgrace" should be seen as
modifying the infinitive "to be brought back." End Quote

Stop crucifying him………. Next chapter! 7

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who
come to God through him, because he
always lives to intercede for them”
Hebrews 7:25

Through HIM, NOT THROUGH BULLS AND GOATS, AS THEY

WERE DOING REPEATEDLY!
 Proof… Next chapter! 8
This is what the message of Hebrews was all about!

He did not enter by means of the blood of goats

and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place
once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal
redemption. 13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer
sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that
they are outwardly clean. 14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse
our consciences from acts that lead to death,[c] so that we may serve the
living God! Heb. 8:12-14

This false teacher even went as far as to state, they have crucified and
Changing present tense participles into
subjected.
aorist (past tense) participles. This he must do in order to
make the scriptures fit his view.
Gives a false impression of Guthries view and changes the scriptures.
This Shows you how the Devil is at work through Christians, or those
that claim to be. I will not mention this false teachers name because
any publicity is good publicity.

A former Calvinist’s best weapon against eternal salvation, they run

all the way with it as it is the best weapon against eternal security.

The main reasons why people see this as the unforgivable sin is
because of the following.

1. They think they need to re-crucify him for a new repentance, and
since he is not here to crucify again it is impossible. This is so
ludicrous that I will not even address it here, See James Akin # 18.
LOL!

2. They notice the "IMPOSSIBLE TO RESTORE" but do not pay much

attention to the word repent, because” the impossible to restore”
already set the idea in their minds that their fate is sealed, BEFORE
THEY EVEN NOTICE THE WORD REPENTANCE. They then relate
repentance to salvation, yet it is two different words with entirely
different meanings. Salvation means to be saved and repentance
means to change the mind!

Hey Einstein, it’s REPENTANCE NOT

FORGIVENESS!
As Strongs Greek dictionary defines Metanoia, the word used for
REPENTANCE in Hebrews 6!
Repentance, the Greek word
(Metanoia) "is a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents,
of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done."
Strongs

3. Those that do notice the word repentance erroneously interpret

that God won't restore their repentance.
The problem with this view is they add to the scriptures, that is
forgiveness. Does it say that they fell away and were seeking
repentance? NO. Does it say the opposite? Yes!

"and who have fallen away, because, to their own harm, they are re-
crucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt".
As Dr. James Girdwood, Ph.D.and Peter Verkruyse Ph.D. stated...

“It is neither their forgiveness or salvation which is said to be impossible but

their own decision, in their present condition, to repent.”

It is clearly stated that they are not seeking repentance, but are in
(present tense) a state of crucifying him holding him up to
contempt.
In layman terms, the writer is saying, you are not going to bring a
change of mind to these people because they want to kill him all
over again and and are ridiculing him. By the way, crucifying and
ridiculing Jesus is not the unforgivable sin, it is not blasphemy of the
spirit. To go even further, Jesus even said you can blasphemy him,
and be forgiven.
Look at the ones that really crucified him, they even ridiculed him,
they said if you are the Son of God get off the cross! They ridiculed
him with a sign over his head "KING OF THE JEWS". Then they
crucified him.
Did this crucifying and ridiculing amount to the unforgivable sin
mentioned in the gospels? NO!
 Jesus said “father forgive them for they know not what they do”!
So anyone that says crucifying and ridiculing is blasphemy of the
spirit, are not the sharpest knives in the drawer!
The text is clearly saying that it is from the hardening of heart, that
the Hebrews writer warned could happen before Hebrews 6.
See Hebrews 4:7, 5:11 & also "As it is said,“Today, if you hear his
voice, do not harden your hearts as they did when they provoked
me" Heb. 3:15
Hebrews 6:6 is showing the results of such people spoken of in
3:15.
So does this sound like a hardening of heart in it’s context or people
that wanted forgiveness that God was refusing to restore?
"they are re crucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to
contempt."
It is showing you the state of mind they are in, so how can you bring
a change of mind (repentance/ Metanoia) to people that hate Jesus
and have a mind set on crucifying him? That is the point of the text!

The next issue to address is why do people seem to translate this as

the unforgivable sin especially when looking online.
One is they do not notice the present tense of the action.
“If the force of this present continuous tense is not
observed, it will be found that the passage proves too
much. It would teach the impossibility of the restoration of any
backslider at any time”. E.F. Kevan, M.Th.., PH. D
Also those who know the truth of these scriptures, to them it is no
big deal, they don't go creating web sites. But those who feel the
need to tell people that they are going to hell with no hope of
salvation have an agenda to fill.
They carry out the work of Satan "The Accuser of the Brethren".
This file will be the final chapter for those seeking the truth of this
matter.
Opponents of the correct view cry it takes away from the
force of what the writer intended. This is ludicrous. They
that see this as a loss of salvation or a permanent disability
to return to Christ is to disrespect the tense that the Holy
Spirit inspired the impossibility to be written in. We clearly
take it for what it says, FULL FORCE, it is impossible
because of they are doing, not done, if they persist, it IS
NEAR to being burned (Heb 6:8). That is the full force of the
text.
 The Hebrews writer was being harsh, to scare people of the
consequences that a falling away to the old covenant can
produce in the heart and attitude toward Christ. A bitter root
(hardness of heart) can grow where you can not produce
true repentance, like Esau (Heb 12), who wanted the blessing
but was not sorry for what he did and vowed to kill his
brother. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to
salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings
death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10
This is the message, we can't disrespect the true meaning or
the tense of the impossibility that Holy Spirit inspired it to be
in.
Remember, the tense is something that was very important
in Koine Greek, it stood out like a bull in a china closet. Keep
in mind the NIV had to clarify the tenses (bring them forth
more clearly) 19 times. Hebrews 6:6 was one of them. When
translating one language to another there is such a thing
called ambiguities, and this is what we have experts for.
The ISV, the Amplified Bible etc. It is their job to translate
these ambiguities.
The reason why people see this as unforgivable is because
they did not notice the tense of the action, I didn't either.
If Hebrews meant that a person who was once with Christ
and departed from him would reach the point where their
soul would experience eternal damnation without the
possibility of salvation, Hebrews 6 would contradict James
5:19-20.
Some misguided people claim that this correct version, the
temporal view, adds words to the scriptures, such as "while
as long as" etc. But this is what you call it's natural
rendition, or "in other words".
However, if they which to be so technical, we can take it for
what it says FULL FORCE, which is, it is impossible because
of what they are doing, not what they have done, the natural
rendition of "while" is not required. That is not adding to the
scriptures. If they were to stop that doing, it is no longer a
doing making repentance impossible, because you are no
longer doing what it is that makes it impossible. Natural
rendition helps ambiguities because not everyone is a Bible
scholar, but it is not required if the text and tense is read
very carefully.
It is they that add words to James 5:19-20, and claim the
person did not fall away in James 5. It clearly says in James
they were once with God, and are presently not, because
they can be brought back to God, and if they did not, the
soul would experience death. To be brought back to God
means they were once with him, and are now not. They add
to the scriptures, you could not have it any more clear or to
the point.
If they wish to believe they are still saved and the death is
remedial in James, than they must also believe the burning
of the fallen in Hebrews 6 is also remedial,
"If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he
himself will be saved, but only as through fire" 1 Cor 3:15).
The ground (those bought by Christ blood) are still saved,
but the thorns and thistles (their works) are burned.
"For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises
every son whom he receives.”
Hebrews 12:6
This eternal salvation view has nothing to with the temporal
impossibility of REPENTANCE!
Layman terms, you can not change their mind repent to
Jesus because they hate him and are on a campaign against
Jesus (they are crucifying him and ridiculing him). It is
impossible to repent to someone you presently hate. This
was speaking of the Jewish view that anyone who is hung on
a tree is cursed of God (Deuteronomy 21:23). To return to
Judaism from Christianity, this is what you had to believe.
The following are over 100 confirmations from very reliable sources
as well as from the average Joe, to prove the sin unto death, was
impossible because…
1. Men would not repent
2. It was a present tense action (continual)
3. It was from a hardness of heart
4. This file also displays how God restores the fallen!
5. It was because of what they were doing, not what they have
done.

This is not an isolated view or conspiracy, as you will see men

that have never met or known each other, from different time
periods and different parts of the world, as well as different
Christian denominations, and Bibles, all came to the same
conclusion.

1 ISV BIBLE Hebrews Chapter by

Dr. David Alan Black
Educational Background
• University of Basel, Switzerland (D. Theol. in New Testament, 1983)

• Talbot School of Theology (M.Div. in New Testament, 1980)

• Biola University (B.A. in Biblical Studies, 1975)
• Jerusalem University College, Jerusalem, Israel (Additional Studies, 1985)
The policy of our Committee on Translation is to render ambiguities in the Greek,
Hebrew, or Aramaic text as ambiguities in the English.

“V6 "and who have fallen away, as long as they continue to crucify the Son
of God to their own detriment by exposing him to public ridicule"

Does this mean that apostates can return as long as they are gone?
How do you prove this translation?
The reader did not make clear what he meant by the phrase "as long
as they are gone". We assume he meant to ask us if the passage
teaches that those who fall away can return to repentance. Our
"short" answer is that the passage teaches that such return to
repentance is impossible, provided the individual referred to
remains in a state of crucifying to themselves the Son of God
and exposing him to public ridicule. But once the person stops
doing those two things, restoration to repentance then occurs.
Furthermore, we assume the question "How do you prove this
translation?" means that the reader is asking us what grammatical
evidence in the text led us to translate the passage the way we did.
By way of overview, we remind our readers that the policy of our
Committee on Translation is to render ambiguities in the Greek,
Hebrew, or Aramaic text as ambiguities in the English. The ISV® was
produced by Bible scholars who believe that "All Scripture is inspired by God. Having
said this, we make the following grammatical observations
regarding the passage in question:
Hebrews 6:6 is part of a longer sentence that begins in verse 4
of chapter six of the letter to the Hebrews. The longer sentence
consists of a string of participles that modify the adjective
"impossible", adunaton, in verse 4, of which parapesontas
(fallen away) is only one component, but which it and the other
participles contained in verses 4-5 are described as leading to
an impossibility (adunaton, the first word in verse 4) of being
renewed (or restored) to repentance (anakainizein eis
metanoian).
This impossibility is modified, however, by two participles: the
two-fold continuous actions of anastaurountas (crucifying) and
paradeigmatizontas (publicly ridiculing).
The state of impossibility continues, according to the grammar,
during the continuous states of crucifying to themselves and
publicly ridiculing. Both of these participles are present active,
which means that they are informing all of the activities of the
other participles that occur in verses 4-5, all of which are aorist
(thus connoting completed activities or simple historic events...
To sum up, the impossibility continues during the present state
of crucifying and the present state of ridiculing. The grammar
of the passage connotes that the main verb of the sentence
(i.e., the verb "to be") and its descriptive aorist participles that
modify it in verses 4-5 are all limited and defined by the
 present tense of the participles in verse six. That is, the actions
described by the aorist participles occur during the time of the
crucifying to themselves and the public ridiculing.
After the person stops these two actions, at which time these
behaviors become past tense activities as soon as they are
ceased, the impossibility of renewal or restoration no longer
applies, since they no longer are present tense activities
relating to the word "impossible".
By the way, the impossibility referred to is an impossibility to
restore repentance, not to restore salvation, and the
restoration of the repentance is connoted by the verbs as
occurring only during the time of the various verbs described
by the two present participles.
Once these two present actions cease, the impossibility is
removed. If the impossibility were described by the author as
being permanent, the two present tense participles would have
to have been described with aorist participles.
But the author uses the present tense, thus giving hope to
those who might otherwise be hopeless. If the author had used
aorist participles, for the verbs "crucify" and "ridicule",
anybody who fell away for a season could never be renewed to
repentance.
Then, if he had written "salvation" instead of "repentance",
once somebody committed the sins noted in verse 4-6, he
would lose his salvation. But the text of Hebrews mentions
neither of these hypothetical situations. Thus, for example,
neither permanent loss of repentance (let along any loss of
salvation, for that matter) is mentioned in this verse.”
2. From the book The Epistle of Paul the apostle to the Hebrews By
Frederic William Farrar 1831 – 1903 educated at King William's
College in the Isle of Man, King's College London and
Trinity College, Cambridge
master at Harrow School, and from 1871-76 Master (headmaster) of Marlborough
College. Archdeacon of Westminster and Dean of Canterbury.
The Cambridge Bible for schools and colleges, Volume 51
“Rather "while crucifying," "crucifying as they are doing." Thus the
words imply not only an absolute, but a continuous apostasy, for
the participle is changed from the past into the present tense.
While men continue in willful and willing sin they preclude all
 possibility of the action of grace. So long as they cling deliberately
to their sins, they shut against themselves the open door of grace”.
3. William P. Welty, Ph.D. (ISV)
Master of Divinity, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois (1978)
Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, California State University at Fullerton (1974)
Associate of Arts, Glendale Community College, Glendale, California (1972)
“It deals with temporary impossibility to be restored to repentance, not
temporary impossibility to be restored to an allegedly lost salvation.”
4. WAYNE JACKSON B.A. M.A. Litt.D. David Lipscomb University, College of
Evangelists, Sacramento Baptist College, Amridge University, American Christian Bible
College “Both of the expressions “crucify” and “put him to open shame” are present tense
participles. xIn Greek, the present tense has more to do with the type of action, rather than
time (the latter being secondary).x It is an action that is in progress, and generally, one that is
sustained (see Wallace, 518). The “crucifying” and “putting to open shame,” therefore,
represent on-going actions on the part of apostates. Why is this the case? Because Christ is
the motive for repentance! How could one possibly repent of falling away from the Christian
faith, if he believes that the crucifixion of Jesus was a just sentence upon a false Messiah?
Wallace Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics And so, it is not the case that Jewish Christians
who abandon the faith cannot ever be saved; the tragic reality is this: they cannot be saved if they
drift into a state of unbelief and remain that way! “.
5 The NASB Bible footnote has it: “the while they crucify….”
6. Even theough the King James version seems to cloak the present tense
participles, a close reading of it displays and confirms the present tense action
“the King James translators rightfully and accurately inserted
“afresh” . Dr. Jay Snell (He is included in Two Thousand
Outstanding Scholars of the Twentieth Century)
7. The English Standard Version states “since they are crucifying once again.
8. Dr. Blackwelder (Greek New Testament. / New King James Version Translators of the
New Testament, Chairman of the Department of New Testament Studies at the School of
Theology, Anderson College) Stated” the temporal participles imply that “if persons guilty
of such sin will cease it, and repent, they can be reclaimed” .
9. .NIV “Before leaving the 6th chapter of Hebrews, notice that the New International
Version's footnote to Hebrews 6:6 gives this as an alternate reading of verses 4-6:
It is impossible...to be brought back to repentance WHILE to their loss they are
crucifying the Son of God all over again.
It is impossible for God to forgive these backsliders-- "renew them again unto
repentance" -- while they are STILL crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting
Him to an open shame.”
http://www.biblicaluniversalist.com/Unpardonable.html
10. ASV Bible renders "the while"] they are going on crucifying to themselves
the Son of God afresh, and are going on putting him to an open shame."
11. The Holaman Bible states the present tense as well “and who have
fallen away, because, [a] to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of
God and holding Him up to contempt. (A) They also footnote the while
reading as well. It makes no difference if you render it since or while or
because they crucify. It shows the present tense of the impossibility.
Example A “ it is impossible for him to see because he is blindfolded”
Example B “ it is impossible for him to see while he is blindfolded”
Example c “ it is impossible for him to see since he is blindfolded”
Does this mean he will never see again while or because he is blindfolded?
Where does it say he is forever blindfolded?
Where does it say they have to crucify and ridicule him forever?
All it is saying that in their present condition they cannot be
reached. Their hearts and minds are in a state of hatred,
unreceptive to the gospel. They prevent their repentance because of
their state of mind. Nowhere does it say God will not forgive them.
They do it to themselves! They cause their harm of being receptive!
God does not prevent them or not forgive them if they were to
repent! Scripture proves it “to their own harm, they are
recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt”.
12. The Weymouth New Testament Dr Richard Francis Weymouth
(M.A., D.Litt.) was an English Baptist philologist and New
Testament scholar. “ it is impossible, I say, to keep bringing them back
to a new repentance, for, to their own undoing, they are repeatedly crucifying
the Son of God afresh and exposing Him to open shame.”

Notice scholars that write New testaments notice the continual repeated tense
of the action that prevents the impossibly of restoration?
Dictionary
Main Entry: re·peat·ed·ly Function: adverb

Date: circa 1718

: AGAIN AND AGAIN
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repeatedly
13. New Revised Standard Bible
and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and
then have fallen away, since on their own they are crucifying again the Son of God and are
holding him up to contempt.
As stated, the average person will not notice the tense of the action,
“If the force of this present continuous tense is not
observed, it will be found that the passage proves too
much. It would teach the impossibility of the restoration of any
backslider at any time.” . E.F. Kevan, M.Th., PH. D

As Dr. A. Philip Brown II Stated

God’s Bible School and College.

“That is precisely what the passage sounds like, especially

in the King James Version.” End quote.
Although the KJV does use the correct tense, it is hard to see the force of
the tense in this version that is still the standard Bible. This is why the
NIV brought forth more clearly the tense of actions around 19 times.

“The present participle anastaurountas separated from the aorist by the

expression cannot be so construed.” Samuel Thompson Lowrie Professor of
New Testament

14 . The Haugean , W A Y N E A L M L I E
Makes a good point with verse 8 (proves one must persist.
“The two words that help clarify what is being said here are the words
crucify and put. Those two words are written in the present perfect tense
which indicates that it is a present and continuous action. Let me re read it with
that tense inserted. “For it is impossible … if they fall away, to renew
them again to repentance, while they are crucifying again for themselves
the Son of God, and are putting Him to an open shame.” …

The author makes it clear what the end of such people will be. Those who
walk away from God’s only means of salvation and persist in crucifying the
Son of God anew, as verse eight says, there “end is to be burned.” Let me
say it again, the Bible holds out no hope to those who are in a backslidden
or apostate position, unless they turn and repent.

The problem is not with God’s ability to save anyone, no matter how hard
there heart is or how much they love their sin. The problem is with us. Will
we repent? Will we forsake our old life, even our old self righteous
legalistic religious life, will we forsake our sins, our love for our sins, and
return to the Lord that He might have mercy. It is impossible to renew to
repentance because they are refusing to repent. They are still crucifying
Christ and bringing shame on His name. If you are still living in that sin
you have not repented and there lies the problem.”
http://thehaugean.blogspot.com/2009/11/things-that-are-impossible-to-renew.html

Re- Heb. 6:8

8
But if [that same soil] persistently bears thorns and thistles, it is
considered worthless and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned

Dictionary

Main Entry: per·sis·tent

Pronunciation: \-tənt\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin persistent-, persistens, present participle of persistere
Date: 1826
1 : existing for a long or longer than usual time or continuously: as a : retained beyond
the usual period <a persistent leaf> b : continuing without change in function or structure
<persistent gills>
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persistently
(Remember, Hebrews 6 says repentance not forgiveness
or remission which is another word,
Aphesis Strong’sG859
1) release from bondage or imprisonment
2) forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the
penalty)

15. Douay-Rheims Bible

And are fallen away: to be renewed again to penance, crucifying again to themselves
the Son of God, and making him a mockery
16. AMPLIFIED BIBLE (The translators were a Biblical committee of qualified Hebrew
and Greek scholars) [it is impossible] to bring them back to repentance, for (because, while, as
long as) they nail upon the cross the Son of God afresh [as far as they are concerned] and are
holding [Him] up to contempt and shame and public disgrace.
17. New Century Version
“It is impossible to bring them back to a changed life again, because they
are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of
others.”
Notice the Bibles that place anastaurountas (crucifying) and
paradeigmatizontas (publicly ridiculing in the past tense are NOT
literal translations of the Greek tense! e.g
""The Message"" is not a translation of biblical scripture. True translation
is taking the original Greek and Hebrew texts, being very careful to
preserve their true meaning as much as possible, word by word and
phrase by phrase, while translating them into another language so that
the exact meaning is kept intact, nothing is removed or added, and there
is no discrepancy about what God is actually saying in the text. Anything
outside of this is changes the true meaning of the Bible, and is re-wording
God's Word.
Please allow me to illustrate to you several terms that Mr. Peterson has
used in his paraphrase that show that he did not directly translate the
Greek and Hebrew text, and thus has changed not just God's actual
meaning of key phrases and verses, but has removed key phrases from his
paraphrase that directly change the actual words, phrases, and true
message of God.” http://www.biblebb.com/files/tonyqa/tc05-186.htm
Young's Literal Translation (Not literal at all)

“However , YLT misses some other finer points of Greek grammar.

For instance, YLT does not bring out the sense of the prohibitive, present
imperative. This construction indicates that an action in progress should
be stopped.”
http://www.dtl.org/alt/reference/versions/ylt.htm

So ask yourself, what Bibles or people look read or respect the tenses
more carefully?
To repeat….

“If the force of this present continuous tense is not observed, it will be found that
the passage proves too much. It would teach the impossibility of the restoration of any
backslider at any time.” . E.F. Kevan, M.Th.

18. James Akin

“The verb "sin" in this verse is present tense (as are the verbs "remains" and "will
consume"). Since present tense in Greek typically indicates an ongoing, continuous action,
the passage can better be translated as: "For if we continuously sin deliberately, after
having once received the knowledge of the truth, there continuously remains no further
sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will
continuously consume the adversaries."
So if one ceases to continuously sin by remaining apart from the Messiah, then Messiah's
sacrifice for one's sins becomes operative again. It is now available for one since one has
stopped the continuous sin of apostasy and can now be united with Christ. (Note the
parallelism of the continuous sinning with the continuous remaining of no further sacrifice;
when the former vanishes, the latter does as well—and the same is true of a person who
continuously fails to repent of sin in general.) Thus if an apostate (to Judaism or whatever
else) ceases to be an apostate, he can be saved. There is no unforgivable sin taught in this
text. ….(cont)… Nevertheless, the passage does not pertain to the unforgivable sin. Many
have misread the passage, being misled by the hypothetical ("if . . .") translation of v 6, and
have argued: "If a person did fall away then they could not come back because they would
have to re-crucify Christ, and that is impossible since he died only once!"
But this is simply not what the passage says. It does not say that if one tried to come back
one would have to re-crucify Christ. It does not present the re-crucifixion as something that
would need to happen if someone came back. It presents the re-crucifixion as a present
reality. Just read the text: "because to their loss they are re-crucifying [present tense,
active voice in both Greek and English] the Son of God and subjecting him to public
disgrace." The text says that the apostates are re-crucifying Christ now, not that they
would need to if they came back.
Thus the re-crucifixion and humiliation of Christ was something the apostates were doing
while they were maintaining their rebellion against the Messiah they had once accepted.
This indicates an enormous hardness of heart, which is why the author tells us, "It is
impossible for those . . . to be brought back to repentance." The hardness of their hearts
prevents it….(cont) Apostasy, contrary to some interpretations, is not the
unforgivable sin. Like the parallel sins against faith—infidelity, schism,
and heresy—it only becomes an unforgivable sin if one dies in it.”
http://www.ewtn.net/library/ANSWERS/UNFORGIV.HTM
19. Dr. Van Lees, the Pastor/Teacher of the church. He has been the pastor of
the church since 1985 when it started. Dr. Lees has a M. Div. from Covenant
Theological Seminary, a D. Min. from Reformed Theological Seminary, and a
Ph.D. from Whitefield Theological Seminary.
“However, anastaurountas is a present, active, participle, accusative, plural,
masculine and, unless one has some exotic reason for doing so, a
present, active participle should not be translated with a causal idea; a present,
active, participle is more usually translated with a linear idea. It is interesting that even
though the NASB and NIV both follow the KJV in their texts, they both footnote
their translations with the linear translation of ". . . while they crucify. . . ." It is
strange that a causal idea would be insisted upon because neither the Reformed nor
the Arminian theologian would want to force this arbitrary translation. The Reformed
theologian would not desire a causal idea because he would want to affirm the
perseverance of the saints. The Arminian would not want a causal idea because then
the passage would prove too much for his system; once a person had lost his salvation
there could be no restoration. Consequently, the only reason that can be speculated as
to why this participle is rendered in a causal sense is that traditions die hard. Dr. J.
Oliver Buswell described such traditions as "intellectual scar-tissue." Therefore,
anastaurountas should be translated with the usual linear translation of a
present, active, particle: ". . . while they crucify. Therefore, verse 6 teaches
that as long as these Jewish Christians are not realizing the superiority of the new covenant
and are embracing the sacrificial system, it is impossible to instruct them in the elementary
teachings about Christ....This does not mean that they have lost their salvation,
but rather are persisting in immaturity. While they are continuing in this
state, it is impossible to renew them to the basic teachings about
Christ.”
http://covenantofgracechurch.org/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=8
20..Dr. Robert Shank (known internationally among Bible scholars) "Paul's language here
strongly suggests that he viewed the Galatians in question as having once been in union with
Christ, then severed from that union with Christ, but now facing the potential for a new spiritual
birth by which their union with Christ could be once again restored. The present inability of
apostates to accept instruction in even the "elementary principles" or "milk" (5:12) of the faith
does not preclude them from ever being able to do so in the future, anymore than the present
inability of the partially "dull of hearing" Christians to accept "solid food"
21. Robert L. Hamilton PhD in linguistics from the Univ of South Carolina, graduate-level
certificate in biblical studies from Columbia International University
“God's grace is required to draw the apostate back to Christ (John 6:44). My point here is simply
that we cannot conclude from Hebrews 6:6 that God is unwilling to extend such grace to the
apostate. What is "impossible" at present (in the case of either apostates or dull Christians)
need not be "impossible" in the future, if the recipient of God's grace is willing to respond to
that grace and allow God to open up once again his sensitivities to spiritual truth.. It seems to me
that the most natural reading throughout this extended passage is that all of his intended readers
(both those still in the faith and those mentioned in 12:21 as having already apostatized) are
included among the original group who had been "betrothed to Christ" under Paul's earlier
ministry. That is, the apostate's inability to receive instruction in the elementary principles of the faith
necessarily holds only as long as (only "while") Greek, present participles: “while they are
crucifying "crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace"
What then does the writer to the Hebrews mean when he says that it is "impossible" (6:6) in the
case of apostates to return to such instruction in the fundamentals of the faith? Keep in mind
that throughout this epistle the writer warns his readers against becoming "hardened"
(4:7), "dull of hearing" (5:11), and "sluggish" (6:12). Moreover, recall that the section in
which this particular warning against apostasy occurs began in 5:11-12 with an expression
of the writer's concern over this very thing (i.e., that his readers were beginning to grow
dull in receptivity to spiritual truth and were unable to accept "solid food"). But whereas
the writer to the Hebrews viewed his general audience to this epistle as having grown only
partially dull in their sensitivity to spiritual truth, he presents the case of apostates in 6:6 as an
example (and a warning) to his readers of where this process of hardening may eventually lead.
The apostate is one who has followed the process of hardening and ever-increasing dullness
through to completion. Through persistent disobedience (4:11) the apostate's spiritual
receptivity to truth has become virtually nil, with the result that as long as he continues in such
rebellion he cannot be successfully taught (i.e., he will not be receptive to instruction in)
even the elementary principles of the faith (most importantly, repentance), not to mention the
more advanced "solid food" that the writer to the Hebrews wished his readers to receive.”

The following two scholars have a Masters of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary!

"The Master of Theology program at Dallas Theological Seminary includes advanced

foreign language requirements"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Theology

You can safely say they are well trained!

22. DON ANDERSON/ Masters of theology from Dallas Theological
Seminary

“These are present participles. Present participles

mean that these things are going on right now. Let me
translate it, this way. “It is impossible to renewing them
again to repentance while they are crucifying again to
themselves the Son of God and putting Him to open
shame.” It’s present. While this is going on, it is
impossible to renew to repentance.
23. Dr. Tod Kennedy
Graduate:

DVM, 1968; Washington State University, Pullman, Washington

ThM, Master of Theology Degree 1974, Old Testament Literature and

Exegesis, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas
“Why can they not renew to repentance? 1. They crucify again the Son, 2. they put
him to open shame. Both of these are present participles, accusative to go
with the other participles.
1.2.4.1. They are crucifying again the Son of God. “Crucify again”
(ἀνασταυρόω anastauroo, S388) is a change in form to an
accusative present active participle. This participle is a
circumstantial participle of time or cause (acts adverbially and tells
This means
something that goes on in the sentence).
that while this action is going on they
cannot “renew to repentance.”
They are putting the Son to open shame (παραδειγματίζω paradeigmatizo, to
expose, make an example of, publicly disgrace, S3856). Another present active
participle use the same as “crucifying.”

24. Dr. Hal Harless Ph.D. in Theology from Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary, “Were
then these individuals lost eternally? The book of Hebrews does not say that. Since
they had returned to the sacrificial cult in order to avoid persecution, incurring divine
chastisement should have given them pause (Heb 10:32-39). "Since they again
crucify"--The Gk. verb is a present participle of continuous action. The Gk. verb
translated "put Him to open shame" is also a present participle meaning "publicly
disgrace, make an example of, hold up to contempt." The impossibility of renewing
them to repentance locked them into immaturity. The source of that impossibility is
their continuing to "again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open
shame" by offering sacrifices. While they continue in this transgression, it
is impossible both to bring them to repentance and for them to mature. However, if
they stop this, there is hope that restoration is possible. "
25. Calvary Chapel Vista Calvary Christian School "While they are crucifying the Son of
God and putting Him to open shame" Here is the idea: To go back to the old life / old system of
offering up sacrifices for sins would in effect be saying that Jesus death was of no effect To do
so is putting Christ back on the cross & putting His work at Calvary to open shame ) The idea is
this - the writer is not saying they could never be brought to repentance. What He is saying is :
as long as they were in that place & treating Jesus Christ in such a shameful way – they
could not be brought to repentance) In other words ; the writer is saying that if they do
retreat back to Judaism, all the religious "repentance" in the world will do them no good – It
is only when they stop disgracing Jesus Christ in this way they can be brought to
repentance and renew their relationship with God”.

26. From the Book An Explanation of the Epistle to the Hebrews 1884 Samuel
Thompson Lowrie
Professor of New- Testament exegesis and literature in Western Theological
Seminary, 1874-78; (Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, Penn.,
1874), Presbyterian ; b. at Pittsburgh, Penn., Feb. 8, 1835; graduated at Miami
University, Oxford, O., 1852, and at Western (Presbyterian) Theological Seminary,
Allegheny, Penn., 1855; took a fourth year; studied two semesters at Heidelberg,
Germany; was pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Alexandria, Penn., December,
1858, to April, 1863; then nine months in Europe; pastor of the Bethany Church,
Philadelphia, 1865-69, and of the Abington Church, 1869-74; from April, 1879, to
October, 1885, he was pastor of the Ewing Presbyterian Church, near Trenton,
N.J. He assisted Rev. Dr. D. Moore upon Isaiah in the American Lange series (New
York, 1878), and Rev. Dr. A. Gosman upon Numbers in the same series (1879) ;
wrote An Explanation of the Epistle to the Hebrews, 1884; and translated
Cremer's (of Greifswald) Ueber den Zustand nach dem Tode, GUtersloh, 1883,
under the title Beyond the Grace, 1885.
"He whom they crucify is known to be such for have been enlightened. Doing
so they put him to an open shame... they expose him to view as one who got his
due when was crucified. For by turning their back on Him they declare Him to
have been deserving of that which the Jews did Him and repeat the act as far as it
is now possible to so. What is now stated of the persons referred to is not an
interpretation of what is the spirit and meaning of the fatting away after having
been enlightened The present participle anastaurountas separated from
the aorist by the expression cannot be so construed. It describes present doing
It was not an action ... that
of those that have fallen away.

they apostatized (aorist) that makes the

impossibility, but the present action in the
 to which away
situation
brought them. It is that present
doing that makes the impossibility of
renewing the doers to repentance. ... that it is
impossible for them to be influenced in opposite directions at the same time.
While they are crucifying Christ, ..... the cross of Christ cannot crucify them to
the world, or dead works.
It is renewal to the condition there described and from which the persons have
That is impossible while they are
fallen away.

virtually crucifying Christ.

For those too that had really apostatized there may be still a possibility of
return. But it hangs on this if God permit.
We may sum up the doctrine taught in our passage verse 3 8 thus.... Those
enlightened as described verse 4 5 may apostatize. Yet, as such, they may be the
subject of efforts to renew them to repentance, not in itself as such as such
apostasy, but while in that condition the apostate does what is virtually crucifying
the Son of God and putting Him to an open shame. The impossibility is primarily
because they are rejecting the very thing that effects repentance ... the Cross of
Christ. But chiefly, the renewing to repentance is a matter that is ultimately
subject to God's will. And the times He has set for judgment will show whether or
not He will permit it. Let Gods destroying judgment come while apostates are
doing what now makes their renewal to repentance impossible, then, what is now
impossible becomes forever impossible. We see in this only doctrine that is
common to all the inspired writers both of the Old and of the New Testament. We
find no expression here to the effect that the sinners described have reached a
state that is essentially reprobate, and inveterate, and hopeless of repentance
independent of circumstance or extended time."
27. James 5 19-20 [My] brethren, if anyone among you strays from the Truth and falls into error
and another [person] brings him back [to God],
Let the [latter] one be sure that whoever turns a sinner from his evil course will save [that one's]
soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins [[a]procure the pardon of the many sins
committed by the convert].
28. Erwin R. Gane (M.Div., M. Th) “Hebrews 6:4-6 does not mean that there is no hope for
backsliders. It means that backsliders cannot be renewed again to repentance "while (as long
as) they are crucifying to themselves the Son of God, and exposing Him to public disgrace. The
relevant point for our study is that people who "have once been enlightened, and 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" can fall away and be lost. Unless they cease crucifying
Christ by lives of sin, they cannot be renewed unto repentance and be saved. Once saved people
can be lost in sin, and backsliders can be saved only if they repent by accepting Jesus as Lord of
their lives. “

29“It is impossible...to be brought back to repentance while to their loss they are
crucifying the Son of God all over again.
It is impossible for God to forgive these backsliders-- "renew them
again unto repentance" -- while they are STILL crucifying the Son of
God afresh and putting Him to an open shame “ (V 26 of ch 10
below)
“In the original Greek, this verse contains a present participle
followed by a present tense verb. To quote the Jamieson, Faussett,
and Brown Commentary "...if we sin--Greek present participle: if we
be found sinning, that is, not isolated acts, but a state of sin
[ALFORD].
. The phrase "if we sin" is a Greek present participle meaning "if we be
found sinning", and refers to not isolated acts of sin, but a state of
continual willful sin in a believer's life.
“ http://www.biblicaluniversalist.com/Unpardonable.html

30. From the Book Power from on High By Jack Cottrell Ph.D B.A., M.DIV.,
Ph.D. Professor of theology in the fledgling CBS graduate school, Westminster Theological
Seminary for an M.Div. degree. He completed his formal education with a Ph.D. degree in
theology from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1971. “The present participles should be
taken as temporal, not casual, and as referring to a continuing action, not a completed sin.
This, the correct interpretation is that it is impossible to renew the apostate to repentance while
as long as he continues to crucify Christ again and put him to open shame. But there is
no reason to conclude that he must continue to do so. There is nothing at all in this
verse that suggests the falling away is irrevocable and irreversible, and cannot be equated
with the unpardonable sin….."We conclude that the unpardonable sin is a specific act of
speaking against the Holy Spirits testimony to Jesus in his miracles an in his word,"

From the book The Faith Once and For All

In reference to the present participles in Hebrews 6:6
“They state a time frame in which the action of the main verb is true”

31. David Guzik Director of Calvary Chapel Bible College Germany “ This difficult
passage is best understood in the context of Hebrews 6:1-2. “The writer to the Hebrews means
that if they do retreat back to Judaism, all the religious "repentance" in the world will do
them no good. Their forsaking of Jesus is tantamount to crucifying Him all over again,
especially if they were to express their repentance in traditional Jewish forms: especially animal
sacrifice, which denies the total work of Jesus for them on the cross. The message to these
Christians who felt like giving up was clear: if you don't continue on with Jesus, don't suppose
you will find salvation by just going on with the old basics that are common to Judaism; if
you aren't saved in Jesus, you aren't saved! If one falls like this, does it mean they can't repent?
That God prohibits their repentance? Remember first that repentance itself is a gift from God; no
one genuinely repents without God's enabling. Second, if one does repent, that in itself is
evidence that they have not truly fallen away. The idea is not that "if you fall away, you can't
come back to Jesus ever," but that "if you turn your back on Jesus, don't expect to find
salvation anywhere else, especially in the foundations of Judaism apart from the fullness of
Jesus."
http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/5806.htm

32. From the book The Biblical World

George Milligan (1860-1934) was a Biblical scholar and professor at
Glasgow University. Milligan was born at Kilconquhar on 26 April 1860,
son of William Milligan, D.D. professor of Biblical Criticism at Aberdeen
University, and himself studied at Aberdeen, M.A. 1879.

He is best known today for his work with James Hope Moulton (1863—1917) on The
vocabulary of the Greek Testament (1915), still a standard reference work for the
hapax legomena of the New Testament
“Professor Milligan's intrepretation is in brief this..... The passage describes a state into
which the Hebrews had fallen ....expressed in the aorist participle denotes a definite act in
past time not a complete apostasy but a falling away having in it probably the element of
wilful transgression cf Heb 10 26. The participles translated Seeing they crucify and put
him to an open shame are present, denoting a continuous action. There is no falling
away here spoken of such that it may not be repented of. Christ prayed for the forgiveness
of those who crucified him. All things are possible with God. The evident meaning of the
passage is it is impossible to renew them to repentance the while (as in the margin) they
crucify etc. They cannot be brought to repentance because they keep crucifying the Son
of God. So long as they do this repentance is impossible.”

33. Professor DON DeWELT (Re Heb 6) “We see no real problem in this
text if we simply use the term “while” instead of ‘seeing.” The continuing
action verb is present here. While such persons continue in their rebellion,
they’ cannot be reached; their preoccupation with rejection and rebellion
makes them deaf and blind to the life and light of life. Does this mean they will
forever and ever thus remain? The text does not discuss this; we have
no warrant for concluding on either side.”

34. From the Book Hebrews By Dr. James Girdwood, Ph.D. Professor; Kentucky
Christian University
Peter Verkruyse Ph.D. B.A. from Lincoln Christian College and his M.A. and M.Div. from
Lincoln Christian Seminary. He also received an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Verkruyse now teaches at Illinois College.
Both wrote this book.
“Those who have fallen away cannot be restored so long as they persist in their
flagrant and public rejection of Christ. The subject of ....in this context "to cause to
change to a previous, preferable state is not identified and could be God, other
Christians seeking to "restore" (RSV) their fallen brother or sister, or both. Regardless of
the agent and in spite of persistency in the effort (the writer shifts from past oriented
aorist tense forms to the present, continual, tense here). the word impossible here
(v.4) makes it clear that in their present condition they will not respond. It is important
that we consider the nature of that condition and precisely what is described as
impossible.
What is their condition? The last part of v6 describes the degree to which their lives
have actually turned in the opposite direction- they are crucifying the Son of God all
over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Just how they do so is not specified.
Their rejection is so extreme that it is as if they were nailing him to the cross all over
again. There is nothing in these verses to suggest that the atonement which Jesus
accomplished at the cross does not apply to the future sins of those who remain within
their covenant relationship with God, repentant and grateful for the sacrifice made by
their Savior. Those described here refuse to repent and have decided to reject him.
However, lest we adopt too extreme a posture in regard to those who we deem to have
so "fallen away," we should also consider what is precisely said to be "impossible."
It is neither their forgiveness or salvation which is said to be impossible but
their own decision, in their present condition, to repent. The present tense form
which indicates a coordinate time relationship between these activities and the
impossibility of their repentance (where as the aorist tense is more commonly
used for actions that precede the verb). In other words, we could read the text as
saying, "so long as they are crucifying and subjecting", which would admit the
ultimate possibility of restoration should such a person ever decide to stop these
activities and repent.”

35. Pastor David Eugene Buffaloe

www.bibleteacher.org
Doctorate of Ministry from the Bethel Theological Seminar Master of
Divinity, May 1981 from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,
“fall away, (AO AC PART, PARAPIPTO + KAI = AND HAVING FALLEN
AWAY, DEFECTED INTO APOSTASY)
to renew them again (ADUNATOS, ADJECTIVE, GOES WITH PR AC INF,
ANAKAINIZO + PALIM = DEFINITELY IMPOSSIBLE to restore again)
unto repentance; (EIS + ACC, METANOIA. see verse 1. This is the first basic
doctrine, and an apostate can't even understand this doctrine while out of
fellowship) seeing (PR AC PART, ANASTAUROO = WHILE THEY KEEP ON
CRUCIFYING)
they crucify (ANASTAUROUNTAS = WHILE CRUCIFYING) to themselves (DAT
PL, HEAUTOU = TO THEMSELVES AND THEMSELVES ONLY reflexive
pronoun) the Son of God [afresh], and put [him] to an open
shame. (PARADEIGMATIZO, PR AC PART = WHILE HOLDING
IN CONTEMPT)”

36. Rev. James Griffith Wellston Church of the

Nazarene
“First, after understanding the meaning here, it is “impossible” for
him to ever repent again.
Second, This means an entire renunciation of Christ, to turn away
from Christ, to deviate from Christ.
Third, The Scripture is talking about renewing and bringing people
back to repentance--they would never
again repent. They had gone to far into sin and rebellion
against Christ to ever have their hearts touched again.
What would ever cause a believer to reach such a stage in life?
The action is present; they continue on and on to crucify
Christ and to shame Him. They continue on and on in their sin,
disobedience, and rebellion against Christ. The continuous
action is the critical point. The believer turns back to the world
of sin, disobedience, and rebellion and continues on and on
never repenting and never turning back to Christ. The
person is shaming the name of Christ among others by living a
hypocritical life. Please this is not to be confused with backsliding.
Because Scripture is clear: a backslider can repent.
Now a backslider can become so hardened by continuing in sin
that he/she will never repent. But
remember, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and
effective.” (James 5:16) That is the reason
we must intercede for those who are backslidden and lost.”
37. Dr. A. Philip Brown II is a member of the faculty in the Division of
Ministerial
Education at God’s Bible School and College. Philip is
scheduled to graduate from Bob Jones University (BJU)
this May with a PhD in Old Testament Interpretation. He
also has a BA in Ministerial Education (HSBC, 1993). He
received the MA in Bible at BJU in 1995, at which time he
received the Outstanding Masters Student Award as the
MA graduate with the highest GPA.

Graduate assistant for Greek studies for a five-year

period to being a full-time staff member at Bob Jones
University since 1998 Philip was co-editor of the latest
revision of the Bob Jones University NT Greek Handbook.
He also has had two book reviews published in Biblical
Viewpoint.
“I have italicized the phrase “if they shall fall away” because it is a problem
with the KJV’s translation (as well as with the NIV and NKJV). There is no
“if” in the Greek. The text should read “and have fallen
away” as in the NASB, ESV, HCSB, and TNIV. The writer is
dealing with people who “were enlightened and have
tasted… and were made partakers… and have tasted… and
have fallen way…. It reads, “seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of
God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” The verbs
“crucify” and “put to an open
shame” are present tense participles. That means that
they are describing action that is in progress at the same
time as the main verb in the sentence “I have italicized the
phrase “if they shall fall away” because it is a problem with the KJV’s
translation (as well as with the NIV and NKJV). we can make the
verse’s wording clear by translating it this way, “It is
impossible… to renew [such people] again unto
repentance while they are crucifying to themselves the
Son of God afresh, and are putting him to an open
shame.” The writer’s point is that anyone who is in the
process of crucifying Jesus afresh and shaming him openly
cannot be renewed to repentance because they are
sinning. One cannot be sinning and repenting
simultaneously. The person who is bent on sinning is also
bent on not repenting. To sum up, the Hebrew writer is
warning genuine Christians that those who fall away and
persist in sinning, which is in essence crucifying Christ
again and openly shaming the one who died to save them
from their sins, cannot be forgiven, for there is no
forgiveness without repentance. However, if they truly
repent and stop their sinning, they can be renewed
again.”

38. From the book Studies in the Life of Christ

Rupert Clinton Foster Professor of New Testament, Cincinnati Bible
Seminary 1888-1970
“There is no other gospel, no other means of forgiveness,
no other basis for repentance. This is the reason it is impossible
to renew them to repentance. This is also a participle in the
Greek test, "seeing they crucify." After having taken the
usual meaning of time for a participle in the phrase "and
then fell away," it is very strange that the A.S.V. translators did
not also take the usual meaning of time for a participle in the
phrase "seeing they crucify, or "because they crucify." ...
Here the coloring of time is given to the participle; it is
impossible to renew them to repentance the while they
crucify. This becomes more powerful when one observes
that this is a present participle. The elemental meaning
of the present tense is continues action. Thus the passage,
given its natural rendition reads, "It is impossible to renew them
again to repentance; while they continue to crucify to
themselves the son of god afresh." This makes the passage
perfectly clear and throws most important light on the entire
question.......they assail the very source of light and truth. They
must needs then walk in darkness. So as long as they insist on
assailing the gospel of Christ, there is no other means for their
redemption.......The present tense of the verb and the time
element in the participle unite to show that it is a
continuous sin. It is the sin of deliberate, malicious, final
apostasy from which there is no repentance because they deny
the very divine basis of repentance......The reason the sin unto
death is fatal is that it is of such dreadful variety that the man
will not repent. If he is denying the very divine basis upon
which repentance rests, as the context suggests, then it is not
possible for him to repent so as long as he assails Christ and the
Holy Spirit. “

39. Charles Albert Hess attended Freed-Hardeman

University Abilene Christian University “To renew them
again to repentance [to restore again, to renew again unto
repentance]. “The reason these apostates could be reclaimed
[ 33 ]

was that it was possible to renew them again to repentance.

Stubborn rejection of Christ made others incapable of coming back.
They had erected emotional or intellectual barricades to
their own repentance. They effectively prevented their own
restoration and salvation. They repudiated the only true Source
of remission of sins. They sought forgiveness through a system that
offered none. Can such a person ever be saved? No, as long as he
persists in his stubbornness. Yes, if he returns to Christ.
Apparently, the people described in the present context were
beyond help. They were so obstinate they would not return. Sadly,
they had gone back to the OT Law where there was no real
forgiveness of sins. Only the blood of Christ provides that. Beware of
accepting any system of thought that does not offer pardon through
the blood of the crucified Savior.”

40. Rev Paul R. Schmidtbleicher, ThM Detroit Bible College [Now

William Tyndale College] Bachelor of Theology Degree in 1970.
Dallas Theological Seminary Master of Theology Degree
“But for those learning the Basics, tasting of the joys of their salvation and the Word of God
(6:4-5), if they RETREAT BACK TO JUDAISM (Crucify Christ afresh via feasts, animal
sacrifices etc.), they cannot rebuild the basic foundation (repentance, faith, etc), as long as they
continue in the feasts & rituals (6:6) to "fall away" is not to fall from salvation but from accurate
Bible Doctrine.”
41. Lutheran church Can the Fallen Away Return? Of vital concern is this question: "Is it
possible for someone who has fallen away from faith to repent and become saved again? If
the Gospel is the Gospel, YES! According to the Word of God, there is only one unforgivable
sin, the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:28: "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be
forgiven the sons of men . . ."). Falling away from true faith in not unforgivable! Christ has died
for that sin too. Any person who truly repents of his sin will be saved once again. And what is
repentance? Simply this: (1)To acknowledge your sin and turn away from it; (2)To believe that
Jesus' atoning life and death forgave all your sins, including the one you currently feel guilty
about (see 1 John 1:8 - 2:2)!” http://www.orlutheran.com/html/once.html

42 . Tom Stewart “The impossibility of Hebrews 6:4-6 is to renew to

repentance those who are not abiding in Christ. It is impossible to be crucifying
(present tense) the Son of God afresh and putting (present tense) Him to an open
shame, while repenting at the same time-- consistent with the Unity of Moral
Action. Those "who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly Gift,
and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the Good Word of
God, and the powers of the world to come" are easily describing someone who has
been truly converted.”
http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Fellowship/He.Will.Subdue.Our.Iniquit.html

43. Church of the Nazarene Tim Moran “The context of Heb. 6:7-8 would seem to support this.
But, here is the key point. The impossibility of renewing them to repentance seems to be tied to
their current and ongoing attitude. I don't see anything is the passage that indicates that such a
person can never be saved again or can never repent. It is impossible now, because they are
crucifying, they are publicly shaming Christ, and they are sinning willfully. If that attitude
changes, I don't see any grammatical reason why they could not repent.
One of the basic rules of interpretation is to let clear Scripture interpret less clear Scripture. Heb.
6:6 is not real clear. But, 1 John 1:9 is clear. Nowhere else in Scripture are we told that it is
impossible for someone to repent. Therefore, I would say that Heb. 6:6 describes the lost
condition of those who are actively and currently rejecting Christ willfully. As long as they
remain in this state of rejection, it is impossible for them to repent, since salvation is found
only in the Christ they are rejecting. If they have a change of attitude toward Christ, I believe
that this passage would no longer apply to them.”

44 .Pastor Lyndon Conn “The Greek word for “impossible” in Hebrews 6:4 is adunatos,
which means "weak or unable". The word “impossible” is only one English word that could be
used for the Greek word adunatos, which is used here, and makes a very harsh statement. But to
be "weak or unable" could mean that it is very difficult to accomplish, because of weakness or
lack of ability, to the point of impossibility, but yet not completely impossible. They are
“unable” to turn to repentance as long as they continue in their sinful ways. They have put
themselves in a position where their faith is too weak and they are unable to return to Christ
through repentance. Why according to this scripture is it impossible for them to be renewed unto
repentance? It is because they are crucifying the Son of God afresh (Present tense). If these
are “unable” to be renewed unto repentance, it is because of their own doing, not Gods. After
seeing many good Christian people fall, over the past several years, very few of them have been
able to get back where they need to be in Christ. Those who did struggled for long periods of
time before finding healing and restoration. I have noticed that if they have really had a
tremendous experience with God, a complete turn around, then fall away, it is those who have a
nearly impossible task to get back. It appears to be true, that the harder the fall, the harder it is to
get back to where they were. It takes great humility to return from where they had fallen.
Whereas those who may have been saved but never really had a full experience with God don't
have nearly the struggle to come back again. But for many of those who fall, if they had
completely experienced the gifts and calling of God in their lives, and then afterwards turn away,
they would have to refuse the conviction of the Spirit of God, becoming reprobate. This resulted
in their becoming worse than before they had come to Christ, because of their refusal to repent.
For those who refuse to humble themselves and repent, they have put themselves in a situation
that would be “impossible” to return. They are not capable of returning because of the position
they have put themselves in.”.
45. Pastor Doug Batchelor Amazing Facts “Therefore, there is no possibility that such a man
can be saved as long as he continues to crucify Christ by his disobedience.”

46. Search of Truth. Examples of Apostasy “While the Bible does teach that we can fall from
grace, it does not teach that this condition must be permanent. The entire book of Galatians is
evidence to this fact. The book was written to encourage and call to repentance those who had
become "estranged from Christ". So, what are we to do if we find ourselves in this condition?
The Bible teaches a clear course of action for any and every sin:
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9”
http://www.insearchoftruth.org/articles/apostasy.html
47. John Wesley “This is a point which may exactly be determined, and that with the utmost
certainty. If it be asked, “Do any real apostates find mercy from God? Do any that have `made
shipwreck of faith and a good conscience,’ recover what they have lost? Do you know, have you
seen, any instance of persons who found redemption in the blood of Jesus, and afterwards fell
away, and yet were restored, — `renewed again to repentance?’” Yea, verily; and not one, or
an hundred only, but, I am persuaded, several thousands. In every place where the arm of the
Lord has been revealed, and many sinners converted to God, there are several found who “turn
back from the holy commandment delivered to them.” For a great part of these “it had been
better never to have known the way of righteousness.” It only increases their damnation, seeing
they die in their sins. But others there are who “look unto him they have pierced, and mourn,”
refusing to be comforted. And, sooner or later, he surely lifts up the light of his countenance
upon them; he strengthens the hands that hang down, and confirms the feeble knees; he teaches
them again to say, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour.”
Innumerable are the instances of this kind, of those who had fallen, but now stand upright.
Indeed, it is so far from being an uncommon thing for a believer to fall and be restored, that
it is rather uncommon to find any believers who are not conscious of having been backsliders
from God, in a higher or lower degree, and perhaps more than once, before they were established
in faith.
Yet, Thirdly, several of these, after being thoroughly sensible of their fall, and deeply ashamed
before God, have been again filled with his love, and not only perfected therein, but stablished,
strengthened, and settled. They have received the blessing they had before with abundant
increase. Nay, it is remarkable, that many who had fallen either from justifying or from
sanctifying grace, and so deeply fallen that they could hardly be ranked among the servants of
God, have been restored, (but seldom till they had been shaken, as it were, over the mouth of
hell) and that very frequently in an instant, to all that they had lost. They have, at once,
recovered both a consciousness of his favour, and the experience of the pure love of God. In
one moment they received anew both remission of sins, and a lot among them that were
sanctified.”
48. “The "if" is not justifiable. It makes it look like that if you ever fall away then you can
never get back. That is not true. "and then have fallen away" means that they ARE and STILL
fallen away.
James 5:19,20 - Brethren, if anyone among you WANDERS from the truth, AND SOMEONE
TURNS HIM BACK, let him know that he who TURNS A SINNER FROM THE ERROR OF
HIS WAY WILL SAVE HIS SOUL FROM DEATH and cover a multitude of sins. ~ Note: If
the backslider does not get corrected, his soul will perish with spiritual death. That is not
everlasting life. The word "wanders" also means "to sever or fall away from the truth, to be led
astray into error and sin." Again, the word "from" also means "of departing, of fleeing, of any
kind of separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is
destroyed." Clearly, this is about brethren who are no longer saved. The word "turns" also
means "to cause to return, to bring back to the love and obedience of God." That's part of
what I'm trying to do with this web page. The word "save" also means "to preserve one who is in
danger of destruction." The word "death" also means "with the implied idea of future misery in
hell, the misery of the soul arising from sin, which begins on earth but lasts and increases after
the death of the body in hell."
http://www.geocities.com/1christlover/OSAS-1Tim-James.html
49. (Alford’s
Greek Testament, Vol. IV, p. 199). “Notice the
present, not the aorist participle. ‘If we be found wilfully
sinning’, not ‘if we have wilfully sinned,’ at that Day.”
Key Point 3: Notice that the phrase “there is no longer any sacrifice for sin” (Hebrews
10:18) is echoed in the phrase “no sacrifice for sins is left” (Hebrews 10:26). The point is
that if the final sacrifice for sin found in the New Covenant Atonement of Jesus is rejected,
there is no other to be found.
50. “Heb.6v6. "Anastaurountas," is the present active participle of "anastauroo, "to
crucify again." Bloomfield says that "anastauroo," And put him to an open shame kai
(NT:2532) paradeigmatizontas (NT:3856). Present active participle of
paradeigmatizoo /Verb: Present Active Participle Accusative Plural Masculine”

51.” [In other words, while they insist on

performing the sacrifices, (crucifying Christ
over and over again), their minds are
impossibly closed to what got them saved in
the first place: trusting alone in Christ's once
for all time sacrifice alone for eternal life.

[The author of Hebrews is saying here the

same thing as he said in chapter 6: 'It is
impossible to be saved by any human doing
such as by the sacrifices of bulls and
goats.“http://www.biblestudymanuals.net/he
b6v8.htm

52. David Stevens Dallas Theological Seminary (1982) with a Masters of

Theology.
“However, what makes all of this particularly serious is the way in which spiritual laziness
can subtly creep up on us.iv Essentially, a hardening of the spiritual
arteries sets in and sooner or later we will reach a point of no
return. This is what it means to “fall away” in Hebrews 6:6. No
wonder these believers can’t be restored. They are in a state of
spiritual hardness that only the Spirit of God can remedy!”

http://images.acswebnetworks.com/1/407/050408HebrewsOvercome
Laziness.pdf

53. The Rescue: Someone turns him back. Bible CA “Brethren, if anyone among
you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that
he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death
and cover a multitude of sins,” (Jas. 5:19-20). “The case supposed is the apostasy of
a professing Christian. We must notice, at the outset, the supreme importance which our apostle
ascribes here, and throughout his Epistle (James 1:18, 21-23; 3:14), to ‘the truth.’ He strikes as
loyal a note as Paul does, regarding the necessity of ‘consenting’ to sound doctrine if one would
live the Christian life. He assumes that all backsliding is aberration from the truth. His words
cover both forms which apostasy may take — errors of creed and of conduct.” This is the
seeking of the faithful to recover the unfaithful. This is prompted by the same motive as in
Galatians 6:1 – “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual
restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”
And this is the spirit illustrated by the Lord when He told this story: “What man of you, having a
hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go
after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders,
rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them,
‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there
will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who
need no repentance.” (Luke 15:4-7). The instruction is not, to whisper and gossip about the
wanderer, but to appeal to the sinner to repent. The action required is the faithful use of the Word
to convict and convince the sinner to come back (1 Tim. 4:16). {Consider, the tongue is an
instrument of evil, as described in Jas. 3. Here, the tongue can be applied to higher use as we
speak the truth in love to save the erring.”
http://www.bible.ca/ef/expository-james-5-19-20.htm

54. cotnlivingwell.org.uk/biblecollege
“The sin committed (vs. 6) - ‘fall away’ (i.e. apostatise, or turn ones back on the faith
and publicly renounce it); ‘crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh … put Him
to an open shame’. This indicates again a public renouncing and rejection of the Lord.
This is all in the present tense. The Amplified Bible translates ‘for (because, while, as
long as) they nail up on the cross the Son of God afresh … and are holding Him
up to contempt and shame and public disgrace’. So there is no secret discipleship
or repentance for those who have turned away”
cotnlivingwell.org.uk/biblecollege/Hebrews/Hebrews3.doc
55. "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings ...DIANE DEW "
Jeremiah 3:22 Here are expressed the deep, inner longings and desire of his heart to woo them
and win them back by His love. "I will heal their backsliding," He promises; "I will love them
freely..." (Hos 14:4)
The word "backslide" literally means "turn back" or "turn away" (from God, 1 Ki 11:9; from our
first love, Rev 2:4; or from the gospel, Gal 1:6, 7; 3:1-5; to Satan, 1 Tim 5:15; to evil, Psa 125:5;
or to the world, 2 Tim 4:10). Scripture metaphorically describes the backslidden state as: serving
two masters, forsaking the Lord, going our own way, leaving our first love, forgetting God,
falling away, turning aside ("like a deceitful bow," Jer 14:7), growing cold, departing from the
faith, putting a hand to the plow and looking back (Lk 9:62), "salt that has lost its savour" (Mat
5:13), "a dog returning to his vomit" (Prov 26:11), a dead branch (Jn 15:6; Heb 6:8).
http://www.dianedew.com/backsldg.htm

56. “The impossibility of being “brought back to repentance,” therefore, is

not because the apostates can’t return to Christ, but because they won’t
return to Christ.. That they already had an intimate knowledge of and
experience with Christ and His gift of salvation only reinforces this point. To
be sure, there is nowhere else to go for repentance once one has rejected
Christ in such a manner. Christians who do in fact return to Christ have distinguished
themselves from the apostates above by virtue of their decision to return.”
http://j.b5z.net/i/u/2150825/i/Difficult_Scriptures_on_Secure_Salvation.pdf
57. “They have returned to a lifestyle of their choosing, and they are now
hopelessly lost - "fundamentally and irretrievably unrepentant," as Jack
Crabtree of the McKenzie Study Center in Eugene, Ore., puts it. Why is this
the case? God has shown them everything he has to show them. He has
opened up his treasure chest, and they have looked it over. They have had
the advantage of seeing all that God has to offer in Jesus Christ, and they
have walked away. God has nothing more to show them. If he were to show
it to them all again, they would say, "I've seen it. I don't want it."
http://www.pbc.org/files/messages/10500/heb09.html

58. “The author of Hebrews is not concerned to specify whether it is genuine repentance
or not. He is simply saying that if someone has a sorrow for sin and comes to understand
the gospel and experiences these various blessings of the Holy Spirit’s work (no doubt in
fellowship with the church), and then turns away, it will not be possible to restore such a
person again to a place of sorrow for sins. Now the author tells us that if these people
willfully turn away from all of these temporary blessings, then it will be impossible to
restore them again to any kind of repentance or sorrow for sin. Their hearts will be
hardened and their consciences calloused. What more could be done to bring them to
salvation? If we tell them Scripture is true they will say that they know it but they
have decided to reject it.”

http://brightchristianfellowship.blogspot.com/2009/03/can-christians-lose-
salvation.html

• 59. Dr. Jay Snell He is included in Two Thousand Outstanding Scholars of the
Twentieth Century
• He is on The Board of Directors of Kings Way Christian College and Seminary.
“In
other words, when a Hebrew refuses to accept Jesus as God’s last sacrifice for sin under
Moses’ law, there was absolutely no power left on earth, under the earth or in heaven that
could bring that Christ rejecting Hebrew to a place of repentance. Having fallen away,
having rejected Jesus as the final sacrifice for their sin(s), placed them into an impossible
position.
• It was a position where no other sacrifice for their sins existed,
because God no longer accepted any other form of sacrifice. He would
never again accept blood from bulls and goats. He would only accept the
blood of his son Jesus. This was the only blood that contained the power
necessary to maintain their birthright, the Abrahamic blessings of
salvation, healing, prosperity and family well being. Truly, there was and
is power in the blood of Jesus.
• Remember, they must show their repentance by sacrificing properly.
Apart from Jesus’ blood, though, there was no proper sacrifice. No proper
sacrifice means no Abrahamic blessings. They have fallen aside, they have
fallen out of, and they have fallen away from all they had by birth.
• They have already fallen away! The Greek text declares
that the Group 3A Hebrews in verse 4 have already fallen
 away! The Greek text does not say, “if they shall fall
away.” . . . The Greek is emphatic! It says that they have
already fallen away. Their fallen condition was an existing
fact then. No future possibility was in view in this verse.
They have already fallen away. This characteristic
identified these people for us. Fallen away was not
presented as a future possibility. It was declared as an
established fact; they have already fallen away! Look
closer at anastauroo, the word translated “crucify.” This
word is a “present participle” in the Greek text. In
Greek grammar, the most common use of the
present tense is “to describe continuous action
occurring in present time.” Therefore, in this
context, anastauroo (crucify) means that the Group
3A Hebrews who deliberately and finally rejected
God’s final sacrifice, crucify and keep on keeping on,
keeping on, keeping on crucifying the Son of God. Now you
can see why the King James translators rightfully and
accurately inserted “afresh” into their translation.
“Put,” here, is another present participle.
Remember, the most common use of the Greek
present tense describes “continuous action in
present time.” Our Author employs this common use
here. Therefore, the translation should read, “continuously
keeping on keeping on keeping on putting him to an open
shame.” “Open shame” here translates paradeigmatidzo, which
combines two different Greek words. The first word of the combination is
the Greek preposition para (by the side of). The second word in the
combination is the Greek word deiknumi (to show). The combination
means to “show openly or publicly.”
http://www.jaysnell.org/Book11HTM/chapter_seven.htm
60. Pacific Rim Bible Studies “If” is not found in the original; it's not if
they have drifted off course from grace; it's already assuming that they
have, so it's stating a condition that Christians get into. We could translate it
thus far, “It is impossible for those once having been enlightened, having tasted the
heavenly gift, and having shared in the Holy Spirit, and having tasted that God's Word is
good, and having tasted the powers of the age to come in the future,and having drifted
off course from the doctrinal/grace life to be brought back to repentance.”
That's how it should be read, but it should not be allowed to end here, for that is an
incomplete sentence and conveys an incorrect idea. It's not saying that it's
impossible for them to be brought back to the place of repentance, (and
that's repentance, not salvation), but that it's impossible to bring them
back to repentance while something else is going on that they are
involved in!
The key lies in the present active participle of anastauroo, to crucify all over
again, which without the definite article, puts it in the predicate position with
a temporal idea of while! It is impossible to bring these believers back
to a place of repentance while they are crucifying the Son of God all
over again. The one cannot be done while they are involved in the
other.

“To be brought back to repentance”, is palin anakainizein eis metanoian, and we

notice

the use of the word metanoia. Salvation is not used, neither is forgiveness.
If it were

forgiveness, then a simple confession of sin would do. If it were salvation,

then it would
be, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”, but it isn't, it's repentance which is
something

all together different. Repentance is a Christian phenomenon that is

needed whenever a believer is in reversionism, who needs to have a total
change of mental attitude toward grace, faith, doctrine and the
doctrinal system of God. (See study on 2 Corinthians 7). Repentance
(metanoia) is needed when a believer is away from the doctrinal/grace/faith
life and has got caught up in: some form of old sin nature activity of the
flesh, or some form of religious activity, where he goes into organized
religion with its rituals, programs, legalism, works, etc., or into the latest
goofy little group to come down the pike, or it could be that they go into the
occult, or back to being active in the community, or into the Masonic lodges,
or, as the case is here, to go back into the temple! Now even those
believers out there who are trying to “repent” are doing all sorts of crazy
things to show they are “repenting”, or trying to repent. They flock to the
front of the church after the services to “rededicate” themselves after the
altar call of the preacher. Or, they're sitting up front on the “mourner's
bench” crying and showing everybody how sorry they are. Or, they give up
something they enjoy doing to show their sorrow. And some get into self-
flagellation, literal and psychological, all to show they have repented, or as a
part of the process of repentance. And none of this is repentance!

The problem most Christians have is that they don't understand what the
word repentance is because their ministers have not taught them. The
ministers don't know because they have never been taught; they
don't want to know, or they too have been misled by those above
them, or who have trained them. The word repent comes from two
Greek words, meta- to change, and noeo- the mind, to change the
mind. It's not to feel sorry! There is a separate Greek word for that and
it's metamelomai. That's what Judas did; he felt sorry about what he had done
and it didn't do him any good. One of the problems lies with the choice of the
translators in using the word repent to translate the Greek word metanoeo.
Repent comes from the Latin, (once again we see the influence of Rome in all
this), and it means to have pain, or to feel pain again. Penance is very
much a Roman doctrine, but was never in biblical Christianity. To feel sorry
about what you have done is not the same thing as to have a
change of mental attitude toward the spiritual faith life God wants
us to live! “To be brought back again” is palin with anakainizo, a variant of
anakainoo. Palin meant to return to a previous activity, or to a previous state.
Anakainizo comes from two words, ana- again or back, and kainizo- to make
new. It meant to be renewed or restored, to give new life to the new life that
is already there. Anakainoo is used in: 2 Corinthians 4:16. “Though the outer
man is wasting away, the inner man is being renewed day by day”; Colossians 3:10,
“and have put on the new man which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its
creator”; Romans 12:2, “but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”; and
Titus 3:5, “...He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal of the Holy
Spirit”. The passage says to be restored again unto repentance, or to be
restored again unto a change of mental attitude toward grace, faith
and truth. It's to be restored unto repentance, not unto enlightenment
or salvation. It's to bring these believers back to a former spiritual
condition, not to salvation. At one time they were sitting under the
teaching of the Word of God by a Pastor-Teacher, learning the Word, growing
in grace, living life by faith in the filling of the Holy Spirit, living in their new
natures outside the influence of the flesh, and they drifted away from it! To
restore is to bring them back to that place of the spiritual dynamic, not
salvation. But something is going on in their lives that prevents their
restoration to that place. They had drifted away from the doctrinal life,
and all that entails, and had ended up in something, that prevented them
from being restored, as long as they were still involved in it! What was
it they were doing? They were back in the temple. “They are crucifying the
Son of God all over again” is the present active participle of anastauroo.
Now the other words were in the aorist participle, but this one shifts to
the present participle to show that this was their present practice. It
also takes on the temporal idea and should be rendered by the
words, “while”, or, “as long as”. “It is impossible to restore them as long as,
or while they are crucifying the Lord all over again.” The temple in
Jerusalem is in view here for this letter was written to the Christians still
living in Jerusalem at that time. One of the big problems that came about as
the result of those Israelites who had believed on Christ as their Savior was
the economic persecution they suffered. If they were laborers, they
wouldn't get hired. If they were contractors, they wouldn't get the jobs. If
they owned shops, people wouldn't buy from them. If they had been
attending a synagogue, they would be expelled by a ceremonial “slap in the
face”, (that's where the “turn the cheek” idea came from and applied). It's
impossible to restore these Christians to repentance, to having a
change of mental attitude toward the spiritual life, though, as long
as, or while they are involved in that other stuff. They need, they
must first come out of it and then reidentify themselves with some
church that teaches the Word of God and put themselves under the
authority of that Pastor-Teacher. Confession of sin along the way, 1
John 1:9, plays a part in that also.”
http://www.pacificrimbible.com/books/Eternal%20Security.pdf

61. Warren Wendel Wiersbe Northern Baptist Theological Seminary "You should note that
the words “crucify” and “put” in Hebrews 6:6 are, in the Greek, present participles: "while
they are crucifying" .. and while they are putting Him to an open shame.” The writer did not
say that these people could never be brought to repentance. He said that they could not be
brought to repentance while they were treating Jesus Christ in such a shameful way. Once
they stop disgracing Jesus Christ in this way, they can be brought to repentance and renew
their fellowship with God."

62. The "New Commentary on the Whole Bible: NT" states:

26 “The thought expressed here is related to 6:4-6 because both

are concerned with APOSTASY — the denial and rejection of
Christ. sin wilfully — This is NOT an isolated failure resulting from
weakness or ignorance, but a continual commission of sin by a
person who has a full awareness of what he is doing. In the
Greek, the word for "sin" is a present participle, indicating
ongoing action. For the APOSTATE who continues in deliberate
sin there is no more sacrifice for sins. If a person rejects the
sacrifice Christ made, there will be no other. [Emphasis added]”
http://www.mombu.com/religion/religion/t-hebrews-
1026-27-updated-unpardonable-sin-false-evil-faith-
religion-2671671.html

63. E.F. Kevan, M.Th.., PH. D

“It is important to observe the use of different tenses in the verbs employed in the passage
in Hebrews about the falling away of the enlightened. The aorist (past definite) Greek tense
is used for the words rendered "enlightened," "tasted," "made partakers," and "fell away";
but after "fell away," the present tense occurs and carries with it the notion of a
continuing process, of something which is still going on. The Greek may be rendered,
"It is impossible to renew them unto repentance while [ASV "the while"] they are going on
crucifying to themselves the Son of God afresh, and are going on putting him to an open
shame." The fact of importance is that the passage refers to the impossibility of renewing to
repentance, not those who fell away and now desire to return, but those who are
still in such a state that they are daily in effect repeating the crucifixion of our
Lord. If the force of this present continuous tense is not observed, it will be found
that the passage proves too much. It would teach the impossibility of the restoration of
any backslider at any time.”

64 . The literal Greek meaning of repentance..

“The Big “Change of Mind” - The Ultimate “Metanoia” / “Metanoeo”…..

““For in the case of those who have once been enlightened ... and then have
fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to a changed mind,
since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open
shame” (Heb 6:4,6).”
http://www.scribd.com/doc/8447665/The-First-Received-Prayer-Metanoia-Repentance-or-
Metanoeo-Repent-and-the-Bible

65. Dr. Constable Doctor of Theology “To what is it impossible for an

apostate to be renewed? The writer said it is repentance, not forgiveness or
salvation. Immediately the question arises whether this explanation is realistic
since some believers who have departed from the truth have repented and
returned to the fold of the faithful. I believe the writer meant that in the case
of apostates, the really hard cases who are persistently hostile to Christ, it is
impossible to restore such people to repentance This inability to repent is the
result of sin's hardening effect about which the writer had sounded a warning
earlier (3:13). Instead, continue to encourage one another every day, as long as it is
called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

15. As it is said,“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts as they did when they provoked me

Heb 4 he again fixes a definite day—“Today”—saying long afterward through David, as

already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts

66. “What judgement awaits the willful sinner? Hebrews 6:4-6 tells us
renewing them to repentance is impossible. This is because they already know
about faith toward God and repentance from dead works (6:1). They
knowingly fell into sin, departing from God's will. It must be their own heart-
moving choice to come back. According to Hebrews 10:27, they have become
an adversary to God and face His fiery indignation. Verse 29 tells us they have
made the death of Jesus into a meaningless event. Also, they insult the Spirit
of grace by not heeding the prompting of His voice. Their end is "to be
burned" (He. 6:8). In fact, worse punishment awaits those who fall away (He.
10:29). The book of Peter corroborates this too: "It would have been better for
them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known and turn
away" (2 Pe. 2:20-21). If they do not seek to recover and abide in God's grace
they will face the destruction of their souls (He. 10:39).
How does the willful sinner recover God's grace? To receive God's
forgiveness, his heart must be sincere. The condition for forgiveness is
confession (1 Jn. 1:9) and Godly sorrow (2 Co. 7:10). Confession is admitting
your sin to yourself and to God. You do not deny or justify your sin, or make
it less serious than what it is. You try to understand the full implication of
your sin to strengthen yourself spiritually. Confession must always be
accompanied by Godly sorrow. Godly sorrow is grief of a sin because you
know you were out of God's will, and you sinned against Him. With Godly
sorrow you seek forgiveness from God with a truly repentant heart. Godly
sorrow produces a real change in your life away from sin. When the willful
sinner understands his fallen state, has Godly sorrow in his heart, and decides
to turn back to God, he will be received. God will be with him and show him
how his sin originated, how he fell into it, and how to resist it. Thereafter, he
should be determined to resist sin, seeking to walk in the light. In John we also
find that he who is born of God does not sin because God's seed is in him (1
John 3:9). This means he will strive against sin, for it will distress him to fall
into it. This is the person whose heart is right before God. Rather than be out
of God's will, he will consciously choose to turn away from sin. This type of
true repentance and seeking to practice the truth will keep anyone in the
grace of God.” http://www.enlightener.org/Trurepnt.htm
67. John Piper “ Verse 26: they go on sinning willfully.
Both the tense of the verb (present continuous action in
Greek), they go on sinning , and the word "willfully" show
us that it is not any one particular sin in view here. It is
the extent and willfulness that is in view here,,,,,,,,but a
particular extent and willfulness of sinning against great
grace , until one becomes like Esau and cannot repent”
(12:16-
http://www.soundofgrace.com/piper97/4-13-97a.htm
68. “Repentance" is applied here in Hebrews to
not having once again to change ones mind
from doing dead, i.e., useless works for
salvation which didn't accomplish that end
because they were dead, i.e., useless to that
end, to understanding that they already
expressed "faith in God", i.e., have trusted
alone in Christ alone in the once for all time
sacrifice of Christ and have already received
salvation.”
http://www.biblestudymanuals.net/heb6v8.htm

69. “While the NIV made this correction over seventeen times to present
active tenses, the KJV consistently did not correctly translate the Greek active
(continuous) tenses. The KJV routinely erred by using English simple present
tense. These seventeen corrected verses in the NIV include Matt. 24:42 (paim
“keep watch” v. KJV “Watch”);5 Matt. 25:13 (paim “Keep watch” v. KJV
“watch); John 15:20 (paim“keep in mind” v. KJV “know” v. literally “keep on
understanding”); Acts 18:9 (paim “keep on speaking” v. KJV “speak”); Romans
7:19 (paind “I keep on doing” v. KJV “I do”); Romans 12:11 (ppa “keep your
spiritual fervor” v. KJV “fervent” v. literally “continuing to be fervent”); Galatians
5:15 (paind “keep on biting” v. KJV “bite”); Galatians 5:25 (pasubj “keep in step”
v. KJV “walk” v. literally “to Spirit also should keep on observing”); 1 Tim. 3:9
(ppa “they must keep hold” v. KJV “holding”v. literally “continuing to hold”); 2
Tim. 2:14 (paim “keep reminding” v. KJV “put in remembrance”); Heb. 10:26
(ppa “if we keep on sinning” v. KJV “if we sin”).”
http://l.b5z.net/i/u/6053592/f/Appendix_A_Greek_Issues.pdf
(NIV) Heb 6:6 “they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and
subjecting him to public disgrace”

70. Dr. Richard J. Krejcir Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena California

(Master of Divinity) and holds a Ph.D. (Practical Theology) from London.
 “Deliberately/willfully keep on sinning. This means intentional and continual sin,
a person refusing to stop or repent; the warning is do not do this”

71. BY JEFF PATON) “Why is it impossible? Because they (present

tense) are crucifying the Son of God afresh. It remains impossible only
while they are presently crucifying Him. If they ceased to do so, there is nothing
within this verse that would imply that they could not be
reconciled.”http://www.eternalsecurity.us/charles_stanley.htm

72 ” Here we have a group of believers who have not progressed into spiritual maturity
but have gone back to the Temple to perform animal sacrifices in order to escape
persecution. The phrase “once enlightened” means once and for all enlightened2. By the
gospel they have tasted of the heavenly gift in the same way that Christ tasted death for
every man. It is not a mere sip, it is a full drink.
These believers had progressed so far and then fallen. The writer says that it is impossible
to bring them back to repentance seeing they crucify the Son of God afresh by continuing
daily animal sacrifices. The phrase “seeing the crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh”
can literally be paraphrased as “while they continue crucifying the Son of God afresh” or
“as long as they are crucifying to themselves the Son of God afresh it impossible to renew
them to repentence”. How were they crucifying the Son of God afresh? By returning to the
sacrificial system, which represented Christ. The writers point is this: Those who are
continuing in this manner cannot get past the first step of the basics and there is no way that
they can press on to maturity. There is nothing to suggest that they could not stop this
practice and then press on to perfection…
The rewards is the thought of the writer in verse 7 and 8 – it is not the ground that is burned but
the thorns and briers. This is in keeping with 1 Corinthians 3v15: If any man's work shall be
burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. It is “rejected” or
“unapproved” as far as service is concerned. It is “nigh” unto cursing” but not cursed as it is
shameful for a believer to be indistinguishable from an unbeliever and bear no fruit. Verse 9
confirms this by talking, not about salvation, but the work that accompanies it:”

http://www.scribd.com/doc/7392720/The-Warnings-in-Hebrews
73. Verses 26-27
"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the
truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, {27} but only a fearful expectation of judgment
and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”
“If we deliberately keep on sinning…”
A better translation would be “if we sin willfully. He is speaking of a specific sin.
He is not talking about an isolated act of disobedience, nor is he speaking of an
occasional sin of weakness, but instead, a continuous act of rebellion.
What was the specific sin the author was talking about? Their return to Judaism.”
http://www.lifewaylink.com/clientimages/23116/study_guides/studies_in_hebr
ews_session_18.pdf
74. John W. Ritenbaugh “This context makes this clear that willful sin
is not a one-time flare-up in a person's life. This verse is one that
explains it, and we can't see it there because it is not translated
well from the Greek. The Greek literally says, "If we go on sinning
willfully." “If we go on sinning willfully, it thus stresses a
continual habitual sinning rather than a sin that is committed
inconsiderately, ignorantly, or from weakness. In other words,
God in His mercy does not take a one-time occurrence and say
this is the pattern of the person's life. But rather the evidence
comes from our own lives of what we have done over a fairly long
period of time, and when it is combined with attitude, then God
makes a very fair judgment based upon those things.”
http://bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Audio.Details/ID/629/Five-
Warnings-Hebrews.htm

(Those that argue with the present tense participles of Hebrews 6

and 10 deny the truth of these biblical interpretations of Heb. 10:26
as well (by Bible scholars) of being a present tense continual
action…)

75. NASB, For if we go on

26
sinning willfully after receiving (BA)the
(AZ)

knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

76. NIV, If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the

26

knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful
27

expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of
God.

77. AMPLIFIED For if we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after

26

once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice
left to atone for [our] sins [no further offering to which to look forward].
78. ISV “For if we choose to go on sinning after we have received the full knowledge
of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins”

79. NRSV “For if we wilfully persist in sin after having received the
knowledge of the truth

80. (Lutheran church) a post on a message board. “ The present tense in Greek indicates an
action that is ongoing and continual. In others words, verse 6 is talking about the action of
crucifying the Son of God and subjecting him to public disgrace as being an ongoing and
continual action on the part of the person who has fallen away. It doesn't matter whether we
translate "because . . . they are crucifying etc." as the NIV does in the text itself, or whether
you translate "while . . . they are crucifying etc." as the NIV suggests in a footnote - the
main point is that a person who has fallen away and continues to crucify the Son of God
and continues to subject him to public disgrace can't be brought back to repentance while he
or she continues to do these two things. From what you write, you may have done these two
things, but God in his grace led you to stop doing them and brought you back to
repentance”.
81. George H Guthrie Professor of Bible and chair of the School of Christian
Studies at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. In the Hebrews NIV application
commentary, admits he tries to be fair with all interpretations, much too fair in my
opinion, however, the following is Guthrie view on the Hebrews 6 impossibility.
“Repentance in Hebrews 6:4-6 is "impossible" because there is nowhere else to go for
repentance.” ( So by this he is saying that his view is not because God would not forgive
them, but based on their own choice to reject the only sacrifice to obtain repentance
compared to the Hebrews 6 falling away back in to animal sacrifice (repentance from dead
works Heb. 6:1). He disagrees with those who quickly rule out the impossibility of a return
in a footnote. He does however say in regard to the present tense participles) "the switch to
the present tense is significant since the author has used aorist tense to this point in the
passage.".... Continued... (in regard to those present tense participles)
“Futhermore the acts of crucifying and subjecting...to disgrace" should be seen as
modifying the infinitive "to be brought back." End Quote
82. Dr. Bob Wilkin
Bob Wilkin (Ph.D., Dallas TheologicalSeminary) “I could multiply examples,
but there is no need. Nothing in Hebrews 6:4-8 even remotely hints at
eternal condemnation for believers who apostatize. Fire is a normal
biblical metaphor for temporal judgment.”
83. Buck Hoskin attended the Doctrinal Studies School of
Biblical Theology in 1998 and completed studies in Major
Doctrines of the Christian Faith and first year Greek.
“Remember that the word repentance, which is metanoia in the
Greek and means to change ones mind, was the first of the 6
"elementary teachings" in which they had become "dull of
hearing". Hebrews 6:1 "not laying again a foundation of
repentance from dead works and of faith toward God," We can
associate "repentance from dead works and of faith towards
God" with "hearing" by comparing this verse with Romans 10:17
which says "FAITH comes by hearing and hearing by the words
of Christ."

The term "dead works" refers to the Old Covenant teachings of

"washings", and "laying on of hands" which were based on the
"works" system of the Law and were considered "dead" in the
new age of Grace. Comparing this with Titus 3:5-6, "He saved us,
not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness,
but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and
renewing by the Holy Spirit, (6) whom He poured out upon us
richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) so that being justified
by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life.", and Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.", makes
it clear that they had "fallen away" from the foundational
(elementary) teachings and reverted back to their former
manner of life. But in no way does this imply that they had lost
their salvation. The writer makes it clear that they need to be re-
taught and not re-saved. The issue is with "hearing" and not with
salvation.

Paul writes to believers with similar problems in the epistle to

the Ephesians. Paul addresses the problem in the same manner
telling the Ephesians to lay aside the old, be renewed in the spirit
of their minds (an understanding that comes from hearing), and
put on the new (Ephesians 4:22-24). If the issue of reverting back
to a former manner of life were a loss of salvation, then Paul
would have stated it here, but he did not. The issue once again is
a re-learning not re-saving.

So from comparing Scripture with Scripture and looking at the

context as a whole instead of "proof texting" the passage, we can
come to the following conclusion about Hebrews 6:4-6; "It is
impossible to renew those who have fallen away from Spiritual
growth through a lack of hearing until they are re-taught the
elementary principles again, because by reverting back to Old
Covenant Judaism they again crucify to themselves the Son of
God, for which that is also impossible to do".

Do these verses teach that we can lose our salvation? Absolutely

not!! They, in fact, reassure us that we are secure in Christ, but
warn us of the dangers of "falling away" do to a "lack of hearing".
It also explains that the path of renewal that leads to Spiritual
Growth is impossible as long as the believer is negative toward
the Word of God. The issue is negative volition towards the Word
of God and not a loss of salvation.”
84. Robert Dean Luginbill, Ph.D.Department of Classical and Modern
Languages
“For this phrase hangs on the two present tense participles
which are to be taken temporally = "while/as long as they are
crucifying….As long as one is actively involved in a sin (in this
case, continuing to "pretend" through participation in animal
sacrifice that Christ had yet to die for us), confession is pointless.
First, one must stop sinning. Then repentance and confession
will be acceptable to God. .”
85. Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University

“So -- with regard to the two sets of participles: (1) TOUS

FWTISQENTAS ...GEUSAMENOUS ... METOCOUS GENHQENTAS ... KAI ...
GEUSAMENOUS ... KAI PARAPESONTAS: these are all aorist
participles
that are made substantives by the introductory article TOUS;
they are
aorist because they indicate what these persons have achieved/
accomplished -- what they are guilty of having done; (2)
ANASTAUROUNTAS ... KAI PARADEIGMATIZONTAS are both present
participles indicating what those persons are doing and thereby
indicating why it's impossible to bring them back again to
repentance. You might conceivably relate the two sets of
participles thus: Those who (a) HAVE DONE all those acts are
(b) NOW making a mockery of the Son of God.”
86. From Hebrews (Hermeneia; Fortress Press, 1989), by Harold W. Attridge:
“Both of the participles describing the significance of apostasy are in the present
tense, unlike the series of aorists in verses 4-6a. This suggests that the action of
apostasy involves a continuous and obdurate stance toward Christ.”

87. From the book Manual of Christian Doctrine

By Louis Berkhof
Louis Berkhof In 1900, he graduated from Calvin
Theological Seminary
"In those who have committed this sin we may therefore expect
to find a pronounced hatred to God, a defiant attitude to Him and
all that is divine, delight in ridiculing and slandering that which is
holy, and absolute unconcern respecting the welfare of their soul
and the future life." In view of the fact that this sin is not
followed by repentance, we may be reasonably sure that
they who fear that they have committed it and worry
about this, and who desire the prayers of others for them,
have not committed it." (Systematic Theology, pp. 2
88. Rev Deb bread breakers
“The term "it would be impossible to renew them again to
repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the
Son of God and put Him to open shame." The words
"crucify" and "open shame" are both in the present tense
in the original Greek. This signifies that they were
continually putting Christ to an open shame by publicly
offering animal sacrifices in the temple on a continual
basis.

This would make it quite impossible to come to

repentance, since they were willingly doing this on a
continual basis and living in willful sin. One cannot repent
of sinful acts if they are still in the act of doing the very
sin they are supposed to be repenting of...

simply put, these Hebrew believers were living in the sin

of hypocrisy and therefore were not repenting for fear of
persecution. But if they were willing to repent they could be
renewed. Because of their deviation from daily relying of
Christ they had broken FELLOWSHIP, not their relationship
which depended solely on Christ's finished work on the
cross.”
http://breadbreakers.typepad.com/bread_breakers_ministry/2009/11
/whats-up-with-the-pacifier-.html
88. CHAIM TIMES
“The unpardonable sin of the Gospels and Hebrews
doesn't mean simply having doubts or giving in to some
particular sin, rather, it involves continuing in an
unrepentant and unbelieving state of rejecting God's
grace 53-254”
http://www.chaim.org/unpard.htm
89. http://www.cuttingedge.org/
“Did you understand this statement? As long as you continue to hold Jesus
Christ up to continual shame and disgrace, you cannot be saved! Not only does
the Mass hold up Jesus Christ to continual shame and disgrace’
http://www.cuttingedge.org/articles/rc110.htmding this silly Scapular.”
90. “ However, the scriptures also teach that Willful, Continual sin will not
be forgiven. In fact the Hebrew writer said, “For if we go on sinning willfully
after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a
sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the
fury of fire which will consume the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27).”
http://www.laramiechurchofchrist.org/documents/BT_116.pdf

91. “1 John 5:16, namely, hatred of believers and denial of Jesus. I address this view
in great detail in my discussion of the sin unto death (see “Controversial Issues” on the
web site). The view adopted by most commentators is that the sin a Christian does not
and cannot commit is habitual, persistent, unrepentant sin. John is not concerned so
much with the momentary, individual acts of sin as he is with the overall characteristic
tendencies and inclinations of a person's life. John is looking at the pervasive temper of
one's overall experience in life, not at the singular incidents individually. John is not
taking a snapshot, but a moving picture. His repeated use of the Greek present tense
appears to bear this out. He focuses on the habitual character of the activity in view.”
http://www.enjoyinggodministries.com/article/1-john-39-and-the-doctrine-of-
perseverance/

92. John Mark Hicks

He received his A.A. in German and his B.A. in Bible from Freed-Hardeman
University (1977), his M.A.R. in Theological Studies from Westminster
Theological Seminary (1979), his M.A. in Humanities (Philosophy) from
Western Kentucky University (1980) and his Ph.D. in Reformation and Post-
Reformation Studies from Westminster Theological Seminary (1985).
He has taught at Alabama Christian School of Religion (1982-1989), Magnolia
Bible College (1989-1991), Harding University Graduate School of Religion
(1991-2000 fulltime; 2000-2008 partime), and Lipscomb University (2000-
2008). He has also adjuncted at Northeastern Christian College, Christian
Brothers University, Abilene Christian University and Institute for Christian
Theology and Minstry (St. Petersburg, Russia).
“I think Guthrie is correct to see this “impossibility” as linked with the
rejection of Christ. It is parallel to what we will see in Hebrews 10:26ff. If we
reject Christ, there is no other sacrifice for sin. If we reject Christ, it is
“impossible” to find repentance because there is no one else to whom we can
turn. Along with Guthrie (p. 220), I take the participle in Hebrews 6:6 as a
temporal one, that is, it is impossible to renew an apostate to repentance as
long as (or, while) they are rejecting Christ (crucifying the Son of God
afresh)”.
http://johnmarkhicks.faithsite.com/content.asp?CID=50481
93. “The ASV footnote gives a bit of commentary, using "the while." It
suggests that one will not repent while they are crucifying the Son of
God afresh and putting him to open shame.”
http://www.oldpathspulpit.org/pdfs%5CHeb6-4.pdf
94 “These are true believers that have turned away, forfeiting salvation, but
can regain salvation after they are brought back to repentance. This appears
to be the most relevant explanation for this day and age.
For it is impossible...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.
Notice the tense of the words. It is impossible to renew them again unto
repentance (this is present tense); seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of
God afresh...(once again, present tense). One can see that it IS impossible to
renew them to repentance WHILE they are crucifying the Son of God afresh.
If this crucifying were to STOP, the passage gives NO reason why a renewal to
repentance can not take place.
This is the ONLY passage in Scripture that makes the claim that one can not
regain salvation, but scripture can not conflict with other scripture. There are
TOO many other reference to the ability to regain salvation once lost that this
passage should stand in the way without a reason that it is not complementary
to the balance of scripture, therefore THIS tends to be the position that seems
to be the most credible. “
1stholistic.com and Holisticonline.com
95. “A quote from Basic Greek Syntax, prepared by the
NWC Greek
department, (I had believed that I would never use it
again:) “Only in
indirect discourse does the participle show actual time;
otherwise it
denotes time relative to that of the main verb. Present…
(participles
denote the) same time as the main verb.”21 The participle
can be
understood causally: “It is impossible…because they go on
crucifying
again;” or in a simply temporal sense: “It is impossible…
while they
go on crucifying again,” or to express means: “It is
impossible…
through their crucifying on for themselves the Son of
God.” Then
also in chapter ten the grammar indicates: There no
longer remains
a sacrifice for sins, (if, or while, or through the
circumstance that) we deliberately sin on. The moral force
of the thought is emphasized, if we may borrow a phrase,
in who is doing the doing; Who is being crucified, and who
goes on living. Those who at once fall (the aorist active
participle,
Hebrews 6) live on in their sin, and living, they refuse to
die. Dead
to God, they refuse to come to Him and live. But there is
no place
else to go.
41. In 10.18 it is meant for blessing to hear that no
offering for sin
is left. Anyone and everyone who repents and believes is
forgiven,
because Christ has paid for all sins. Any denial of objective
justifi cation is de facto a denial of the resurrection of our
Lord, and
that is forever out of the question. Christ lives, all sins are
forgiven
in Him, and whoever believes receives the benefi t of His
atonement.
As Beck has it: “Now where sins are forgiven, there is no
more
sacrifi cing for sins.” But for such as have rejected that
forgiveness
in favor of sins, in an entirely different sense, no sacrifice
for sins
LSQ 45: 4 307
is left. Whether outward, manifest sins, or Judaizing
legalisms
or moralizing are under consideration, it makes no
difference in
the end. CFW Walther was right to insist that there are
only two
classifi cations of men: those who are quickened to faith,
and those
who are not. Living is living. Dead is dead."
http://www.blts.edu/lsq/45-4.pdf

96. THIRD MILLENNIUM MINISTRIES

“ First of all, the Bible teaches that there is only one unforgiveable sin, namely
blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:31-32). All other sins will be
represented and forgiven among those who are saved -- including blasphemy
against Christ. Since sin against Christ is in view in Hebrews 6:4-6 (e.g. they
crucify to themselves the Son of God and put him to shame), and not
blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, this sin must be forgiveable. Therefore, those
who commit this sin can repent and be forgiven.
First of all, the Bible teaches that there is only one unforgiveable sin, namely
blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:31-32). All other sins will be
represented and forgiven among those who are saved -- including blasphemy
against Christ. Since sin against Christ is in view in Hebrews 6:4-6 (e.g. they
crucify to themselves the Son of God and put him to shame), and not
blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, this sin must be forgiveable. Therefore, those
who commit this sin can repent and be forgiven.

Why then does the passage say it is impossible to renew these people to
repentance? There are a couple possible solutions to this dilemma. First, it is
entirely legitimate to translate the latter part of Hebrews 6:6 as the NRSV
does: "since ... they are crucifying again the Son of God and are holding him
up to contempt." This translation (which is actually closer to the original
Greek) states that these people cannot be renewed to repentance because of
what they are doing, not because of what they have done. That is, they cannot
repent while they are still in the midst of this sin. Further, the sin in question
does not seem to be a passive state of remaining away from the faith, but
rather an active state of continually and publically despising Christ. The text
says nothing of these sinners' ability to repent once they cease from such sinful
activity.”
http://www.thirdmill.org/answers/answer.asp/file/99831.qna/category/nt/page/questions/site/iiim

97. How God can restore

2 Chrn. 33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to
reign;he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2He did what was
evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominable practices of
the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.
3
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had pulled
down, and erected altars to the Baals, made sacred poles,*
worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. 4He built altars
in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, ‘In Jerusalem
shall my name be forever.’ 5He built altars for all the host of heaven
in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6He made his son pass
through fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom, practised
soothsaying and augury and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and
with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking
him to anger. 7The carved image of the idol that he had made he set
in the house of God, of which God said to David and to his son
Solomon, ‘In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out
of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name for ever; 8I will never
again remove the feet of Israel from the ………..Therefore the Lord
brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of
Assyria, who took Manasseh captive in manacles, bound him with
fetters, and brought him to Babylon. 12While he was in distress he
entreated the favour of the Lord his God and humbled himself
greatly before the God of his youth ancestors. 13He prayed to him,
and God received his entreaty, heard his plea, and restored him
again to Jerusalem and to his kingdom.

98. Professor Barry D. Smith

“a knowing and deliberate sin results in being "cut off" with no recourse to
any means of atonement. (In LXX Num 15:24-36, akousiôs translates the
adverbial phrase "with a high hand," not hekousiôs.) The author does not
mean that one deliberate sin will be unforgivable. The use of the present
participle hamartanontôn hemôn implies that a continuous, habitual sin is
meant, not a one-time event. It is a sinning that is a life style.”
http://www.abu.nb.ca/Courses/NewTestament/Hebrews/10-26-31.htm

99. Jews for Judaism

Even the Jews see apostasy is a present tense action. These are
people that do not believe in the new testament, and state the same of
apostasy. How much more mercyful is Jesus than the strict Yahweh?
Remember Hebrews is related to the old testament. This is an
example I hate to bring up.

Believing "just in case"

“I have been told that if I don't believe in Jesus as my
savior I am going straight to Hell after I die. This seems
like a compelling reason for me to believe in Jesus
particularly since I have also been told that there is no
consequence within Judaism if I believe in Jesus.
Therefore, I have nothing to lose by believing in Jesus, so
why shouldn't I believe in him as my savior?

Answer: Actually, belief in Jesus is a horrendous sin with grave

consequences for any Jew who professes to do so. To understand
this let us look at the tragic apostasy of the Northern Kingdom of
Israel and its dominant tribe, Ephraim. God, speaking through the
prophet Hosea declares, "When Ephraim spoke with trembling, he
became exalted in Israel; but when he became guilty through Baal, he
died" (Hosea 13:1). When they served God, Ephraim was "exalted,"
but when they became guilty of idol worship and remained
unrepentant despite prophetic warnings to cease their sinful ways
they signed their own death warrant. Ephraim died a spiritual death
long before it suffered national destruction.

From the prophetic message we learn that apostates, even during

their lifetime are reckoned as dead as long as they remain
unrepentant. The prophet not only denounces belief in molten
images fashioned by craftsmen, but also those who trust in a false
savior- god: "And I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt, and
gods beside Me you should not know, and there is no savior but Me"
(Hosea 13:4).

God desires the apostate's repentance and beckons him/her to

renounce iniquity: "From the clutches of the grave I would ransom
them, from death I would redeem them, I will be your words of death;
I will decree the grave upon you. Remorse shall be hidden from My
eyes" (Hosea 13:14).

For the apostate who does not repent, God says, "I will decree the
grave upon you." In a more literal sense, "I will be the cause of your
being cut off to the grave." Katavcha, from the verb ketev, denotes
"cutting" (e.g. Psalms 91:6). Its primary meaning is "to cut," but in
Hosea 13:14, ketev takes on the secondary meaning "decree." In
Hebrew, the primary word for decree is gezayra, the root of which is
gezer, "to cut." There are a number of word roots in Hebrew whose
primary meaning is "cutting," yet have a secondary meaning of a
final, permanent decision or ruling (e.g., pasak, chakak, gezer,
charatz, karat).

As we see, the belief in the false savior-god Jesus is a grave sin. The
unrepentant apostate is not only shunned and considered dead by
the Jewish community. God Himself considers the unrepentant
apostate as spiritually dead in this life and in physical death the
apostate is all the more so "cut off."

http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/faq-primary-211/apostates-primary-
354/44-believing-just-in-case

100. The Esau Issue (some say Esau could not be restored, but it
proves that it was a hardening of the heart as the Hebrew writer
warned about in Chapter 3. This goes to prove that the
(crucifying) and publicly ridiculing was a hardening of the heart,
displaying their present condition.
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and
leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
2 Corinthians 7:10

“If this is the case, what, then, are all the tears about? He regretted
his loss, not his immorality or godlessness. To some degree he sees
value in the blessing, but not the God of the blessing. He's sorry that
he got caught, not for what he did. His is not sorrow that "produces a
repentance without regret" but the sorrow of the world that "produces
death" (2 Corinthians 7:10). He was rejected, and he could not repent,
because his decisions to be immoral and godless conditioned himself
against true repentance, true change of heart.

Having spurned the grace of God, a root of bitterness sprung up in

Esau (harding of heart): "So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob
because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and
Esau said to himself, 'The days of mourning for my father are near;
then I will kill my brother Jacob'" (Genesis 27:41).”
http://www.pbc.org/files/messages/10530/heb24.html
Notice the translation for the same Greek word Metanoia in Hebrews 12:17
Same word used in Hebrews 6……..
“He could bring about no change of mind (Metanoia), though
he sought the blessing with tears.”
People relate repentance with salvation, but it is two
different words. The way Metanoia was translated change
of mind by the NIV in Hebrews 12:17, is the same way it is
to be interpreted in Hebrews 6… all confusion would have
avoided if they did the same with Metanoia in Hebrews 6 as the
NIV did with Hebrews 12:17.

Example …““For in the case of those who have once been

enlightened ... and then have fallen away, it is impossible
to renew them again to a changed mind (Metanoia),while
as long as they again crucify to themselves the Son of
God, and put Him to open shame” (Heb 6:4,6).”

Actual NIV scripture, “He could bring about no change of

mind (Metanoia), though he sought the blessing with tears.”
Hebrews 12:17 NIV

Strong’s Greek Greek Dictionary

Dictionary

Original Word Word Origin

from (3340)
μετάνοια
Transliterated Word Phonetic Spelling

metanoia

Parts of Speech TDNT

Noun Feminine 4:975,636

Definition
 1. a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents,
of a purpose he has formed or of something he has
done

Metanoia used elsewhere!

Matt 13:9 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy [that is,
[i]
readiness to help those in trouble] and not sacrifice and sacrificial
victims. For I came not to call and invite [to repentance Metanoia] the
righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God),
but sinners (the erring ones and all those not free from sin)

Why was repentance (Metanoia) impossible in Hebrews 6? Because

they produced thorns and thistles (Heb 6:8)…. And not fruit… you
need to bear fruit worthy of repentance…. What was it they were
doing that was not worthy of repentance … ? "Crucifying the Son of God all
over again and subjecting him to public disgrace" (Heb.6:6. The present tense participles
crucifying and publicly ridiculing show that their present state of mind was to crucify and
ridicule, therefore bearing thorns, and not fruits worthy of repentance. If they changed their
current present state of mind from thorns to fruit… it would no longer be present tense actions
relating to the word impossible or thorns and thistles. PROOF?? Metanoia in Luke

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance (Metanoia Change of mind)

And do not begin to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our
father, for I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up
children for Abraham”.

Luke 3:8

It’s a change of mind

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and

adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed
(changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind. Ro. 12:2

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you

are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath,
when his righteous judgment will be revealed. Ro.2:5
The prelude to Hebrews 6 was being laid in chapters 3, 4, & 5

Heb. 3 15 As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts as they did when they provoked me
Heb 4 :7 he again fixes a definite day—“Today”—saying long afterward

through David, as already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden
your hearts Heb. 5:11 dull of hearing

101. Fruit and thorns and Thistles, Heb 6:8

Why were their hearts hard? Because of their mind set…. What was
their mind set…. “crucifying the Son of God all over again and
subjecting him to public disgrace” Heb 6:6
They produced “thorns and thistles” (Heb 6:8)…. And not fruit… it made
their repentance presently impossible (crucify ridicule are present
participles) (Heb. 6:4) (Metanoia Change of mind).

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Metanoia Change

of mind ).
Luke 3:8
4
For it is impossible [to restore and bring again to
repentance (Metanoia Change of mind )] those who have
been once for all enlightened, who have consciously tasted
the heavenly gift and have become sharers of the Holy
Spirit, If they then deviate from the faith and turn away
from their allegiance--[it is impossible] to bring them back
to repentance (Metanoia Change of mind ) for (because,
while, as long as) they nail upon the cross the Son of God
afresh [as far as they are concerned] and are holding
[Him] up to contempt and shame and public disgrace. 7For
the soil which has drunk the rain that repeatedly falls upon
it and produces vegetation (crop) useful to those for
whose benefit it is cultivated partakes of a blessing from
God. But (if that same soil) persistently bears thorns and
thistles, it is considered worthless and near to being
cursed, whose end is to be burned. Hebrews 6:4, 6, 7, 8
Amplified Bible

102. Galatians 6:1 – “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you

who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering
yourself lest you also be tempted.

103. THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN Based on Mark 3:22-30 By Pastor Glenn

Graduate from Bethel University and Seminary. Retired pastor with 34 years of
active ministry, now writing books mainly on Bible topics.

Includes commentary by D.L. Moody

“The unforgivable sin is not a sin you can stumble into accidentally, or
perform in ignorance.” …CONT….
“Any sin of ignorance is forgivable, and so no person need fear they can
ever stumble into this unforgivable sin unknowingly or against their will.
This is important to understand, for it is just at this point that Satan is able
to make so many miserable. Here, for example, is part of a letter written to
Dr. W. L. Northridge, a Christian doctor who deals with many Christians
who are distressed about this sin.”
“We need to stress in the emphasis of Jesus that this sin is the great
exception. All other sin is forgivable. Only this one is not. It is distinct and in
a class by itself. Many by not paying attention to this build up elaborate
explanations about hardening the heart until one cannot repent, as if this
was the unforgivable sin. They complicate the issue by making this, not an
act, but a whole way of life. This leads to a total neglect of the exceptional
nature of this sin. Many men harden their hearts by a life of crime and
immorality, and they die without Christ unrepentant. If you call this condition
the unforgivable sin, you ignore completely the teaching of Christ, plus you
make all sin that is never forgiven, unforgivable. You eliminate any idea of
a distinct exceptional sin as Jesus stresses. We must be careful to
distinguish between a sin that is unforgivable, and one that is never
forgiven. Any sin can be in the second category, but there is only one in the
first category. Any sin can go eternally unforgive if it is not repented of, and
this will be the case for millions of sins that are not the unforgivable sin.
The vast majority of people who will be lost will never even think of
committing the unforgivable sin. Masses will be lost who are living in all
kinds of sin, but not one of which God would not gladly forgive if they
repent. Many sins will send men to hell, but not because they are
unforgivable, but simply because, though forgivable, they have never been
repented of and forgiven.” …CONT.
“The Pharisees who were trying anything to undermine his popularity with
the people said that the spirit of Christ, that is the origin and source of His
power, was unclean. His spirit was the spirit of evil. It was of Beelzebub,
the god of flies and dung, and the prince of demons.” CONT …
“This is a very unique and exceptional charge, and if you are honest you
will have to admit that you have not heard anyone level such a criticism
against Christ. D.L. Moody in all his contacts around the world wrote, "Now,
I have met a good many atheists and skeptics, and deists and infidels, both
in this country and aboard, but I never in my life met a man or a woman
that ever said or ever thought that Jesus Christ was possessed of the
devil." Many unbelievers in history have praised Jesus as a great and
marvelous man. The point is, that though this sin is still a danger, and can
still be committed, it is rare that even a unbeliever will commit it, let alone a
believer. D. L. Moody went on to say, "I don't believe any man or woman
has a right to say they have committed the unpardonable sin unless they
have maliciously and willfully and deliberately said that they believe that
Jesus Christ had a devil in Him, and that He was under the power of the
devil, and that He cast out devil's by the power of the devil." Moody did not
complicate things as so many others do. He took the words of Scripture at
face value, and saw the distinct and exceptional nature of this sin.”

http://www.scribd.com/doc/17500719/The-Unforgivable-Sin

Please read full article!

To sum up!
They could not be influenced in opposite directions at the same
time or in a present tense. One cannot presently drive north and
drive presently south at the same time. If one stops the present
tense action driving north where it becomes past tense, they can
turn around and presently go south. If one stops the present
actions of crucifying and ridiculing anastaurountas (crucifying) and
paradeigmatizontas (publicly ridiculing, both present tense actions)
where it becomes past tense, they can turn around, as they would no
longer be present tense actions relating to impossible which is the
main verb of the sentence.
As Samuel Thompson Lowrie professor of New- Testament exegesis and
literature in Western Theological Seminary, 1874-78 stated
“It is that present doing that makes the impossibility of renewing the doers to
repentance. …that it is impossible for them to be influenced in opposite
directions at the same time. While they are crucifying Christ, the cross of Christ
cannot crucify them to the world, or dead works.
It is renewal to the condition there described and from which the persons have
fallen away. That is impossible while they are virtually crucifying Christ.
For those too that had really apostatized there may be still a possibility of return. But it
hangs on this if God permit.”

My friend if you fell away do as the scripture says in Hebrews,

“As it is said,“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts
as they did when they provoked me" Heb. 3:15

God Bless you and may he be in your heart today. If you fell away,
invite Jesus back into your heart.

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who

come to God through him, because he
always lives to intercede for them”
Hebrews 7:25