“The Apostates, Part 4” – Hebrews 6:4-6

Hebrews 6 and the Warning Against Apostasy

And I turn if you will to Hebrews chapter six, and when you found your place, we'll pray before we begin father we thank you for.

Your word.

So clear and so beautiful. So so intricate. And we pray that you would help us to understand even this difficult passage. And pray that you would by your spirit convince us from the text of what is true.

Help us to see it. And pray that you would help me to communicate that which is true and nothing which is false. And that you would be glorified in our study here and open our eyes to this passage. We ask in Christ's name.

Amen.

In Hebrews chapter 6, let's read together beginning at verse 4. Actually, it's beginning verse 1. Read through the end of verse 6 therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ. Let us press on to maturity not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God of instruction about washings and laying on of hands and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment and This we will do if God permits.

For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come and Then have fallen away.

It is impossible to renew them again to repentance. Since they again crucified to themselves the Son of God and put him to open shame. And we've looked at three of these four positive statements that we find in verses 4 through 6.

We're taking our way making our way through these rather slowly and methodically. Looking at this text because it is and doing so in a slow fashion because it is the central battleground passage in in the discussion of the eternal security or the security of the believer and We're trying to take our time going through this so we can make sure that we understand what the author is Describing here and whether or not this passage teaches that a Christian can lose their salvation and suffer punishment in eternal flames.

There are some obviously inside of Christianity who would believe that it is possible for a Christian to lose their salvation. They believe that that that is possible that there is that there are individuals.

Persons for whom Christ has died who have been brought to saving faith have been regenerated sealed by the Holy Spirit. Who then because of some activity that they are involved in or some lack of their love or ability to hold themselves fast?

That they end up being cast away or falling away from the truth and suffering eternal punishment. The eternal punishment. That is described in verse 8 of this passage when the author says that if the the the ground yields thorns and thistles.

It's worthless and close to being burned and it ends up cursed cursed and it ends up being burned. There's somebody would teach that that is a description of Christians who have lost their salvation. And I think that in order to make that case for those who are on that side of the theological aisle.

In order to make that case I believe they have to prove that each and every one of these four statements in this passage Must describe only a Christian. It cannot describe Anybody who might be some sort of a non-christian or an unbeliever?

In other words, if you want to prove that Hebrews chapter 6 teaches you can lose your salvation. You have to definitively unequivocally Demonstrate that these four phrases that we've looked at. That they have been enlightened that they have tasted the heavenly gift then made partakers of the Holy Spirit and tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the age to come that those four phrases can only Describe believers because if it can be shown or demonstrated that these four phrases can describe unbelievers.

Then we don't have a passage that speaks of Christians losing their salvation. Instead we have a passage that can speak of people who are almost Christians or look like Christians who end up falling away and suffering eternal punishment.

So I laid out for you at the beginning of our time here in Hebrews 6 that that I have five things that I have to show and I showed you the mountain that I have to climb and what I have to demonstrate to you to prove that my position is true and I think those on the other side have a tough case to Make because they have to show that these phrases can only describe Christians that they must describe Christians and that they definitively describe Christians.

They have to prove that if they're going to show that Hebrews chapter 6 is speaking of Christians who have lost their salvation. Now I've been trying to make the case that this passage is Inconclusive that it does not definitively describe Christians.

In fact, it describes those whom the author is not certain as to what their spiritual status is whether they are believers or unbelievers. There are people who have and I think that the language of the passage bears this out.

There are people who have been enlightened and they have had certain experiences and so far. That's what we've seen that the word enlightened is not a synonym for conversion. It doesn't mean that they believed that they were regenerated that they repented that they have come to saving faith that they have been sealed.

Doesn't mean any of that. It simply means that they had come to some understanding of the truth. They had been taught the truth and so they had received at least the light of the gospel. That's all that can be said of that word enlightened.

Second. We looked at the word tasted which is simply used when it's not describing actual eating of literal food. It simply means that they had had some kind of an experience of this thing. And what had they experienced?

Well, they had tasted or had an experience with the heavenly gift. Whatever that is. I think I think it was Christ. An experience of Christ they had had an experience of the Word of God and they had an experience of the powers of the age to come and all.

Of those three things are things which can be experienced external to the believer without any kind of salvific Change inside the heart now if it can be shown that what they had experienced was salvation.

Then I need to shut up and sit down and I have nothing else to say on this issue. But it doesn't say that they tasted salvation does it doesn't say that they tasted eternal life that they tasted regeneration.

Doesn't say that they tasted any of those things. All it says is that they had certain experiences. They had tasted of these various experiences all of which Could describe Judas Iscariot. They'd experienced these things external to themselves and none of the things that they have experienced require real and true regeneration.

They could have an experience of the grace of Christ the worship of Christ the Word of God the power of God His sanctifying work in the lives of others. They can experience all of those things without themselves ever becoming true and genuine believers.

And it is that inconclusiveness that indefinitiveness. Which I think is the author's intention to describe a group of people who have they received enlightenment? Yeah, they've come to understand certain things.

They have had a lot of Christian and religious experiences. They have become partakers of the Holy Spirit. Whatever that means. We look at that in just a second. But concerning their salvation is he able to be definitive and affirm their salvation.

I don't believe that the author is so if enlightenment simply means they came to understand something and Tasted simply means they had some sort of an experience. And by the way, those two descriptions fall far short of describing real and true regeneration and and Christian faith.

Do they not they do? What does it mean that they became partakers of the Holy Spirit? That's what we're looking at today the third of these phrases here. We looked last week two weeks ago. We looked at enlightened last week we looked at tasted and we kind of grouped together the the two references to tasting and all the things that are tasted the Heavenly gift the powers of the age to come the good word of God and we kind of grouped those together.

We skipped over partaking of the Holy Spirit today. We're describing what it means to become a partaker of the Holy Spirit and as I did with the previous ones I'm going to describe to you what those who are on the other side of the aisle would say that this partaking means so I'm Going to make their case a little bit for them and I might even Overreach their case just a bit just to kind of show you what it is that they would say I'm not going to misrepresent their case, but I am going to try and defend it that I'm going to present their position as As persuasively as I possibly can let's just say that so they would say that this word partaking Of the Holy Spirit means the same thing as what the author means when he speaks of partaking of Christ.

Back in chapter 3 verse 14. When we looked at the previous warning passage where he speaks of us if we hold fast or we are we are partakers of Jesus Christ if we hold fast our insurance firm until the end and they would say that this partaking is a Real participation a real indwelling and possession of the Holy Spirit.

They would say that it is not some superficial experience that it cannot be something that is that is Experienced or enjoyed on a superficial or external level that this in the words of time of Thomas Schreiner this partaking Describes only a full participation in something and so they would say that these people have fully Participated in the Holy Spirit in his person in his power in his regenerating work they have fully partaken of all that the Holy Spirit brings to them and makes possible in the act of salvation and since they have Fully partaken of the Holy Spirit.

These must be true Christians because only Christians have the Holy Spirit. Only Christians can be said to have Partaken of the Holy Spirit and to be possessed by the Holy Spirit and this word partaken can never be used and is not used To describe anything superficial or external that would be their case now.

They would point to a few passages even in the book of Hebrews. I'll give you an example of other places where this word partaken or partakers is used. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1. They would say therefore Holy Brethren partakers of a heavenly calling consider Jesus the Apostle and high priest of our confession and they would say that certainly he is describing their crush Christians.

And he is saying that they are partakers. Same word used here in Hebrews chapter 6 and they have partaken of a heavenly calling. Now certainly we have not partaken of a heavenly calling in a superficial or external way, right?

Have we not fully participated in our heavenly calling as believers? Yeah, we have this describes a full and real in-depth participation in something. They would quote Hebrews chapter 3 verse 14 for we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast our Hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end and there the word partaker is describing salvation.

He's speaking to true and genuine Christians and saying we have become partakers of Christ. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 8. But if you are without discipline of which all have become partakers are not believers described as partakers in the discipline of a loving heavenly Father.

Yeah, the author says if you are not being disciplined by God You're not a believer because the Father disciplines those whom he loves and so Partaking of discipline is something that all Christians have enjoyed and not just a superficial or external thing.

But a real in-depth and full participation in the discipline that God brings for his children. The words also used in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14. Therefore since the children share in flesh and blood he himself that is Christ likewise also partook of the same and there.

It's describing as Christ full participation in Humanity in flesh and blood. Christ did not experience flesh and blood and humanity in some superficial or external way. Did he was he not full humanity?

Do we not affirm that and so this word partaking is used all the way through the book of Hebrews not to describe a superficial surface level external participation in something. But a real and full inward participation in all the realities of whatever it is that's being described.

That is what they would say. Now of all four of the phrases that we've looked at this I think is the most challenging or difficult for those of us on our perspective, honestly. So it's good that we would deal with this fourth.

I don't think that I don't think that it is impossible to deal with. I think it is just simply the more challenging one to think through. So what does the word partaker mean to partake of something? What does that mean?

It is the Greek word Metacost and it means a partner a companion or a partaker a partner a companion or a partaker. And the word is used Variously in Scripture in a number of different ways. It is used there's quite quite a wide range of meaning and Wayne Grudem points us out in his book on the warning passages.

In his chapter on the warning passages in a book called still sovereign and here's what he writes quote it is not always clear to the English-speaking reader that this term has a wide range of meaning and May imply very close participation and attachment or may imply only a loose Association with the other person or persons so named.

Close quote. Now what Grudem is saying is the word has a wide range of meaning. It can describe a really close and full participation in or with something or someone as. All the references to partaking that I've just read to you from the book of Hebrews or on the other end of that spectrum.

It can describe a very loose Association or partnership with person or persons so named and there is this wide spectrum. So what is described here is an association ship or a partnership with somebody?

But the depth and the effects and the fruit and the nature of that partaking are not described in Hebrews chapter 6. So yes, the word can describe a full participation. It can also describe a very loose association.

There's a wide range of meaning there. Now they would object those on the other side of theological aisle would object and say but that's not how Hebrews uses the word. The author of Hebrews seems to use exclusively this word to describe that full participation partaking in flesh and blood partaking in Christ partaking in salvation.

Partaking in the discipline that God gives us and that kind of partaking describes a full purchase. That's how the author of Hebrews seems to use it. Well, the author of Hebrews does use the word in a rather loose association kind of way back in Hebrews chapter 1 verse 9.

You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore God your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions your associates your partakers your partners. And there the author of Hebrews just uses it in that loose association to describe somebody who was a partner a companion or an associate.

That's it. And I would suggest that that's how he's using it here in Luke chapter 5 verse 7 when Jesus told Peter to throw the net out on the other side of the boat and the they brought in that net full of fish and the nets began to Break.

Luke chapter 5 or 6 says when they had done this they enclosed a large great quantity of fish and their nets began to break. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to them to come and help them.

The word partners is the word partakers companions associates people that they were in business with so you can describe a very loose Affiliation or association and the word can also describe a very close partnership.

So what does it mean here? Let me quote again Grudem. And I'm quoting him here at length longer than I did before simply because he plays he says it concisely. He says it directly and I think he says it perfectly.

Here's what Grudem writes quote. Therefore to become a partaker of the Holy Spirit means to be associated in some way with the work of the Holy Spirit and To share in some of the benefits the Holy Spirit gives.

Some interpreters assume that the phrase means to receive the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit and Certainly that is one way of being a partaker of the Holy Spirit but regeneration is not the only way people partake in the Holy Spirit or receive some of his benefits and Therefore we cannot assume that Regeneration is the sense intended here.

The phrase could instead refer to receiving some of the other benefits or influences of the Holy Spirit for example. The phrase may mean simply that these people had come into the church and they had experienced some of the benefits of the Holy Spirit.

All that we can say with confidence is that they were partakers of some of the benefits that the Holy Spirit gives. Close quote. All we can say for certain is that they had shared or associated with some of the benefits that the Holy Spirit gives.

Later on Grudem writes this the word allows for a range of influence from fairly weak to fairly strong for it only means. One who participates or shares or accompanies in some activity. Close quote. One who participates shares or accompanies in some activity.

His conclusion quote. Therefore all we can say is that the people spoken of in Hebrews 6 have been Associated with the church and as such have been associated with the work of the Holy Spirit and no doubt Influenced by him in some ways whether weak or strong in their lives.

We cannot with confidence say more than that. Close quote. This word partaker Describes an association not a possession. Get that in your head. The word partaker describes an association ship Not a possession for instance.

The author does not say that they possess the Holy Spirit that they were possessed by the Holy Spirit. He doesn't say they were indwelt by the Spirit empowered by the Spirit energized by the Spirit made alive by the Spirit or sealed by The Spirit he just says they were associated with the Holy Spirit and the nature and extent of that Association is nowhere described in Hebrews chapter 6 Just that they had an association ship.

They had partaken in some way of some blessing some benefit some work or activity That the Holy Spirit was involved in and there are numerous ways that this can happen numerous ways. We have all known men and women in our lives Who have come into the church and maybe even come to faith in Jesus Christ in some way.

And then they have been involved in church ministry and in church work and they help out and serve in some way they Can be they can be recognized as deacons in some way. Maybe even elders in some way preach or teach the Word of God start Bible studies Start ministries be involved in ministries lead certain functions within the church and then before long something seems to happen and they wander off and They're no longer believers.

They completely apostatized from the faith Leave the faith and depart from the faith and and they have spent years maybe Working alongside of people who are indwelt by the Spirit of God Involved in the work of the church where the Spirit of God is working there and they have participated and had some Association with that work of the Spirit and even received some of the blessings that come from working and laboring Alongside of the Spirit of God in a work that the Spirit of God is doing and in that sense they can be very Called very in a very real sense Associates of the Holy Spirit they have partaken of the blessings of being involved in that work Even though they themselves have never actually been saved Know anybody like that.

I.

Would bet.

That if we went around this room and we just shared stories of people we know from our past that there would be hundreds and Maybe with a group this size thousands of such stories that we could share a People that we know were really strong and really passionate and you would have bet your life that they were believers at some point.

But then they turn around and they walk out and as 1st John 2 19 says they demonstrate that they were never really of us. How is that possible? Just in our May conference a couple months ago. Last month we had a lady who was here from another church.

Not not in our area but from outside of our area and she was describing to me how their church is going through some difficult times because for years their pastor preached the word and taught the word and and Was there for decades and he attended shepherds conference and and has counseled and discipled people and taught every Sunday and they grow and she Grew and was ministered to by the Word of God and then something happened and now to this day the pastor lives in unrepentant sin walked away from and completely apostatized from the faith and both his wife and those in leadership in that church are Convinced that he is an unbeliever the way he's responded to the truth.

And she looked at me and said I don't even know how that happens. Like how does that happen? I don't even know what to make of that. I.

Happens all the time.

Scriptures full of warnings about tares among the wheat goats with the sheep wolves and sheeps clothing who are among us. People who are pretenders and fakes and and profess to have eternal life. But actually have no possession of eternal life and they turn around they walk out of the church.

We should not be surprised by that because after all it is God's Word that he blesses not the instrument the person. Right because we have known and seen examples where people who live in Unrepentant habitual secret sin can do so for years and get up behind pulpits and preach the word and teach the word and people's lives are Changed and people are affected by it and they're encouraged by it.

And then it comes out later on that they have been involved in some horribly secret sin. That is disqualified him years ago. And yet God blesses the preaching of the word. It's the Word of God that he breathed that he blesses.

Now. It's not the individual the individual is just a Balaam's donkey. It's the Word of God that he has that is imbued with power. And the Spirit of God uses that and an individual can be an unbeliever and stand up and communicate to you what scripture teaches and in that way he has an association with the Holy Spirit because he is involved in a work that the Spirit of God is doing and he is seeing the blessing of The Spirit of God upon the Word of God that is preached while that individual is not even a believer.

That is not only possible. It happens continually. Every year not every year but many times over the course of last 15 years I've taught evangelism training out of Cocoa Lake Bible Camp and I sit down with the staff and I explained to them very first session Is what is the gospel and why do we communicate the gospel the way that we do and I go through the gospel?

So I make sure that every kid there hears that. Because over the course of the last 15 years as I've done this 12 10 12 something times like that I have watched over all of those years kids who have sat there and heard me communicate the gospel and have Repeated back to me exactly what to say in terms of what the gospel is.

Kids who are in that situation who then for the next four weeks sat down with campers who came to camp and shared the gospel just Like they were trained to do and have communicated the gospel and prayed with these kids and shared the gospel with them and kids get Saved as a result of that ministry.

Those very same staff members within a few years after leaving camp many of them some of them not all of them. Obviously, there was my kids would all be part of that group. But many of them turn and walk away from the faith and completely apostatize.

Making no profession of faith at all. I Went to Bible school with dozens of these kinds of people. It's not uncommon This and our church our churches in America we are producing false converts with the way that the gospel is presented in American churches because you get up and you kind of give a light sugar-coated message about things that we do wrong boo-boos that we make and how we all need a second chance and if you want a second chance Raise your hand welcome to the family of God and people walk out the door thinking that they've heard the gospel thinking that their lives are going to be changed thinking that everything's different and they're completely unregenerate and they think they're Christians and The modern gospel presentations are inoculating people against the gospel so that they don't understand the gospel and then they walk away.

Bitter backsliders when the whole Jesus thing that they tried and they gave a whirl doesn't work out for them. Find that their lives haven't changed and they pretend and and fake it for a while and then they walk away.

Completely unregenerate and then you go to those people with the real gospel. Do you think it is possible to renew them again to that state of repentance? That's the language right out of Hebrews 6. Good luck with that.

Those bitter backsliders are harder to reach than a rank pagan in the jungles of Mumbaga. Somewhere on some remote island in the South Pacific who has never heard of Jesus. The bitter backsliders are harder to reach than those people.

So those on the other side of the aisle would want to say or argue that these can only be true Christians because only true Christians can have the Holy Spirit. I would agree with that only true Christians can have the Holy Spirit but the issue is whether that phrase being a partaker an Associate with the Holy Spirit is the type of language that would be used to describe Christians.

And I would say that it is not that is not the language the New Testament Uses to describe a Christians relationship with the Holy Spirit. Christians are said to be possessed by the Spirit to possess the Spirit.

The Spirit indwells us seals us gifts us and powers us enables Us regenerates us illuminates us illumines us sanctifies us preserves us protect us. We are called by the Spirit given life by the Spirit drawn by the Spirit and we are given the Holy Spirit.

The true Christians are never said to be associates of the Holy Spirit. Do you not see the difference between being an associate of somebody loosely connected in some indiscriminate? Undefined fashion and being a real partaker who is indwelt and empowered and regenerated by the Spirit of God.

There's a real difference between those two extremes. So we are not Christians are not just associated with the Holy Spirit in some loose and undefined sense. We are indwelt by the Spirit and regenerated by the Spirit and that language is not used here in Hebrews chapter 6.

So I think that that is what is being described here with the the word partaker of the Holy Spirit now. These four phrases sum up these four phrases first the author is and by four phrases I mean the enlightened the tasting and the partaking these four positive phrases that we've looked at.

Here's a summary number one. The author is not affirming their salvation or the fruit of their salvation. He's not doing that.

In fact.

He distinctly Intends to not do that because he changes he changes pronouns in verse 9 when he says but brethren that is brothers. We are convinced of better things concerning you things accompanying salvation.

There is a group in Hebrews 6 whose salvation he is certain of it is not the group mentioned in verses 4 through 6. It is the group addressed in verses 9 and following. Nothing could be more clear than that.

There is a group of people whose salvation he is certain of it's not 4 through 6. It's not those folks because he contrasts it and says but concerning you I am confident of your salvation. Whatever he thought of this group described here who fall away.

He was not confident of their salvation or he would have said so. Number two the second summary these phrases taken either individually or as a whole do not definitively or unquestionably describe genuine Christians.

Taken individually or as a group remember back the beginning. I told you there are some people say no. No, don't don't get caught up in the weeds looking at each phrase individually. Just kind of lump them all together feel the effect of it.

And I told you look if if you you take them individually or lump them all together. They have the same effect. But they mean what they mean and you slow down and see what they mean and they come far short of describing somebody Who is born again who is actually saved and regenerated been converted?

So these phrases neither taken individually slowly and methodically as we've tried to do it nor if you just throw them all together. They just do not describe a believer. All of these things are true of Christians but not everybody of whom these things is true is a Christian just like Enlightenment.

There is a group of people who have received an understanding of the truth. They have experienced some things and they have had an association with the work of the Holy Spirit in some way. That type of a description falls far short of a robust and ringing and unequivocal affirmation of their salvation.

None of these things is indicative of true salvation necessarily. None of these things necessitate salvation to experience and none of these things by itself indicates Salvation because all of these things could be said of Judas Iscariot.

In fact, all of these things could be said of every apostate who has come into a church heard the gospel made some profession of faith. Not been regenerated and turned around and walked away and left the faith forever.

Every one of these things could be affirmed of every single apostate in the history of Christianity. Because all of these things can be enjoyed and experienced external without any connection to salvation whatsoever.

Whether or not these people are saved is definitely not affirmed though. They have had and he affirms this a very real religious experience. That is true of apostates. Third. I Told you at the beginning that I needed to prove to you that these phrases can not Conclusively prove the spiritual state of this group described in verses four to six now I think that I have done that as Effectively and convincingly as I am mentally capable of doing as we've walked through this now, maybe you're not convinced.

Maybe you say I'm not convinced of that. Okay. Well go back and listen to the messages again. And if you're still not convinced go back and listen to the messages again a third time. And if you're still not convinced then here would be my challenge to you.

You would need to take this passage of Hebrews 6 and your understanding that this describes Christians who can lose their salvation. Here's what you have to do as you read your Bible. You have to take all of the very clear and unequivocal and definitive passages of Scripture like John 6 John 10 John 17 Romans 1 Ephesians chapter 1 first Peter chapter 1 all the rest of the book of John and quite frankly all the rest of the book of Hebrews and You have to read all of those clear and unequivocal passages that affirm without any kind of confusing language The absolute security of the believer because of what Christ has done and you have to read all of those passages through the lens of your interpretation understanding of Hebrews chapter 6 and When you do that, you are going to end up reading into all of those other passages all of these exceptions all of these Assumptions all of these presuppositions that you think lie behind that theology.

That's what you'd have to do. There's nothing in Hebrews 6 That necessitates that we understand this to be true and genuine Christians believers, that's my presentation of those four passages those four phrases.

Now just in case that doesn't convince you and just in case you thought that was the end of the message. Oh, no. No, hold on. Just one other thing that I want to point out and this I think fits here as we're sort of wrapping up the study of These four phrases it fits here.

I know of no other place to sort of put it in here. But this is an argument another argument that I just want to highlight for you. And this is going to take me just a couple of seconds to lay this out.

Those on the other side who believe you can lose your salvation to believe the Hebrews chapter 6 teaches this. They would say that there is no clearer no more convincing no more a direct and unequivocal Passage of scripture that lists Christian blessings and experiences when Hebrews chapter 6 I've read you some of these quotes for instance grant Osborne.

He says if this passage were found in Romans 8 we would all hail. It is the greatest description of Christian blessings in the entire Bible. Right meaning that. This is so clear. It's so unequivocal. It's just the reference to falling away that makes us question whether or not these are Christians.

This is so clear. It's so it's so unambiguous. He would say Osborne after studying all four of these phrases are explaining all four of these phrases. He writes this this is a truly remarkable list of experiences.

And there is hardly anything to compare with it in terms of a brief creed alike. Presentation of the privileges of being a Christian close quote. There's hardly any lists like this anywhere in the New Testament.

So certainly describes what it means to be and experience true Christian regeneration. Charles Spurgeon whom I quoted months ago now remember Spurgeon did not believe that you can lose your salvation.

He agreed that this passage describes believers. So he would agree with Arminians in that this passage describes believers true and genuine believers though he would disagree with their conclusion because Spurgeon remember he believed that this was a Hypothetical scenario to demonstrate the ludicrously of believing that you can lose your salvation, but here's how Spurgeon described this passage.

I've quoted it before. I just want to remind you of it. Spurgeon says this if the Holy Spirit intended to describe Christians. I do not see that it could have used more explicit terms than are here. How can a man be said to be enlightened to taste the heavenly gift and to be made partaker of the Holy Spirit without being?

A child of God that's the Spurgeon said couldn't ask for any clear language. That's their position. Could the Holy Spirit have been any clearer if he wanted to describe Christians.

Could he have been?

Well, I think the Holy Spirit could have been a little bit clearer. Let me make that case. Here's how I think the Holy Spirit could have been a little bit clearer in order to answer that question. Is this is this the clearest possible way that this author could describe Christians if he wanted us to understand these people to be Christians?

We would have to look elsewhere in the book of Hebrews and say how does the author of the book of Hebrews? Describe Christians in other passages. And we'd have to eliminate from our consideration all the passages that might describe an unbeliever or a fake possession Possessor that would be evangelistic in nature.

We would just have to look at the passages where we know that the author is Describing with certainty and nobody doubts it that he is describing Christians. How does the author of Hebrews? What type of language does he use?

What type of things does he say are true of real Christians in other passages where we know that he is for certain speaking of? Christians here's a list of them and I have for your consideration only 18 points and this will go by quickly.