greatest concern must be to walk with Him. If for any failure on our part the permission to go on unto perfection

should be withdrawn, let us humbly bow to the will of God, and in lowliness of mind seek the presence of the Lord.

While we feel the crown and the prize will but add to His glory, and therefore we should run with patience the race

set before us, the prize is valueless, the crown a bauble if it does not glorify Him.

It is impossible to be too keenly sensitive to the serious nature of the failure dealt with in this chapter. To be

`dull of hearing', to remain `a babe', to be satisfied with the `milk' of the word, and to make no advance may seem

bad but not serious. The inspired apostle takes another view. To remain a babe is really to go back, and this may be

the beginning of apostasy. Let us see how the Scriptures speak of those who failed to go on unto perfection.

`It is impossible to renew them again unto repentance if they should fall away, having crucified again to themselves the

Son of God, and put Him to an open shame' (Heb. 6:6 not AV JP).

`If we should voluntarily sin after having received the full knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice

for sins ... having trampled under foot the Son of God' (Heb. 10:26-29 not AV JP).

We must distinguish between the fact that many, if not all saints after conversion, lapse into sin of one sort or

another, and the falling away intended here. It is the teaching of the Scriptures that if a man be overtaken in a fault,

the spiritual ones of the church must restore him in a spirit of meekness, considering themselves lest they also

should be tempted (Gal. 6:1). The exhortations to the seven churches of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 are further

illustrations of the same truth. It is evident that here in the epistle to the Hebrews something more serious is

involved.

`For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers

of the Holy Ghost (holy spirit), and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come

(coming age), 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' (Heb. 6:4-6).

We must first of all seek to understand the nature of these blessings so that we may the better understand the

nature of the falling away from them.

(1) They were once enlightened (photizo). In chapter 10 this word occurs again and the context is so helpful that

we must draw attention to it. To save space we will not quote fully:

`Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together ... for if we sin wilfully after receiving the full knowledge of the

truth ... no more sacrifice ... fearful expectation of judgment ... consume the adversaries ... trampled on the Son

of God ... but remember the former days in which having been enlightened ye endured a great contest of

sufferings ... cast not away your confidence, which has great recompense of reward ... if any man draw back ...

we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the acquiring of the soul' (Heb.

10:25-39 not AV JP).

This is a valuable commentary, setting Hebrews 6 in its true light and preventing us from making erroneous

applications of its solemn teaching. Some who do not realize the setting of Hebrews 6 have sought to minimize the

force of the word `enlighten', so that it only means an external, but not a real and inward illumination. If this is

proved, then of course we are dealing merely with professors and the problem is ended. But Hebrews 10:32,

wherein is the only other occurrence of the word photizo, does not allow of such an interpretation. These

enlightened ones were believers, not empty professors.

(2) They had tasted of the heavenly gift. They were made partakers of Holy spirit. These two statements explain

one another. They moreover look back to the laying on of hands which usually was instrumental in the bestowal of

this gift. It will be remembered that when `Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands holy spirit

was given he offered them money', and that Peter said, `Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that

THE GIFT OF GOD may be purchased with money'.

(3) They had tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the coming age. The promise of restoration from

Babylon is thus called in Jeremiah 29:10.

`After seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing

you to return to this place'.