Contextual Study of the Letter to Hebrews

Hebrews Chapter 6:4-6.

What Does It Mean?

4. For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
5. and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6. and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
7. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.
8. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

As in all interpretation of Scripture, we must take this passage in the context that it was written. To lift this passage out of the context of the whole letter to the Hebrews is a grave mistake. Anyone who takes a verse or passage out of the context in which it was written, is immediately in error. If we are going to come to the truth in any passage of Scripture, we must leave it in the context in which it was written.

Many may look at this passage as describing those who have come to a saving knowledge of the Lord, but then falls or walks away from their faith. However, there is another way to understand this, and when understanding the background of why this letter was written and to whom it was written, it may take a different viewpoint.

BACKGROUND FOR THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS

No passage of Scripture was written in a vacuum. Because this is true, understanding the background of a text is one of the most important keys to a right interpretation. This passage in Hebrews 6:4-8 is no different. In fact, it could serve as the poster child for such a truth. If you try to interpret it without a solid understanding of the background, you will end up in a ditch.

The two major things we must have a good grasp of for understanding Hebrews, is to whom the letter was written, their situation, as well as when it was written and by whom.

Outline of Hebrews

The word that best characterizes this letter is the word “better”, which appears 13 times. The term “more excellent” appears 4 times and “perfect” 12 times.

The basic meaning of the word “better” is best understood as that which is stronger . Hebrews proclaims to us that which is better;

1. Better hope (7:19)
2. Better covenant (7:22; 8:6)
3. Better promises (8:6)
4. Better sacrifices (9:23)
5. Better blood (12:24)

DATE: Before destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Approximately AD 62-65.

AUTHOR:
The writer of this letter has been debated for as long as the letter has been read. However, according to the early church historian, Eusebius, some of the very earliest opinions favor the Apostle Paul. The earliest church father who attributes Hebrews to Paul, is Clement of Rome. Clement served as the Bishop of Rome at the end of the first century (AD 92-100). He is mentioned by Paul in his letter to the Philippians [Phil. 4:3], as his fellow laborer.

The authorship of the letter is a rabbit hole that is way to deep for this study. So we will accept the Apostle Paul as the author, who wrote the letter from Italy [Heb. 13:24]. I have only recently warmed up to the idea that Paul could be the author of Hebrews, even though his name does not appear in the letter. One of the most given reasons for his name not appearing is due to his contentious relationship with some of the more legalistic minded brothers. Many of the points made in this letter sounds very familiar to some of Paul’s arguments in his other letters, especially Galatians. We know that Paul was martyred during the persecution of the Church by the Emperor Nero (AD 64-68).

PURPOSE : Exhortation not to stop short of the goal of maturity in Christ.

OUTLINE

I. The New Covenant is superior to and supersedes the first covenant
because Jesus the Messiah is better than and superior to:

A. The Prophets (1:1-3)

B. The Angels (1:4-2:18)

C. Moses (3:1-6)

D. Joshua (3:7-4:13)

E. Aaron (4:14-8:6)

II. The New Covenant is superior to and supersedes the first because:

A. It was prophesied to be superior (8:7-13)

B. The New worships in the Heavenly Tabernacle (9:1-28)

C. The new is the substance, the first is the shadow (10:1-15)

1. First a shadow or type (10:1-10)

2. New is the substance (10:11-15)

C. The new is based upon faith (11:1-12:11)

III. Closing Warnings and Exhortations (12:12-13:25)

The Recipients

The title of the letter informs us that it was written to those of the Hebrew lineage. To simplify this, it was written to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However, those descendants were scattered all over the Roman Empire and beyond. They were referred to as the Diaspora, which means the scattering of seed. It has been the position of many that the letter was written to the Jewish believers of Judea, especially those in Jerusalem.

The purpose of Paul’s writing to these believers, was to encourage them to persevere in their faith in Christ even in the midst of trials and persecution. It seems evident from his exhortation to them, that because of the persecution, which was at the hands of their own countrymen, some could step away from their devotion to Christ and go back to the old and obsolete covenantal practices of the Levitical sacrificial system. He reminds them that God has given them a new and better Covenant. Because of this New Covenant, the Old Covenant would soon disappear. It would disappear because it was outdated, due to the appearance of the New. Because it was outdated, its visible symbol, the temple would vanish also [Heb. 8:13].

Paul explicitly warns them five different times that falling away or drawing back from the New and going back to the Old, was walking away from their faith and confidence in Christ. They could not be loyal to both. They could not serve two masters. They also could not jump back and forth between these two opinions. They had to pick one over the other.