Chapter I.
The nature of apostasy from the gospel declared, in an exposition of Hebrews vi. 4–6.
Intending an inquiry into the nature, causes, and occasions of the present defection that is in the world from the truth, holiness, and worship of the gospel, I shall lay the foundation of my whole discourse in an exposition of that passage in the Epistle of Paul the apostle unto the Hebrews, wherein he gives an account both of the nature of apostasy and of the punishment due unto apostates; for as this will lead us naturally unto what is designed, so an endeavour to free the context from the difficulties wherewith it is generally supposed to be attended, and to explain the mind of the Holy Ghost therein, may be neither unacceptable nor unuseful. And this is chap. vi. 4–6, whose words are these that follow:—
Ἀδύνατον γὰρ τοὺς ἅπαξ φωτισθέντας, γευσαμένους τε τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς ἐπουρανίου, καὶ μετόχους γενηθέντας Πνεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ καλὸν γευσαμένους Θεοῦ ῥῆμα, δυνάμεις τε μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, καὶ παραπεσόντας, πάλιν ἀνακαινίζειν εἰς μετάνοιαν, ἀνασταυροῦντας ἑαυτοῖς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ παραδειγματίζοντας.
Ἀδύνατον γάρ. “Impossibile enim,” that is, “est;” — “It is impossible.” Syr., אֶלָּא לָא מֶשְׁכְחִין, — “But they cannot.” This respects the power of the persons themselves, and not the event of things; it may be not improperly as to the sense. Beza and Erasmus, “Fieri non potest,” — “It cannot be;” the same with “impossible.” But the use of the word ἀδύνατον in the New Testament, which signifies sometimes only what is very difficult, not what is absolutely denied, makes it useful to retain the same word, as in our translation, “For it is impossible.”
Τοὺς ἅπαξ φωτισθέντας. הָנוּן דַּחֲדָא זְבַן לְמַעֲמוּדִיתָא נְחֵתוּ; — “Those who one time,” or “once descended unto baptism;” of which intepretation we must speak afterward. All others, “Qui semel fuerint illuminati;” — “Who were once enlightened.” Only the Ethiopic follows the Syriac. Some read “illustrati” to the same purpose.
Γευσαμένους τε τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς ἐπουρανίου. Vulg. Lat., “Gustaverant etiam donum cœleste;” “etiam,” for “et.” Others express the article by the pronoun, by reason of its reduplication: “Et gustaverint donum illud cœleste;” — “And have tasted of that heavenly gift.” Syr., “The gift that is from heaven.” And this the emphasis in the original seems to require: “And have tasted of that heavenly gift.”
Καὶ μετόχους γενηθέντας Πνεύματος ἁγίου. “Et participes facti sunt Spiritus Sancti,” Vulg. Lat.; — “And are made partakers of the Holy Ghost.” All others, “facti fuerint,” “have been” made partakers of the Holy Ghost. Syr., רוּחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא, — The Spirit of holiness.”
Καὶ καλὸν γευσαμένους Θεοῦ ῥῆμα. Vulg. Lat., “Et gustaverunt nihilominus bonum Dei verbum.” Rhem., “Have moreover tasted the good word of God.” But “moreover” doth not express “nihilominus.” [It must be rendered,] “And have notwithstanding,” etc., which hath no place here. Καλὸν ῥῆμα, — “verbum pulchrum.”
Δυνάμεις τε μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. “Virtutesque seculi futuri.” Syr., חַיְלָא, — “virtutem,” the “power.” Vulg., “seculi venturi.” We cannot in our language distinguish between “futurum” and “venturum,” and so render it “the world to come.”
Καὶ παραπεσόντας. Vulg., “Et prolapsi sunt.” Rhem., “And are fallen.” Others, “Si prolabantur,” which the sense requires; “If they fall,” that is, “away,” as our translation, properly. Syr., דְּתוּב יֶחְטוּן, “That sin again,” — somewhat dangerously, for it is one kind of sinning only that is included and expressed.
Πάλιν ἀνακαινίζειν εἰς μετάνοιαν. Vulg., “Rursus renovari ad pœnitentiam,” — “To be renewed again to repentance,” rendering the active verb passively. So Beza also, “Ut denuo renoventur ad resipiscentiam;” — “That they should again be renewed to repentance.” The word is active as rendered by ours, “To renew them again to repentance.”
Ἀνασταυροῦντας ἑαυτοῖς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ. “Rursum crucifigentes sibimetipsis Filium Dei.” Καὶ παραδειγματίζοντας. Vulg., “Et ostentui habentes.” Rhem., “And making him a mockery.” Erasmus, “Ludibrio habentes” Beza, “Ignominiæ exponentes.” One of late, “Ad exemplum Judæorum excruciant;” — “Torment him as did the Jews.”
“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, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away,” (for any) “to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify again to themselves the Son of God, and put him to open shame” (or treat him ignominiously.)
That this passage in our apostle’s discourse hath been looked upon as accompanied with great difficulties is known to all, and many have the differences been about its interpretation; for both doctrinally and practically, sundry have here stumbled and miscarried. It is almost generally agreed upon that from these words, and the colourable but indeed perverse interpretation and application made of them by some in the primitive times, occasioned by the then present circumstances of things, to be mentioned afterwards, the Latin church was so backward in receiving the epistle itself, that it had not absolutely prevailed therein in the days of Jerome, as we have elsewhere declared. Wherefore it is necessary that we should a little inquire into the occasion of the great contests which have been in the church, almost in all ages, about the sense of this place.