Hundreds as well as our correspondent “S. K. J.” have been sorely troubled by Heb. 6:44For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, (Hebrews 6:4); and, while we rejoice in seeing souls thoroughly searched by the word, we certainly do not like to see them stumbled.
We do not think our correspondent fully apprehends either the scope or object of this important scripture. The Apostle is urging the Hebrews to leave the mere elements or first principles confined in the Jewish ritual, in which they had been brought up, such as the ceremonial acts of washing, and laying on of hands, and the doctrines which, as mere Jews, they had been taught. He is not speaking in this place of Christian principles or privileges; for no matter how elementary these might be, he could never urge the Hebrews to leave them. The very first truths of the gospel which fell on my ear are those which I am to hold fast with the most earnest tenacity to the end. The redeemed in glory sing of the love of God, and the blood of Jesus; and are not these some of the very first principles of Christianity? How, then, could the Apostle exhort us to leave them behind? It is, in our judgment, a mistake to confound Jewish “repentance from dead works,” with Christian “repentance unto life;” or Jewish “washings,” with Christian “baptism.”
Furthermore, we do not believe that the persons referred to in Hebrews 6:4-54For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, (Hebrews 6:4‑5), were ever regenerated at all. Not one of the expressions used rises to the idea of the new birth. The expression, “made partakers of the Holy Spirit,” merely applies to one having certain gifts of the Spirit, which many might have possessed without being regenerated. No truly regenerated person can ever finally fall away; but if a Jew professed to receive the Christian system, and then went back to the Jewish system, it was impossible to do anything for him, inasmuch as he had given up the only thing by which God could bless, and gone back to that which could do nothing for anybody. Judaism could not save him, and he had given up Christianity. What could be done for him?
Want of space prevents our entering more fully into the exposition of this important passage, but we trust sufficient has been said to open it to our correspondent.