Hebrews 6

[DorianGregorian]

I’m having trouble with this part of Scripture. It seems to apply that once someone has left the faith they can never come back. Does this mean I can’t return to the Church?

 

[Trishie]

My dear friend, many of us here have returned to the faith, as did St Augustine. Consider St Paul the great apostle. He was present and approved the stoning to death of Stephen the first martyr. He had many Christians arrested before his conversion. I’m sure you have never done anything so terrible.

And Peter’s sin in denying Jesus was actually more serious than many usually think, because Jesus had said: “If you deny Me before men, I will deny you before My Father in heaven” (see Matthew 10:37-38) Jesus however, forgave Jesus and gave him back his place in the church as leader of the apostles (see John 21)

Peter could never take back that time he let Jesus down at the worst possible time. In fact every one of the twelve (except John) abandoned Jesus whose love, goodness, and miracles they had experienced for a considerable period of time. How unworthy did that make them seem to be members of the Church. How dreadful for Jesus to see none of them standing by Him in the most dreadful time of His life, except John and the women.

“I have dispelled your faults like a cloud
your sins like a mist
Come back to me, for I have redeemed you.” [Isaiah 44:22]

“No need to recall the past,
no need to think about what was before.
See I am doing a new deed,
even now, it comes to light; can you not see it?
Yes, I am making a road in the wilderness,
paths in the wild.” [Isaiah 43:18-19]

“Do not gloat over me, my enemy: though I have fallen, I shall rise; though I live in darkness, God is my light. I must suffer the anger of God, for I have sinned against Him, until He takes up my cause and rights my wrongs; He will bring me out into the light and I shall rejoice to see the rightness of His ways.” [Micah 7:8-9]

“Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” [Psalm 43:1] “I shall cleanse you of all your defilement and all your idols. I shall give you a new heart…I shall put my spirit in you…You shall be my people and I shall be your God.” [Ezekiel 36:25-26, 29]

 

[Trishie]

Even taking the scripture at face value, your don’t claim, do you, to have had the fullness of enlightenment, the fullness of understanding the Church and faith when you left the Church. If you had really known, really experienced, really loved God, and really know all the richness of Church teachings, gospel teachings, the richness of the faith, you wouldn’t have left the Church dear friend. So St Paul isn’t speaking of you.

Be reassured.
Love, Trishie

 

[NotWorthy]

I understand that the passage is dealing with Apostasy - in other words, leaving the Church all while knowing it is the true Church.

To put it another way, it’s rejecting the Holy Spirit even while knowing the Holy Spirit is the One who sends us Grace.

 

[Pax]

Apostasy as described in Hebrews 6 needs to be understood as a complete renunciation of one’s Christian faith. For those that have renounced their belief in Christ, there is no forgiveness through Christ.

The passages do not IMHO address the issue of someone returning to belief. They address those that permanently deny belief in Jesus in favor of something else. The warning expressed in the book of Hebrews is probably a warning to stay strong in the face of potential martyrdom. Apostasy in this case suggests a permanence that would preclude forgiveness and salvation.

I hope this helps.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I’m having trouble with this part of Scripture. It seems to apply that once someone has left the faith they can never come back. Does this mean I can’t return to the Church?

Once one leaves the Faith they have cut themselves off from God. They need a fresh infusion of grace from God to turn back. It is difficult/impossible for them to pray for that grace in their isolation. Thus it is important for us to pray for them.

Sister Anne Shields told us that this is the most important form of intercession - to pray for those who cannot pray for themselves - either because they have turned away from God, or because they have never known Him. I think these are the ones Mary referred to in Fatima when she said many go to Hell because they have no one to pray for them.

Strictly my interpretation, though I don’t think I contradict any Church teaching.

 

[NotWorthy]

I’m having trouble with this part of Scripture. It seems to apply that once someone has left the faith they can never come back. Does this mean I can’t return to the Church?

Are you familiar with 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 when Paul discusses having the Church in Corinth expell the man who is sleeping with his mother-in-law. He explicitly says that the Church should do it (hand him over to Satan, I believe, is the phrase Paul uses), so that the man can be led back to Salvation.