Hebrews 6 Study Notes
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6:4-20 Verses 6-9 have been the subject of much debate. There are several possible interpretations regarding the author’s intentions and the identity of those who have fallen away. First, some say those who had “fallen away” were genuine Christians who had forsaken Jesus and reverted to Judaism. A second view says they were hearers who had understood the gospel but had not become true believers. A third interpretation identifies the things that are better and that pertain to salvation as sanctification rather than justification. A fourth interpretation holds that the writer is speaking about apostasy as a possibility rather than a reality.
archiereus
| Greek pronunciation | [ahr kee eh ROOS] |
| CSB translation | high priest |
| Uses in Hebrews | 17 |
| Uses in the NT | 122 |
| Focus passage | Hebrews 5:10 |
In the Gospels and Acts, archiereus refers to the Jewish high priest, who served as president of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court (Mt 26:3,57; Ac 24:1). The plural (chief priests) indicates members of the priestly aristocracy from which the high priest was chosen. These priests were key figures in the Sanhedrin and belonged to the Sadducean party (Mk 14:55; Ac 5:17). In Hebrews, archiereus refers primarily to Christ’s priestly ministry, which came from God (Heb 5:5,10) and was superior to that of any earthly priest (Heb 7:27-28). Christ is high priest of the new covenant, having accomplished the ultimate sacrifice (Heb 8:1-6). He passed through the heavens, entered the true sanctuary, offered himself as the one final sacrifice, and sat down at God’s right hand (Heb 4:14; 6:20; 7:27; 8:1-2; 9:12). Jesus is able to deal mercifully with his people because he was fully human (Heb 2:17; 4:15; 5:1-10).
The first interpretation neglects the author’s claim that he was speaking in a rhetorical way and was confident of “things that are better” regarding his readers. The second interpretation must overcome the language of conversion (those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, and who tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age). These phrases indicate something beyond a mere hearing of the gospel. The third interpretation does not adequately deal with the fact that the apostate cannot renew his repentance once he has chosen the way of faithlessness.
Because of problems with the first three views, the fourth interpretation—that the author was speaking of an unfulfilled possibility rather than a concrete reality—seems most acceptable. Indeed, he used the warning against apostasy as a rhetorical means to call his readers to demonstrate the same diligence they had shown before. He was confident of something better than apostasy in their lives because he saw their prior love for Christ and faithful service in his name. The author was not detailing a doctrine of apostasy; he was calling his readers to progress toward maturity. Every succeeding statement promotes this goal. Like Abraham, who obtained the promise of God after waiting patiently, the readers should seize the hope before them because God has guaranteed his promise with an oath. And because Jesus has entered the inner sanctuary of God’s presence, the Christian has a sure and firm anchor for the soul. There is not a hint of wavering in the author’s voice about either God’s will or the final outcome for his dearly loved friends.