If we are to go on, we must leave the word of the beginning of Christ (6:1). This means that we must leave the foundation stage, the milk stage, and the baby stage. As we have seen in the previous message, the word of the beginning of Christ is the milk for the babes in Christ. In order to go on we must leave the doctrines we received at the beginning and no longer feed on baby food. We must go on from the baby stage to maturity by feeding on the solid food, which is the word of righteousness (5:13-14) ministered to us in this book.
The foundation has already been laid, and there is no need to lay it again (6:1). The foundation is of six things: repentance from dead works, faith toward God, teaching of baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment (vv. 1-2). This is the foundation of our Christian life which was laid at the beginning when we were saved. Since it has already been laid, there is no need to lay it again. If we fall away after being saved, we do not need to go back to repent of the things which we have repented of already. If we go back to repeat our past repentance, it means that we are going back to lay another foundation. If after falling away we come back and desire to go on with the Lord, we do not need to repeat our old repentance. We simply need to go on. Let us use again the illustration of construction work. If the work on a meeting hall is stopped after the laying of the foundation, there is no need to lay another foundation for the further building work. The workmen should simply build upon the foundation already laid. We may also use the illustration of running a race. If a runner falls after starting the race, he does not need to go back to start the race again. He simply needs to press on from the very place where he has fallen. Our Christian life is a building project and a race. If we fall away after we have begun, we do not need to go back to the beginning and start again; we only need to go on from where we fell.
Verse 4 says, “For it is impossible to renew again to repentance those who were once enlightened, and who have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit.” Many Christian teachers misinterpret this verse and many preachers misuse it. They claim that Hebrews 6 says that if we sin after believing in the Lord, it is impossible for us to repent and be forgiven. This is not the meaning of this verse. It means that after you have repented once and have been stirred up to go on with the Lord, you do not need to repent again. In the eyes of the Lord, it is impossible for you to do this. Once the foundation has been laid, it is impossible to lay it again. Those who were once enlightened, who have tasted of the heavenly gift, have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, have tasted the good word of God and the works of power of the coming age, laid the foundation already at the time they believed. Once they have fallen away and returned back, there is no need for them to lay the foundation again. They should just rise up, go on, and be brought on to maturity. There is no need to repeat their repentance, for “it is impossible to renew again” that repentance. Verse 1 indicates that this is not needed; verse 4 says that it is not possible; and verses 7 and 8 show that it is not right. Thus, this verse does not mean that it is impossible for a believer to be forgiven if he has sinned. It means that there is no need for a Christian who has fallen to go back to repeat his original repentance. In the eyes of God, this is impossible.
The heavenly gift mentioned in verse 4 refers to God’s giving of the heavenly things, such as His forgiveness, righteousness, divine life, peace, and joy at the time of our conversion. The Greek word translated “word” in verse 5 is rhema, meaning the instant word of God. The “good word of God” here refers to the word of the beginning of Christ mentioned in verse 1, which is the milk the Hebrew believers tasted when they believed in the Lord. Now they must go on to the deeper word, the word of righteousness (5:13), which is not mainly concerned with God’s redemption but with the way of His economy, and which is the solid food for them to reach maturity (v. 1).
The word “power” in verse 5 refers to the divine power, and the “coming age” refers to the age of the coming kingdom. The divine power of the coming kingdom is to restore, renew, and revive the things which have become old (Matt. 19:28). At the time of the believers’ regeneration (Titus 3:5), they all tasted this divine power that caused them to be restored, renewed, and revived.
Most Christian teachers say that the fallen-away one mentioned here is a false Christian. But how could one who has been enlightened, has tasted of the heavenly gift, has become a partaker of the Holy Spirit, and has tasted the good word of God and the works of power of the coming age be a false Christian? Most Christian teachers, not seeing the matter of reward and punishment, make a big mistake here. According to the context, such a fallen one is certainly a real Christian. He will never perish, but, as verse 8 reveals, he will suffer some punishment. Thus, he needs to come back and go on. In order to go on he does not need to go back to lay the foundation again. Even if he would go back to lay the foundation again, it would be impossible for him to do so, because whatever he would do could not be counted by God.