One of the most hotly debated topic among Christians is in regard to the doctrine of perseverance. This doctrine pertains to the understanding of the nature of salvation that Christians have in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Reformed Christians have always believed in the preservation and perseverance of the saints. In other words, we believe a Christian would be kept by God from falling away and would thus persevere till the end. Thus all true Christians shall persevere till the end and only those who persevere till the end are true Christians.
The warning passages in the book of Hebrews have always been considered as a clear biblical objection against such an understanding of the nature of salvation. The debate is whether the book of Hebrews teaches the final perseverance of the saints or does it teach some genuine Christians will fall away. This question is essentially an exegetical one and thus needs to be answered by an exegete who carefully examines and exegetes the text to understand the teaching of the book.
Dr. Wayne Grudem, Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary, has done a very thorough case study on Hebrews 6:4-6 and other warning passages of Hebrews, in his contribution to The Grace of God and The Bondage of the Will Vol.I (Eds:Thomas Schreiner, Bruce Ware; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995). Grudem’s basic thesis is “by focusing our attention within the book of Hebrews itself, we will see that this passage in its immediate context and within the larger context of the book of Hebrews as a whole, is entirely consistent with the Reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.”
Grudem’s analysis of this passage in its immediate and wider context of Hebrews is exegetically sensitive and theologically astute. After his analysis of the book of Hebrews, he moves onto the wider canon of New Testament. Grudem’s interacts with the rest of the New Testament to show how similar descriptions like in Hebrews 6:4-6, is used elsewhere by Jesus and the Apostles, to refer to people who, though having enjoyed many blessings, were not saved. He concludes his article with some implications of his exegetical investigation, on the assessment of and proclamation of the doctrine of perseverance.
The article has been organized as follows :
I. Analysis of Hebrews 6:4-6 in its immediate context
a. Definition of the question
b. The meanings of the descriptive terms in verses 4-6
i. The argument that these people were once saved
ii. The argument that the terms alone are inconclusive
iii. Other views of 6:4-6
iv. Conclusion regarding the positive terms in 6:4-6
v. Why is it impossible to restore such people to repentance?
c. Verses 7-8: The metaphor of the field
d. Verses 9-12: Better things, that is , things that belong to salvation
e. Chapters 3-4: Comparison with the earlier state of those who fell away elsewhere in Hebrews
f. Comparison with language describing the saved elsewhere in Hebrews
g. Conclusions regarding Hebrews 6:4-6
II. Analysis of other warning passages in Hebrews
a. Hebrews 2:1-4
b. Hebrews 3:6-4:13
c. Hebrews 10:26-31
d. Hebrews 12:25
III. Comparison with related passages in the rest of the New Testament
IV. Conclusions for the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints
This article is one of the finest exegetical treatment of the warning passages in Hebrews. It is very easy to read and would be appealing to both laymen and scholars.
