SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:4
Porque es imposible que los que una vez recibieron la luz, y que gustaron aquel don celestial, y que fueron hechos partícipes del Espíritu Santo;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hebrew 6:4
Verse 4. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened] Before I proceed to explain the different terms in these verses, it is necessary to give my opinion of their design and meaning: 1. I do not consider them as having any reference to any person professing Christianity. 2. They do not belong, nor are they applicable, to backsliders of any kind. 3. They belong to apostates from Christianity; to such as reject the whole Christian system, and its author, the Lord Jesus. 4. And to those of them only who join with the blaspheming Jews, call Christ an impostor, and vindicate his murderers in having crucified him as a malefactor; and thus they render their salvation impossible, by wilfully and maliciously rejecting the Lord that bought them. No man believing in the Lord Jesus as the great sacrifice for sin, and acknowledging Christianity as a Divine revelation, is here intended, though he may have unfortunately backslidden from any degree of the salvation of God. The design of these solemn words is evidently, First, to show the Hebrews that apostasy from the highest degrees of grace was possible; and that those who were highest in the favour of God might sin against him, lose it, and perish everlastingly. Secondly, to warn them against such an awful state of perdition, that they might not be led away, by either the persuasions or persecutions of their countrymen, from the truth of the heavenly doctrine which had been delivered to them. And, Thirdly, to point out the destruction which was shortly to come upon the Jewish nation.
Once enlightened-Thoroughly instructed in the nature and design of the Christian religion, having received the knowledge of the truth, chap. x. 32; and being convinced of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and led to Jesus the saviour of sinners.
Tasted of the heavenly gift] Having received the knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins, through the Day Spring which from on high had visited them; such having received Christ, the heavenly gift of God's infinite love, John iii. 16; the living bread that came down from heaven, John vi. 51; and thus tasting that the Lord is gracious; 1 Pet. ii. 3, and witnessing the full effects of the Christian religion.
Partakers of the Holy Ghost] The Spirit himself witnessing with their spirits that they were the children of God, and thus assuring them of God's mercy towards them, and of the efficacy of the atonement through which they had received such blessings.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened , etc..] The Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, baptized; and the word is thought to be so used in ( Hebrews 10:32). And indeed baptism was called very early illumination by the ancients, as by Justin Martyr f80 , and Clemens Alexandrinus f81 , because only enlightened persons were the proper subjects of it; and the word once here used seems to confirm this sense, since baptism, when rightly administered, was not repeated; but then this sense depends upon an use of a word, which it is not certain did as yet obtain; nor does the apostle take notice of baptism in a parallel place, ( Hebrews 10:26,27). This gave rise to, and seems to favour the error of Novatus, that those who fall into sin after baptism are to be cut off from the communion of the church, and never more to be restored unto it; contrary to the promises of God to returning backsliders, and contrary to facts, as well as to the directions of Christ, and his apostles, to receive and restore such persons; and such a notion tends to set aside the intercession of Christ for fallen believers, and to plunge them into despair: it is better therefore to retain the word enlightened, in its proper sense, and to understand it of persons enlightened with Gospel knowledge; there are some who are savingly enlightened by the Spirit of God, to see the impurity of their hearts and actions, and their impotency to perform that which is good, the imperfection of their own righteousness to justify them, their lost state and condition by nature, and to see Christ and salvation by him, and their interest in it; and these being once enlightened, never become darkness, or ever so fall as to perish; for if God had a mind to destroy them, he would never have shown them these things, and therefore cannot be the persons designed here; unless we render the words, as the Syriac version does, it is impossible wjjy bwtd , that they should sin again; so as to die spiritually, lose the grace of God, and stand in need of a new work upon them, which would be impossible to be done: but rather such are meant, who are so enlightened as to see the evil effects of sin, but not the evil that is in sin; to see the good things which come by Christ, but not the goodness that is in Christ; so as to reform externally, but not to be sanctified internally; to have knowledge of the Gospel doctrinally, but not experimentally; yea, to have such light into it, as to be able to preach it to others, and yet be destitute of the grace of God: and have tasted of the heavenly gift ; either faith, or a justifying righteousness, or the pardon of sin, or eternal life; which are all spiritual and heavenly gifts of grace, and which true believers have real tastes of; and hypocrites please themselves with, having some speculative notions about them, and some desires after them, arising from a natural principle of self-love. Some think the Holy Ghost is intended; but rather Christ himself, the unspeakable gift of God's love, given from heaven, as the bread of life.
Now there are some who have a saving spiritual taste of this gift; for though God's people, while unregenerate, have no such taste; their taste is vitiated by sin, and it is not changed; sin is the food they live upon, in which they take an imaginary pleasure, and disrelish every thing else; but when regenerated, their taste is changed, sin is rendered loathsome to them; and they have a real gust of spiritual things, and especially of Christ, and find a real delight and pleasure in feeding by faith upon him; whereby they live upon him, and are nourished up unto eternal life, and therefore cannot be the persons here spoken of: but there are others who taste, but dislike what they taste; have no true love to Christ, and faith in him; or have only a carnal taste of him, know him only after the flesh, or externally, not inwardly and experimentally; or they have only a superficial taste, such as is opposed to eating the flesh, and drinking the blood of Christ, by faith, which is proper to true believers; the gust they have is but temporary, and arises from selfish principles. And were made partakers of the Holy Ghost ; not his person, nor his special grace; there are some who so partake of him, as to be united to him, in whom he becomes the principle of spiritual life, and motion: such have the fruits of the Spirit, and communion with him; they enjoy his personal presence and inhabitation in them; they have received him as a spirit of illumination and conviction, of regeneration and sanctification, as the spirit of faith, and as a comforter; and as a spirit of adoption, and the earnest and seal of future glory; but then such can never so fall away as to perish: a believer indeed may be without the sensible presence of the Spirit; the graces of the Spirit may be very low, as to their exercise; and they may not enjoy his comforts, gracious influences, and divine assistance; but the Spirit of God never is, in the above sense, in a castaway; where he takes up his dwelling, he never quits it; if such could perish, not only his own glory, but the glory of the Father, and of the Son, would be lost likewise: but by the Holy Ghost is sometimes meant the gifts of the Spirit, ordinary or extraordinary, ( 1 Corinthians 12:4-11) and so here; and men may be said to be partakers of the Holy Ghost, to whom he gives wisdom and prudence in things natural and civil; the knowledge of things divine and evangelical, in an external way; the power of working miracles, of prophesying, of speaking with tongues, and of the interpretation of tongues; for the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost seem chiefly designed, which some, in the first times of the Gospel, were partakers of, who had no share in special grace, ( Matthew 7:22,23 1 Corinthians 13:2,3).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Every part of the truth and will of God should be set before all wh profess the gospel, and be urged on their hearts and consciences. We should not be always speaking about outward things; these have their places and use, but often take up too much attention and time, whic might be better employed. The humbled sinner who pleads guilty, an cries for mercy, can have no ground from this passage to be discouraged, whatever his conscience may accuse him of. Nor does i prove that any one who is made a new creature in Christ, ever becomes final apostate from him. The apostle is not speaking of the fallin away of mere professors, never convinced or influenced by the gospel Such have nothing to fall away from, but an empty name, or hypocritica profession. Neither is he speaking of partial declinings of backslidings. Nor are such sins meant, as Christians fall into throug the strength of temptations, or the power of some worldly or fleshl lust. But the falling away here mentioned, is an open and avowe renouncing of Christ, from enmity of heart against him, his cause, an people, by men approving in their minds the deeds of his murderers, an all this after they have received the knowledge of the truth, an tasted some of its comforts. Of these it is said, that it is impossibl to renew them again unto repentance. Not because the blood of Christ is not sufficient to obtain pardon for this sin; but this sin, in its very nature, is opposite to repentance and every thing that leads to it. I those who through mistaken views of this passage, as well as of their own case, fear that there is no mercy for them, would attend to the account given of the nature of this sin, that it is a total and willing renouncing of Christ, and his cause, and joining with his enemies, it would relieve them from wrong fears. We should ourselve beware, and caution others, of every approach near to a gulf so awfu as apostacy; yet in doing this we should keep close to the word of God and be careful not to wound and terrify the weak, or discourage the fallen and penitent. Believers not only taste of the word of God, but they drink it in. And this fruitful field or garden receives the blessing. But the merely nominal Christian, continuing unfruitful unde the means of grace, or producing nothing but deceit and selfishness was near the awful state above described; and everlasting misery wa the end reserved for him. Let us watch with humble caution and praye as to ourselves.
Greek Textus Receptus
αδυνατον 102 γαρ 1063 τους 3588 απαξ 530 φωτισθεντας 5461 5685 γευσαμενους 1089 5666 τε 5037 της 3588 δωρεας 1431 της 3588 επουρανιου 2032 και 2532 μετοχους 3353 γενηθεντας 1096 5679 πνευματος 4151 αγιου 40
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. Impossible (adunaton). It is impossible to dilute this word into difficult.
Those who were once enlightened (touv apax fwtisqentav). Rend. "once for all enlightened." %Apax is frequent in the Epistle. Comp. ch. ix. 7, 26, 27, 28; x. 2; xii. 26, 27. Indicating that the enlightenment ought to have sufficed to prevent them from falling away; not that it does not admit of repetition. Enlightened, through the revelation of God in Christ, the true light, and through the power of the Spirit. Fwtizein in LXX usually to teach or instruct; see Psalm cviii. 130; 2 Kings xii. 2; xvii. 27. Comp. in N.T. John i. 9; Eph. i. 18; iii. 9; Heb. x. 32. Erasmus gives the correct explanation: "Who once for all have left the darkness of their former life, having been enlightened by the gospel teaching." There is no ground for explaining the word here of baptism, although the fathers from the time of Justin Martyr used fwtizein and fwtosmov in that sense, and this usage continued down to the Reformation. See Just. Mart. Apol. 1. 62. Chrysostom entitled his 59th Homily, addressed to candidates for baptism, prov touv mellontav fwtizesqai to those who are about to be enlightened; and justified this name for baptism by this passage and x. 32. The Peshitto translates this passage, "who have once (for all) descended to baptism." The N.T. gives no example of this usage. 193 Tasted of the heavenly gift (geusamenouv thv dwreav thv epouraniou) For geusamenouv tasted, comp. ch. ii. 9. The meaning is, have consciously partaken of. Comp. 1 Pet. ii. 3, and trwgwn eateth, John vi. 56. The heavenly gift is the Holy Spirit. It is true that this is distinctly specified in the next clause, but the two clauses belong together. Partakers of the Holy Ghost (metocouv pneumatov agiou). "Heavenly gift" emphasizes the heavenly quality of the gift. The Holy Ghost is the gift itself which possesses the heavenly quality.
