[B-Greek] The present tense in Hebrews 6:4-6

Harold Holmyard hholmyard at ont.com
Sat Jan 20 15:33:00 EST 2007


Carl Unger wrote:
> I don't know much about Greek, so I request some help.
>
> The amplified version translated Hebrews 6:4-6 as
>
> *If they then deviate from the faith and turn away from their allegiance—[it
> is impossible] to bring them back to repentance, for (because, while, as
> long as) they nail upon the cross the Son of God afresh [as far as they are
> concerned] and are holding [Him] up to contempt and shame and public
> disgrace.* (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
>
> In the brackets it says (because, while, as long as)
> is that because of the present tense active participles?
> Is this true to the original Greek?
>
> So then does it mean that the sort of people being mentioned here can return
> and be saved?
>   
HH: It seems to me that one way to understand the words is that another 
person can no longer renew such a sinning person to repentance because 
he is consciously rejecting the Lord. If there is going to be 
repentance, it will have to come from within him, not from somebody else 
teaching him. The author is saying that for people like those he's 
writing to, it is impossible for him to renew them to repentance by 
again appealing to the beginning of the word of God. He cannot again lay 
a foundation of repentance for them to learn and respond to, for they 
have already learned all the things in Heb 6:1-3. The only appropriate 
step is go on to things of maturity for those who will listen. If there 
is anyone who is sinning against what he already knows, any repentance 
would have to come from his own willingness to stop consciously sinning 
against the Lord.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard




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