[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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