People make the mistake of thinking apostates are those who lose their salvation. I would say (with the support of John) that they never really had it to begin with. They are the people who, like Balaam, prophesy in God's name but never are true believers and are those who cry our, "Lord, did we not prophesy in your name...". They exist to lead the flock away from God.
I can't remember when I willfully committed a deadly sin, after my reversion. If I had, I am certain that I had confessed it...
It doesn't say a "deadly" sin. It says that if you sin "willfully" and, of course, you have willfully committed a sin after you came to Christ. We all have. We're rebellious children. If we were to take your interpretation then once we willfully commit a sin Heb 10:26-27 states there is no longer a "sacrifice for sin". Pretty scary and, no, it doesn't give us an option of confessing our sins. It plainly states that if we sin "willfully", we're doomed.
I'm simply showing that Hebrews verse cannot be interpreted the way you're interpreting it without ALL of us losing our salvation. It ties in nicely with what John and Paul talks about Christians no longer "practice sin" which is what I believe the writer of Hebrews is saying - there are those who hear the word but they continue to practice sin. Putting aside all the Calvinistic nuances, they have the laws and ceremonies. If once they have heard and received the "knowledge of truth" (in the sense of the gospel of their salvation) and revert back to their own ceremonies, there is no sacrifice for sins. They can go to the temple and kill all the fated calves they want but it won't do any good.
I’m not a good person to be talking to about Hebrews. Most writers from various persuasions believe that this section is about apostates. A few believe it talks about people losing their salvation. In my mind, and at the risk of sounding pompous (why stop now right???) :O), they’re both wrong. I believe Hebrews (and particularly chapter 10) is nothing more than an altar call to the Jews. Christians have tried to glean Christian applications from it where there are few. In fair warning I believe I’m the only one who interprets this book this way so it puts me outside the normal teachings of the fathers-any fathers and I may be a HERETIC on this matter. I rarely quote from Hebrews and I don’t like discussing Hebrews because I don’t interpret it the same way everyone else does. It doesn’t have anything to do with Calvinism. I’ve held this view of Hebrews for a long time.
The Church fathers (and Luther) want to leave Hebrews out. I kind of think it’s interesting that God would leave it in as a perpetual call to the Jews; a tad ironic.
Then the sacred writer of Hebrews disagrees with you, as he writes that a person has lost salvation.
They are the people who, like Balaam, prophesy in God's name but never are true believers
That logic is faulty and shows where the whole concept of "once saved, always saved" falls apart (which "perseverance of the saints" means the same thing, since all Calvinists believe they are saints.)
How? Let's say that you make you sinner's prayer and now, you consider yourself of the elect. You now begin to walk in Christ, doing good deeds that express your faith, etc. Now, let's say 10 years down the road, after faithful service in God's eyes, you begin to falter and fall away. You begin to willfully sin. Now, according to you, you were never saved to begin with. IF that is so, what explains the first 10 years of faithful obedience to God? You yourself say that you cannot please God without the Spirit. No one can choose God without God. Thus, God MUST HAVE dwelt within us at one point. But now, He is gone due to our turning from him - returning to the vomit. Your idea of "never saved to begin with" totally ignores the source of your faith and love BEFORE the reversion to the vomit. You could have done those works ONLY by abiding in Christ, only by being "saved" in the first place. Now, you claim you never were saved - thus, there is a confusion on what was the initial impetus in the first place those first 10 years? Hardly. The Scriptures are quite clear that we can fall away.
It says that if you sin "willfully" and, of course, you have willfully committed a sin after you came to Christ. We all have
John seems to set a distinction between what is deadly sin and what is minor sin in 1 John 5. Paul also has the same idea in mind when he lists in Galatians and 1 Corinthians the sins that DISINHERIT a person from the Kingdom. Note, the very list implies that there are sins that DO NOT disinherit... Thus, I read Hebrews in context with the rest of Scriptures and say that I have not sinned mortally.
It plainly states that if we sin "willfully", we're doomed.
We have an intercessor in Christ Jesus (Hebrews 7:25) who continues to come to the Father for our sake, even when we sin grieviously. By turning to Christ and begging His forgiveness, we can be welcomed back and He will abide within us.
I'm simply showing that Hebrews verse cannot be interpreted the way you're interpreting it without ALL of us losing our salvation.
See above. Just as men can lose their salvation by falling away to the vomit, men can also return to the Lord and repent. The only unforgiveable sin is the sin that is never repented of because of pride.
If once they have heard and received the "knowledge of truth" (in the sense of the gospel of their salvation) and revert back to their own ceremonies, there is no sacrifice for sins. They can go to the temple and kill all the fated calves they want but it won't do any good.
Perhaps. But it doesn't say that in the text. The context is that the just will live by faith. Our faith will be displayed by our works of love. In the context of the writing, it seems that he is exhorting people to works of faith and love - and those who do not will receive judgment.
I rarely quote from Hebrews and I don’t like discussing Hebrews because I don’t interpret it the same way everyone else does. It doesn’t have anything to do with Calvinism. I’ve held this view of Hebrews for a long time.
Thus the need for one Truth.
The Church fathers (and Luther) want to leave Hebrews out. I kind of think it’s interesting that God would leave it in as a perpetual call to the Jews; a tad ironic.
I know a couple Fathers did, but not many. I don't know why Luther didn't like it - perhaps the unknown authorship? At any rate, I would agree that one of the purposes is a calling to the Jews, although I think that Romans 9-11 is more clear on that. However, the letter is written to Christians, so if it was an altar call to Jews, it was only in a secondary sense. The writer did not address the letter to Jewish communities, but to Christian ones. Thus, his primary purpose was to remind Christians of their own calling to Jesus Christ - and to not fall away (you can also look to Heb 3 and 4 for more on falling away).
Regards