The Cause and Danger of Falling Away: Heb 5:11 – 6:12

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Apostasy: The Cause & Danger of, 

Hebrews 5:11–6:12

Introduction: Heb. 13:22 “I appeal to you brothers, bear with my word of exhortation…” 

There are five sections of Hebrews in which the writer pauses to warn his readers of apostasy. In each, he has a different basis for his approach. (2:1-4; 3:7-4:13; 5:11-6:20; 10:19-31; 12:3-29). What may stand out above all else is that these are not new Christians who are struggling to get their footing as they transition from their former immoralities. These are grizzled veterans who in their early days “endured a hard struggle with sufferings…publicly exposed to reproach and affliction…and joyfully accepted the plundering of their property” (10:32-34). In 6:4-5, we learn they had been “enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come.”

In this section, the foundation for his warning is that he is unable to give them the understanding of God’s assurances of salvation because of their weak knowledge of scripture, leading them to no longer have a taste or passion for the word of God, and if uncorrected will result in them falling away.

1. The Relationship between a “Child” and Falling Away (6:1-8)
   1. The previous verses (5:11-14) express the disappointment and challenge of the author concerning the spiritual condition of his audience. After years of being a Christian they had not progressed in the knowledge of the word nor in their skills in using the word to increase their powers of discernment or to teach others.
   2. This condition is intolerable if they expect to survive as children of God. 6:1 begins with “therefore” and 6:4 begins with, “for it is impossible…” In other words, since you are in a condition in which you are spiritual children and are unable to appreciate words of scripture that will grow your endurance, you must leave the first principles or else you are in serious condition to fall away, at which time it will be impossible to renew you to repentance. 
   3. It reminds me of the man who asked me whether a particular biblical principle was a “salvation issue” and therefore worthy of study. I wonder how many Hebrew Christians, and even Christians today, would consider the Melchizedek priesthood was a salvation issue and worthy of study! The Hebrew writer says, “Yes!”
   4. When we are slack in our study life, our prayer life, and in building a relationship with the Lord, do we ever consider that this could very easily lead to a hardened condition. There is simply only two ways to go in our life of faith: if we are not growing, we are heading toward falling away. That is the only way the scriptures talk about it. 
2. The Picture of Falling Away (5:11-14)
   1. First, did you notice what caused the writer to stop his dissertation? Not being able to discuss with them the importance of having a great high priest in the order of Melchizedek! What’s the point? This is the reason it was “hard to explain.” Do you believe much has changed today? How many Christians today could even give a good explanation of the importance of having a high priest, much less the connection to Melchizedek?
   2. Look at it this way, the priesthood of Melchizedek was the key to their salvation and the key argument against their apostasy. The writer will spend chapters 7-10 emphasizing how the priesthood of Jesus will solve their problem of endurance, slipping back, and falling away.
   3. This alone should emphasize to us why it is so important to go beyond just knowing the “standard doctrines.” Most of what God reveals is for the purpose of giving us insights to his own character so we can maintain the confidence needed to not drift away from him. It is knowing God in such away that our desire to be with him supersedes any desire offered here on earth.
   4. Please visualize being in this assembly listening to the reader. Your eyes begin to glaze over as the reader explains the meaning of having Jesus as our high priest. Suddenly they are jolted awake as the church reader abruptly paused and said, I have so much to tell you about this, but it is so hard to explain since you have become such lazy listeners.
      1. Most of our versions translate, “dull of hearing,” but the Greek word is used a second time in verses 6:11-12, “And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” The Greek word translated “dull” is also translated “sluggish.” The CSB translated the word lazy in both places – “you have become too lazy to understand.” 
      2. NIV translates, “You no longer try to understand.” Do you know what people say when they do not want to try to understand? “It’s too hard; it’s too deep, and it’s not important for me to understand anyway.” That’s what Isaiah condemned Israel for saying in Isa. 29.
      3. Please be aware that while one might apply those words to the hearing of a sermon, the more appropriate application has to do with the hearing of the word of God. Most people of that day would have heard the word read to them instead of possessing a scroll that they could study at their leisure. If they were to assimilate the teachings of scripture it would take diligent and careful listening to the words read. This particular letter would have taken the reader 45 minutes to deliver to the church. How well would we do in listening and comprehending the intricacies of the writer’s arguments?
      4. By way of comparison, in Nehemiah 8 the people gathered to hear the reading of the Law of Moses (Genesis–Deuteronomy) – “men, women, and all who could understand” (8:2). In 8:3, “the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.” When Ezra began, he stood on a wooden platform. And when he “opened the book in the sight of all the people, all the people stood” (8:5). And “he read from early morning until midday” (8:3). “They read from the book, from the Law of God clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (8:8). That is the opposite of lazy listeners.
      5. I was impressed by the response of our friend Katy Johnson gave when she was told that studies show people can’t listen more than 25-30 minutes. Katy replied that such may be the case concerning material upon which people have little concern. But that would not be true of those who passionately desire to know God. Indeed.
   5. Now note the words, “by this time.” The reason they had become lazy in hearing was because they no longer listened with purpose. The writer gives two reasons for growing in knowledge of the scriptures:
      1. First, there is a time frame in which a Christian should progress to the point where they can use the scripture to teach and encourage others. Since they had not pursued this goal, they were constantly forgetting what they had learned previously, even the basic principles of the teachings of God.
      2. The point of the text is that they have not grown and do not continue to grow in knowledge because they don’t use it; they have no pressing need. Do you relate? Talking about God’s word and using it to teach and encourage others causes us to look at the text more carefully and embed it in our minds so we can share it, whether with believer or unbeliever. {Preacher reunion: we continually shared and compared our understanding of the text}
   6. Look at the words, “someone teach you again.” 
      1. By combining the words of 6:1, we can figure out what their assemblies looked like. It was basically getting together and repeating the “creed” to each other.
      2. Look at 6:2 and the elementary principles. “Repentance, faith, baptism, receiving spiritual gifts or positions in the church, the resurrection, and the eternal judgment.” Does that sound familiar? That is what many Christians and teachers major in. 
      3. Now go back to 5:12. These principles were needed to be retaught over and over again. We are also not unfamiliar with need to reteach these same basic principles. I repeatedly have discussions with Christians on whether baptism really necessary. The problem is not the idea of re-examining former beliefs. The problem is, why aren’t you going back to the text to confirm your faith? – Acts 2, 8, 9, 10, 16, 18, 19, 22 – instead of listening to this person and that person, reading this and that, and then “reasoning” through “plausible” arguments in your own mind?
   7. Finally, look at the expectations the writer had of these Christians if they were going to avoid falling away.
      1. He expected them to become skilled in the word of righteousness. “Unskilled” is still a child. “Skilled” defines a mature believer. That redefines our goal! 
      2. He expected their “powers of discernment to be trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” This isn’t just being able to condemn adultery and praise marriage. Consider more carefully:
         1. Ephesians 4:14 speaks of being “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” In other words, there are thousands of variations to the devil’s attack on truth. When a person is unskilled in the word, it is easy to get confused and deceived. This is not a remote possibility; it happens all the time! 
         2. Example: “I don’t see what is wrong with that.” Wrong question! Where is the biblical authority? Nadab and Abihu could not see what was wrong with a different fire. (Acts 15:24, “We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said,” NIV)
         3. Example: Seeing the “good” in churches without discerning that you are also being led to participate in other things that do not have God’s authority. Satan always tells “half-truths.” The truth he does offer is used to cover-up the lie. That is the key to deception! 
         4. Example: The reason some Christians have turned to the Episcopal or Catholic Church is that the worship carries a beauty to it, and at the same time offers a simple measurement for faithfulness that doesn’t require the hard work of gauging growth and seriously struggling against sin.

Conclusion: 6:7-9 gives a strong warning. The Lord has “watered” us the way way we would water a crop. If we produce a useful crop, we will receive a blessing. But if we bear thorns and thistles, we are worthless and will ultimately be burned. However, the writer was assured of “better things.” Indeed! Based on what the Lord has done for us, falling away should never happen. Dull of hearing should never happened. Continuing in a state of immaturity and a child by not leaving the basic principles, should never happen. God expects better things of us.

Berry Kercheville