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Hebrews 6 is a controversial chapter because of its importance in the debate over the theory of Perseverance of the Saints, or Eternal Security.

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:1-12)

One view of this passage takes it at face value and says that it means that Christian people can fall away from the faith. But some people accept the doctrine that a man cannot lose his salvation, and so do not accept this view. Those who reject this view seem to usually, if not always, use one of two basic arguments: (1) that the passage is actually discussing people who were not actually saved, or (2) that the passage is simply hypothetical, a warning that all believers will heed and thus never fall away.

Adherents to the first of these two views have to explain the apostle’s descriptions of these people in such a way as to make them refer to men who are unsaved. But note, first of all, that these people are actually falling away from something which they once had. How can one fall away from something that he never had? Second, note the extreme danger these people put themselves into by falling away—this Scripture seems to say that these people would never again come to the point of salvation. Is there any evidence in the Scripture that this would be the state of one who tried to live a religious life and then gave it up, without ever understanding the gospel, that when he heard and understood the gospel, he would be already excluded from following it? Third, and probably most important, notice the descriptions that the apostle gives of these people. Does the Scripture give any hint that people could be “partakers of the Holy Ghost” and yet be unsaved? Paul, writing in Galatians, seems to have viewed it as self-evident that all who had the Spirit were saved: “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Galatians 3:2) And in Ephesians he views the gift of the Spirit as the pledge of salvation: “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14) Albert Barnes—who believed in Eternal Security—noted, “Unless there were some theory to defend, the great body of readers of the New Testament would consider the expression here used as describing true Christians…The kind of exhortation appropriate to those who were awakened and convicted, but who were not truly converted, would be to become converted; not to warn them of the danger of falling away.”

Some people seem to have realized that this opinion cannot hold water, yet to still not be ready to admit that someone could lose his salvation, and so hold to the second opinion mentioned earlier, that this apostasy is only hypothetical—a warning, some suggest, that is always successful in preventing apostasy. But note that the author of Hebrews does not present this passage as a warning to his readers. Rather, he presents it as his own reason for wanting to do the act he refers to in verse 3 (probably either laying again the foundation or moving on to perfection). He is concerned that if he does not perform this act, there is a possibility that people will fall away. And he also seems to believe there is a possibility that God would not permit him to be able to perform it (verse 3).

Verse 9 has been brought forward to support the idea that the scenario presented is hypothetical: “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.” But the following verses show that the author is thinking of a current state, not an unchangeable future state: “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (verses 10-12, emphasis mine) While he was confident that the Hebrews are not in the fallen-away state he mentioned, he still viewed it as important that they continue to maintain their “work and labour of love,” important that they not fall away.

Certainly we can probably interpret any verse in a way that does not contradict our belief system. But the Scripture specifically reminds us, in 2 Peter 1:19-21, that the Biblical text was not created for a base for our own interpretations; rather, the verses were written to actually communicate the ideas of the authors, inspired by the Holy Spirit. We need to approach the Scriptures with the objective of understanding the authors’ ideas, not the objective of defending our own beliefs (which, sadly, seems to happen to us unconsciously, requiring conscious effort to overcome). In this particular verse, I cannot see how it can mean something other than that it is possible for one to lose his salvation. This view should be honestly considered and analyzed with a heart open to the Spirit’s leading.