Warning against Retrograding, which leads to Apostasy—Encouragement to Steadfastness from God’s Faithfulness to His Word and Oath. Heb. 6:4-6
“Those here portrayed are said to have had five advantages, which are blessings pertain to the Christian dispensation. Yet they were not true Christians. They are not said to be justified, forgiven, accepted in the Beloved, and born of the spirit. Nor is anything said of their faith, love, or obedience.” Pink A. W
First, they had been “enlightened”. Mal. 4:2, the Sun of righteousness had shone…and, as Matthew 4:16 says, “The people which sat in darkness saw great light…”. The Greek word for “enlightened” here signifies “to give light or knowledge by teaching”. See Judges 13:8, 2Kg. 12:2, 17:27. Paul renders as “to make manifest”, or “bring to light” in 1Cor. 4:5, 2Tim. 1:10. Satan blinds the minds of those who believe not, lest “the light of the gospel should shine unto them” 2Cor. 4:4, that is, give the knowledge of it. Thus, “enlightened” here means to be instructed in the doctrine of the gospel, to have a clear apprehension of it. In the parallel passage in Hebrews 10:26 the same people are said to have “received the knowledge of the truth”, cf. also 2Pet. 2:20, 21. It is, however, only a natural knowledge of spiritual things, such as is acquired by outward hearing or reading; just as one may be enlightened by taking up the special study of one of the sciences. It falls far short of that spiritual enlightenment which transforms 2Cor. 3:18. An illustration of a unregenerate person being “enlightened”, as here, is found in the case of Balaam; Numbers 24:4.
Second, they had “tasted” of the heavenly gift. To “taste” is to have a personal experience of. “Tasting does not include eating, much less digesting and turning into nourishment what is so tasted. The persons here described, then, are those who have to a certain degree understood and relished the revelation of mercy; like the stony-ground hearers they have received the Word with a transcient joy” John Owen. Compare to “eating” of John 6:50–56. The “heavenly gift” refers to the person of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38, 8:20, 10:45, 11:17. “This Divine Gift is here said to be “heavenly” because from Heaven, and leading to Heaven, in contrast from Judaism—cf. Acts 2:2, 1Pet. 1:12. Of this “Gift” these apostates had, had an experience of: compare Matthew 27:34 where “tasting” is opposed to actual drinking. Those here in view had had an acquaintance with the Gospel, as to gain such a measure of its blessedness as to greatly aggravate their sin and doom. Matt. 13:20, 21.” Pink Arthur W.
Third, they were “made partakers of the Holy Spirit”. First, the Greek word for “partakers” here is a different one from that used in Col. 1:12, 2Pet. 1:4. The word here simply means “companions”, referring to what is external rather than internal. These apostates had never been “born of the Spirit” John 3:6, still less were their bodies His “temples” 1Cor. 6:19. Nor do we believe this verse teaches that the Holy Spirit had, at any time, wrought within them, otherwise Philippians 1:6 would be contravened. We quote below from Dr. J. Brown: “The inspired writer maybe referring primarily to the miraculous gifts and operations of the Holy Spirit in the early Christian period. These gifts were not confined to those who were ‘transformed by the renewing of their minds’. The words of our Lord in Mat. 7:22, 23 and of Paul in 1Cor. 13:1, 2 seem to intimate, that the possession of these unrenewed men was not very uncommon in that age; at any rate they plainly show that their possession and an unregenerate state were by no means incompatible.” continues.
