Warning against Retrograding, which leads to Apostasy—Encouragement to Steadfastness from God’s Faithfulness to His Word and Oath. Heb. 6:4-6
Fourth, “And have tasted the good Word of God”. “I understand by this expression the promise of God respecting the Messiah, the sum and substance of all. Jeremiah said, ‘that good word’ Jer. 33:14. To ‘taste’, then, is to experience that God has been faithful to His promise—to enjoy, so far as an unconverted man can enjoy the blessings and to enjoy the advantages of the new dispensation” Dr. J. Brown. Further in His promises, Jer. 29:10, “After seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place”. Observe that, they could not say with Jeremiah, “Thy words were found and I did eat them” Jer. 15:16. A solemn example of one who merely “tasted” the good Word of God is found in Mk. 6:20: “for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man… and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly”. P.W
Fifth, “And the powers of the world to come,” or “age to come.” The reference here is to the new dispensation which was to be ushered in by Israel’s Messiah according to O. T. predictions. It corresponds with “these last days” of Heb. 1:2 and is in contrast from the “time past” or Mosaic economy. Their Messiah was none other than the “mighty God” Is. 9, and wondrous and glorious, stupendous, and unique, were His miraculous works. These “powers” of the new Age are mentioned in Heb. 2:4. Of these mighty “powers” these apostates had “tasted”. They had been witnesses of the miracles of Christ, the wonders that followed His ascension. Thus, they were “without excuse”, with convincing and conclusive evidence had been set before them, yet no answering faith in their hearts. A solemn example of this is found in Jn. 11:47, 48.”
“If they shall fall away”. The Greek word here is very stronger and emphatic, than the one used in Matthew 7:27, where it is said of the house built on the sand, “and great was the fall thereof”. It is a complete falling away, a total abandonment of Christianity. It is a willful turning of the back on God’s revealed truth, making “shipwreck of the faith” 1Tim. 1:19. The class here described are such as had had their minds enlightened, their consciences stirred, their affections moved to a considerable degree, and yet who were never brought from death unto life. This is not backsliding Christians. It is not simply “fall into sin”, this or that sin. The greatest “sin” which a regenerated man can possibly commit is the personal denial of Christ: Peter was guilty of this yet was “renewed unto repentance”. This does not consist in an occasional falling into actual sin, however gross and aggravated; nor in the renunciation of some of the principles of Christianity, even though those should be of considerable importance; but in an open, total, determined renunciation of all the constituent principles of Christianity, and a return to a false religion, such as that of unbelieving Jews or heathens, or to open infidelity and open godlessness” Dr. J. Brown. “This has nothing to do with the apostasy of true saints. These may fall frequently and foully, but they will not totally nor finally from God; the purpose and the power of God, the purchase and the prayer of Christ, the promise of the gospel, the everlasting covenant that God has made with them, ordered in all things and sure, the indwelling of the Spirit, and the immortal seed of the word, these are their security. But the tree that has not these roots will not stand.” M. Henry
