Warning against Retrograding, which leads to Apostasy—Encouragement to Steadfastness from God’s Faithfulness to His Word and Oath. Heb. 6:4-6
“It is impossible … if they fall away, to renew unto repentance. Repentance signifies a change of mind: Matt. 21:29, Rom. 11:29 establish this. It is leading to contrition and self-condemnation Job 42:6. In the unregenerate, it is simply the workings of nature; being the “sorrow of the world”, which “worketh death” 2Cor. 7:10. This kind of “repentance” or remorse is the case of Judas: Matt. 27:3, 5. Such was the repentance of these apostates.” In the children of God, it is wrought by the Holy Spirit. It is evangelical, being one of the things which “accompany salvation”. Pink Arthur W
To be ‘renewed’ to change a person’s mind… is alteration of opinion, and character and service. And such an alteration the persons referred to had undergone at a former period. They were once in a state of ignorance respecting the doctrines and evidence of Christianity, and they had been ‘enlightened’. They had once known not of the excellency and beauty of Christian truth, and they had been made to ‘taste of the heavenly gift’. Their view, and feelings, and circumstances, were materially changed. He had become a different man, a ‘new creature.’ However, the Jews in this passage, had not been so changed in mind, as unfeignedly to believe ‘the truth as it is in Jesus’; but still, a great and so far, as it went, a thorough change had taken place” (Dr. J. Brown).
“Now it is impossible to “renew again unto repentance” those who have totally abandoned the Christian revelation. Some things are “impossible” with respect unto the nature of God, as that He cannot lie, or pardon sin without satisfaction to His justice. Other things which are possible to God’s nature are rendered “impossible” by His decrees or purpose: see 1Sam. 15:28, 29. There cannot be faith apart from hearing the Word Rom. 10:13–17. But they had apostatised; they had totally repudiated the Gospel. It was therefore “impossible” for the servants of God to “renew them again unto repentance”. They had no other Gospel in reserve, to present. Christ crucified had been set before them. There was “none other name” whereby they could be saved. They were receding from the ground where Christianity placed them, and relaxing to Judaism, meant to re-enter that House which Christ had left “desolate” Matt. 23:38, and would be to join forces with His murderers, and thus “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh.” Pink Arthur W
“Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh” (v. 6). By renouncing their Christian profession, they declared Christ to be an Imposter. To attempt any further reasoning with them, would only be casting pearls before swine. With this verse carefully compare a parallel passage in Heb. 10:26–29. These apostates had “received the knowledge of the truth”, though not a saving knowledge of it. Afterward they sinned “willfully”: there was a deliberate and open disavowal of the truth. The nature of their sin is termed a “treading underfoot the Son of God (something which no real Christian ever does) and counting (esteeming) the the Cross as a common malefactor. For such there “remaineth no more sacrifice for blood of the covenant an unholy thing”, that is, looking upon the One who hung on sins”. The parable of the Sower shows that. Intelligence might be informed, conscience searched, natural affections stirred, and yet there be “no root” in them. There has always been a “mixt multitude” (Ex. 12:38) who accompany the people of God.
