the world to come (coming age), 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' (Heb. 6:4-6).

We must first of all seek to understand the nature of these blessings

so that we may the better understand the nature of the falling away from

They were once enlightened (photizo).  In chapter 10 this word

occurs again, and the context is so helpful that we must draw

attention to it.  To save space we will not quote fully:

`Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together ... for if we sin

wilfully after receiving the full knowledge of the truth ... no more

sacrifice ... fearful expectation of judgment ... consume the

adversaries ... trampled the Son of God ... but remember the former

days, in which having been enlightened ye endured a great contest of

sufferings ... cast not away your confidence, which has great

recompense of reward ... If any man draw back ... we are not of them

who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe unto the

acquiring of the soul' (Heb. 10:25-39).

This is a valuable commentary, setting Hebrews 6 in its true light and

preventing us from making erroneous applications of its solemn teaching.

Some who do not realize the setting of Hebrews 6 have sought to minimize the

force of the word `enlighten' so that it only means an external, but not a

real and inward illumination.  If this be proved, then of course we are

dealing merely with professors and the problem is ended.  But Hebrews 10:32

wherein is the only other occurrence of the word photizo in Hebrews, does not

allow of such an interpretation.  These enlightened ones were believers, not

empty professors.

They had tasted of the heavenly gift; they were made partakers of

holy spirit.  These two statements explain one another.  They

moreover look back to the laying on of hands which usually was

instrumental in the bestowal of this gift.  It will be remembered

that when `Simon saw through the laying on of the apostles' hands

the holy spirit was given, he offered them money', and that Peter

said, `Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that

The Gift of God may be purchased with money'.

They had tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the

coming age.  The promise of restoration from Babylon is thus

called in Jeremiah 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

The miraculous gifts of the `Acts' were foretastes of the age to come.

It will be seen that a great place is occupied in this book by the Holy

Spirit and His gifts.  This we find is likewise true of the epistle to the

Hebrews.  There, as we find in chapter 10, the punishment that followed the

violation of the law of Moses is small, when compared with that which shall

follow the despising of the Holy Spirit's witness of Christ: