8 but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
8 but if it bears thorns and briers [thistles],
If ground is unproductive, it does not bless others. Land that bears “thorns and briers” is barren and non-productive. God is not at work on it.
it is rejected [disapproved]
The word “rejected” or disapproved occurs in 1 Corinthians 9:27, where it is used of a believer disqualified for service. The word means to reject after testing. The believers of Hebrews 6 were disqualified because they did not stand the test; they were unqualified to walk with God (1 Co 9:27). This idea does not imply loss of salvation. “Rejected” means unproved; it is something that does not stand a test (2 Ti 2:15). In context, their disqualification had to do with their reversion to Levitical sacrifices.
and near to being cursed,
God was “near” to rejecting the non-productive Christian lives of Jewish Christians. They were in a state where they could not be renewed “again to repentance.” This is the fate of those who refuse to develop a mature view of Christ. God will execute the divine discipline of cursing on what they produce.
whose end is to be burned.
In biblical days a field that yielded thorns and thistles was burned. This would allow a better crop to grow on the same ground. The actions of Jewish readers of Hebrews to return to Levitical sacrifices would be burned. God would put their production to the refining fire of divine discipline (He 12:5–11). The burning here has nothing to do with hell. The point is the destruction of bad produce, not the ground itself. The burning of the field would allow it to be productive again.
“Burned” here does not refer to hell. There is nothing in the context to introduce this idea. People in biblical times burned unproductive fields of thorns and thistles. They did not destroy the field but what the field produced. The fire could not destroy the field itself. The fire simply exposed the quality of production.
PRINCIPLE:
God does not completely despair of those who fail to grasp truth.
APPLICATION:
Verses 7 and 8 give two alternative outcomes:
—Follow God’s principles for production, v.7
— Remain in spiritual reversionism and unproduction, v.8
The arguments of verses 7 and 8 show that God does not completely despair of those who distort their theology. God will destroy their poor production, but He will not reject the land itself—that is, the believer.
Some Christians will not respond to God’s discipline, others will (He 12:6-7). As long as some do not function on a proper view of Christ and Christianity, God will burn their production. Those out of His will do not receive His reward. Those who do not produce fruit show that they are not in phase with God. What they deem as production is empty action.
God offers His provision for what we need in life. He will bless our lives if we live the Christian way of life truthfully. He showers blessing, like rain on the ground, on those who are receptive to what He gives.
Do you mean, God’s rejection does not mean, rejection to condemnations to hell?
1). Lucifer / Satan was rejected by God and condemned to eternal hell.
2). Judas denied Jesus, was he not condemned to eternal dambation to hell?
3). If a born again christian continued to sin and commited suiside, will he be saved?
Thanhlira, thanks for your blog. First, did you read my studies leading up to Hebrews 6:8? Context is everything. I do believe in hell for those who do not accept Christ as their Savior, but this passage is dealing with Christians, from the argument of the entire book, from the more immediate context beginning in Chapter 5, from the start of this chapter with the inferential particle in verse one, and the context from chapter six.
Your comment or understanding of Hebrews 6:8 is heretical.
Hebrews is known as the strongest warning book of the Bible. Hebrews 6:4-6 tells of someone who cannot be redeemed.
Under the title of “Warning against Apostasy” (ESV) consists of Hebrews 5:11-6:12. The author begins by speaking directly to believers who have become stubborn or “dull of hearing”. He says they should be more mature in their faith. They should be eating solid food (“meat” instead of milk-understanding deeper doctrine).
So, the author takes the initiative to help them along, by saying “let us [move on] leave the elementary doctrine of “…
(1) repentance from dead works
(2) faith toward God
(3) instruction about washings
(4) laying on of hands
(5) resurrection of the dead
(6)eternal judgment
These 6 areas of the doctrine are already established in the believer who has been justified and is in early stages of sanctification.
Repentance from dead works is our effort ONLY AFTER the Holy Spirit works in us to flee evil desire.
Faith toward God, also a work of the Holy Spirit, is attained through prayer and Bible study and practices of devotion and meditation.
Instructions about washings, in my Bible is refers to baptism.
Laying on of hands generally refers to praying over the sick or demon possessed.
Resurrection if the dead refers to Christ coming out of the tomb or possibly the apostles of the early church performing acts of divine work on those who has passed. Remember, God does no miracle unless it glorifies Him.
Lastly, eternal judgment is preached as part of the gospel, a warning portion for those who are lost. It can always be used as motivation for others to turn to Christ, the only Way.
The reason this section of the Bible is bunched together is because it belongs together.
The author says to believers (who apparently we’re wasting time with church goers who had abandoned the faith. They had “went away” (as we see in 1 John 2:19).
I think maybe you look at 5:11-14 and tie that in with those whose lives and faith had produced thorns and thistles.
But the exhortation of leaving those who had already known and experienced the 6 areas of church influence on the person who CANNOT be brought back to repentance, is what we apply to what is eventually “burned”.
“Burned” here doesn’t coincide with the works of believers who were saved in 1 Corinthians 3:15. “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” These believers were laying a foundation where one had already been established. Paul is saying that once Christ has taken root in a church or town, that the gospel was already preached, believed by those who would come to faith, and that there wouldn’t be any need for further revelation. Christ is the foundation. God is who confirms the gospel in the hearts of His people. These believers in 1 Corinthians 3 were having issues with division. The Corinthian church was famous for having issues with all types of stuff. Sexual immorality. Marriage. Lawsuits. Food sacrificed to idols. But they were genuine believers simply because they believed in Christ crucified.
The group in Hebrews 6:4-6 were in the church for a while, but lost interest in God because they were continually sinning and their heart grew hard (Hebrews 3:7-11/Hebrews 10:26-31). The Apostasy of the their kind was so far gone that the author says they cannot be saved. The word “worthless” means they were “waterless springs”. Also, refer to Titus 1:15-16. Then the author writes they are “near to being cursed, and it’s end IS to be burned. “Burned” here means destroyed. God doesn’t destroy His children intentionally. The works in 1 Corinthians 3:15 are burned because they are not useful. But no thorns and thistles had sprung up out of their work. Paul plants, Apollos waters, but God gives the growth. Paul was just trying to settle disputes.
I wrote this because it is very important that “easy-believism” is crushed. Christ is all in all, and the gospel is all about Him. If we don’t get it right, we will be in great trouble.
If you look through the rest of Hebrews, it is clear that God intended for these warnings to be heeded or those who ignored the seriousness of these warnings would have no excuse for their failure to come to true faith.
Look up all the commentaries you want, you will see that my view is biblical.
David, there are over 60 interpretations of this passage, but you apparently have the only correct interpretation to the point where you can call someone a heretic. That is arrogant. You apparently have not read the context of this passage in my commentary. The argument of the book of Hebrews is for Christians–see Introduction. Chapter 5 challenges Christians to be mature. Thus, the issue is maturity, not salvation. The sixth chapter begins with an inferential particle “therefore,” indicating that the writer is drawing an inference about maturity, not salvation.