Obedience Through Suffering

Though in their present state of spiritual immaturity the process of digestion will be more painful, solid food is urgently required to invigorate their flagging faith. Each of the elementary teachings (6:1–2) mentioned had a place in Judaism but had been invested with new significance in Christian preaching. These basics are not to be discarded, but neither are they sufficient. This sentence amounts to a ringing affirmation both of the obligation laid upon believers to cultivate their spiritual life and of the importance of doctrine to sanctification. Knowledge feeds faith. “Acts that lead to death” (lit. dead works) are not, as some have supposed, attempts to gain righteousness by means of works of the law or cultic performances, but simply sins in general, all evil thoughts and actions from which the conscience must be cleansed (9:14; cf. Rom. 6:21).

Though the believer is obliged to pursue maturity, God’s grace and action are necessary (v. 1 reads lit. let us be carried to perfection). The New International Version omits the “for” with which verse 4 begins and which indicates that God is unwilling and will not permit in the case of apostates. Perhaps some in this community had already apostasized; others were alarmingly near to doing so, prompting the author to warn of the grim and irrevocable effects of deserting the faith.

The severity of this warning and the gravity of the situation contemplated must not be mitigated. Scripture is not silent regarding the hopeless condition of those who, having been numbered among the people of God, professed faith in Christ, received instruction in the Word of God, and experienced some measure of the blessing of the Holy Spirit’s ministry and the reality of the unseen world, then deliberately repudiate Christ’s lordship and salvation (cf. 10:26–27; Num. 15:30–31; Matt. 12:31–32; 1 John 5:16–17). Of course, it is imperative to maintain that, appearances notwithstanding, such people were never born again or made genuine partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ (John 6:39; 10:27–29; Rom. 9:29–30; 1 Pet. 1:3–5, 23). The brief parable in verses 7–8, similar to others in the Bible (Isa. 5:1–7; Matt. 13:1–9, 18–30, 36–43), reminds us of the impossibility to distinguish infallibly between the truly converted and the hypocrite and that spiritual fruit is the evidence of living faith. It also illustrates the righteousness of God’s condemnation of those who spurn his favor.

Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Commentary on the Bible. Vol. 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995. Print. Baker Reference Library.