Well, I tried to stay away from this thread, but it seems like I am being drawn into. Forgive me for not reading all 44 pages, but this grammar and use of the Greek in the last couple of pages is very interesting. However, whether it is truly fruitful is another matter!
I just spent the last hour or more reading 4 commentaries and 2 Greek Grammar books. Very interesting stuff. I have to agree with OH that the basic sentence structure is "It is impossible........to renew them again to repentance." With a string of participles in the middle.
However, I do believe this passage has to be read in a much bigger context of Hebrews, especially the preceding chapter and the following verses. Context again being crucial to the interpretation.
George Guthrie, a noted Greek scholar says in the NIV Application Commentary, that scholars have big disagreement on how to interpret the passage from 6:4-12.
1. The language of the passage is notoriously ambiguous. At several points the terminology describes certain phenomena without defining exactly what the author has in mind. What does seem certain, given the evidence, that the description in 6:4-6 fits those who have taken initial steps in associating with the Christian community. Whether this means they have been changed by the power of God into "new creatures" or have manifest certain phenomena normally associated with the new life, but never giving evidence that a true life -change has happened, forms the central question in debates in the passage.
2. Since presuppositionless hermeneutic is impossible, every interpreter comes to the text with the preconceived ideas on the theological issues addressed. In other words we all carry certain theological baggage into the task of interpretion. So OH, you cannot say you are merely showing the grammar, because I can cite scholars who can show you that the passage says the opposite of what you are saying about the grammar, from the Greek.
Reminders!
In light of the above difficulties, we need to remember several important hermeneutical guidelines.
1. We must keep in mind that the genre of the passage is exhortation. Of course, theology underlies the author's hortatory material in Hebrews, but the primary purpose of 6:4-12 is to motivate to action, rather than to offer theological instruction. Thus when we approach a text like 6:4-8 for theological instruction, we come at the text with a purpose that was at least secondary in the author's mind. The author's theology is presupposed and is now in the service of exhortation. We must ask, "In what way did the author intend for this passage to motivate his hearers to change their attitudes and actions?" and "What are the dynamics here that could be misinterpreted if we do not keep the 'hortatory factor' in view?"
2. Also related to the issue of genre, we must recognize 6:7-8 (not part of the OP, but necessary to understand the passage!) as a widely used wisdom form found in both biblical and extra-biblical lierature, which depicts the blessig associated with fruitfulness over and against the curse associated with bareness. We should be careful of associating specific theological constructs with the images of "rain," "crops," "thorns," and even "being burned." The material is meant to be metaphorical or analogous wth spiritual realities without directly making reference to those realities. Although the author uses "fire" as an image of judgment elsewhere in Hebrews (10:27, 12:29) and it certainly alludes to judgement here, to draw too narrow a theological conclusion from the image of burning in 6:8 (such as it being a reference to hell) is to neglect the wisdom form of the author's illustration. The image of burning, rather, presents a picture of destruction, without defining the specific nature of that destruction.
3. We must be careful about jumping from a possible word meaning to a theological conclusion when the author himself has not defined the word in question. I do not mean when must remain agnostic about the author's meaning of this passage, but its ambiguity calls for caution. Whether we come from a tradition that affirms "perserverance of the saints" (eternal security) or one that holds apostasy as possible for true believers, we tend to seize on word meanings that seem to support our position!
The five positions on this passage noted by Guthrie include:
1. The hypothetical view suggests that the author crafts this harsh warning for rhetorical impact, to blast the hearers out of the spiritual slumber, but that the state described cannot really happen. The passage would be read "If there were those who fell away, which cannot really happen, then it would be impossible to renew them to repentance." The problem with this is that it ignores the harshness of the warnings, with impending judgement for those who do not heed these exhorations, and the judgements are presented as real, not hypothetical.
2. The preconversion Jew view, states that those addressed are Jews who have associated with the Christian community, but have yet to make a commitment to Christ. Yet the many overt references to those being challenged as, for example, "holy brothers" (3:1), a part of Christ's house (3:6), Christ's companions (3:14), and those who have made a profession (4:14), makes this position untenable. The immediate passage seems to point to those who in some way have been associated with Christian practice and belief.
3. The covenant community view, which states that God and the author has in mind God's rejection of a whole community rather than individuals. (Isa. 5:1-7 forms the backdrop of Hebrews 6:4-12!) Yet the author of Hebrews seems to make distinctions between different groups and individuals within this Christian community (4:1, 6:4-6)
4. The true believer under judgment view is the position that holds that those threatened by the judgment of God indeed are true believers and do face severe judgment by God but cannot lose their salvation. This position takes seriously the language of 4:6-8 and other passages in the book that seem to suggest the fallen have been assoicated with the Christian movement. Hebrews 10:20 states "The Lord will judge his people." The problem with this view, is that verses such as 3:6, 14 in which the author expresses concern over his friends if they do not hold on to their courage and hope. They seem to have "fallen short" of a commitment that combines faith with hearing the gospel. (4:1-2) Futhermore, 10:26-31 describes the fallen as "enemies of God" (v27) they are those for whom there no longer exists a sacrifice and whose end is destruction. (10:26, 29, 31) It seems like the warnings are simply too harsh and specific to tone them down to a loss of reward, rather than a loss of salvation.
5. The phenomenological true believer view interprets that those under consideration must be judged as having been true, regenerate believers, who have now lost their relationship to Christ and can no longer anticipate salvation upon Christ's return. This interpretation rests on the "phenomena" surrounding the "Christian experience" detailed by the author in Hebrews 6:4-8 and other passages in the book. I disagree with this viewpoint, because it means that one can have present dimensions of salvation and "lose faith." In other words, we can have a true relationship with Christ, and then, through lack of perserverance, can lose that relationship. At 4:1-2 the author expresses concern about those who seem to have fallen short of the promised rest. It must be remembered that faith for Hebrews equals obedience to the will of God. Therefore, for Hebrews and for New Testament theology, generally, true relationship with God results in a lifestyle of obedience to God. So in Hebrews 6:7-8, the illustration depicts a barren land, in spite of the blessings of God, which has failed to produce fruit. By contrast, those who are truly being made holy have evidence of salvation (6:9) have been perfected for all time (10:14) have come to Mount Zion, where the spirits of righteous men have been made perfect (12:22-24) and will experience the consummation of salvation at the end (9:28).
Salvation has a continuity from present to future and manifests a life of perserveance and obedience to God. If the present involves true salvation, that salvation will be consummated at the end. If at the end, one has failed to persevere, then the former public association with the Christian community is manifested to have been illegitimate. This does not mean the apostates were knowingly fradulent, just that they had not been truly changed by God's power.
6. The phenomenlogical unbeliever view has been a favourite of those with Calvinistic orientation and proposes that the "fallen" in Hebrews may have been seen to be genuine as they participated in the community of believers, but in fact, by their rejection of Christ have shown themselves to lack genuine faith. The danger heralded in the warnings is real, constituting eternal judgement, and those being addressed could commit the sin. The author uses language in 6:4-6 that can be interpreted as addressing Christians. The phenomelogical unbeliever holds that the ambiguous language suggests a position in the things of God associated with entrance Christians - the outward appearance is like Christians but they have not experienced true faith.
Finally, most discussions of the warnings in Hebrews 6:4-6 have greatly neglected the "omniscience" factor. The author admits his lack of knowledge concerning the spiritual state of all those in this community of hearers. That spiritual state, can only be discerened in light of ongoing fruitfulness and perseverance. (3:6, 14; 4:1-2; 6:11)
; I didn't used to do that (at least not often).