Better yet, Lets look at hos the author of Hebrews SHOULD be translated.
1. Context. The author is speaking to Hebrew people who claimed to have tasted the truth of the gospel, and have returned to the law, (the law states we must work our way to earn salvation) He is warning people who have heard the truth of the gospel. to not show their faith was dead, and reveal who they truly were by returning to the vomit they truly trusted in.
2. We must see what the context and start of the passages is. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT, then determine what is impossible.,
3. Then we come to the who. I agree, the who is those who have been saved, For only those who are saved have tasted and become partakers of the HS.
4. Then we go on, And see that paul makes a questionary statement. "IF THEY FALL AWAY" And we must note. Paul is not saying the did fall away, He is saying if they could fall away, How can I say this? again look at context of the letter. The law. What does the law state? It states one is cleansed only for the sins forgiven by the sacrifice of the animal. Any sin after than, another sacrifice must be given, Thus in between, when one sins, they have "FALLEN AWAY" so, in returning to law. you are staing one is ABLE to fall away, and must be renewed by another sacrifice. Thus paul, refering to law. says IF THEY FALL AWAY.
5. Finally we come to what is impossible. "TO RENEW THEM TO REPENTANCE" this has 2 major conclusions.
A. If they ever did fall away, they could never be saved again - according to law, this is not true, for one can be renewed simply by sacrifice. even those who say you can lose salvation, and that is the context of the author in this text, if one could lose salvation (OSAS is FALSE) whoever did lose salvation can never be saved again.
B, The author is really saying they can't fall away, and even if they could, if they did, they are lost forever.
6. Crucified for themselves christ all over again. The author is stating a fact, unlike the law where a sacrifice would have to be done again if one fell away, if one can fall away now, Christ owuld have to be crucified again in order to renew them.
7. And put christ to open shame. why do they do this? they say there is a sin which Christ did not pay the price for (now over 2000 years ago) and he must return to earth to die again for the sin he forgot to die for in the first place.
the context here is animal sacrifice. Hebrews says it never took away sin, and had to be repeated over and over. if we can 'fall away" or lose salvation.l Christ must return again and be crucified over and over for the sin which caused us to "fall away" to begin with.
I understand very well that the Hebrew letter is directed to Hebrew christians. This text has nothing to do with the old law or with animal sacrifices. Those under the law did not have access to share in the Holy Spirit and these have ONCE AGAIN crusified the Son of God to themselves, not animal sacrifices. These were christians that have fallen away from the gospel, not the law of Moses.
1. The writer is not saying that they
claimed to have tasted, but presents a statement of fact - "They had tasted." But you are right in saying that they
returned to the law. These has left the law in response to the gospel. Now that they are rejecting the cross and going bact to the law. This is the foundation they were "laying again."
2. I am assuming that you are using the KJV or the NIV. Am I correct? The UBS does not show this to be a Question. There is no "if" in the Greek. it simply says, παραπεσόντας - literally "having fallen away". This is a statement of fact based on actual cases, not a what if scenario.
3. Under the law, sin was
not forgiven on the basis of those sacrifices, but on the basis of what those sacrifices represented - the cross. Lev. chapters 4 and 5 show us that they were indeed forgiven
under the law. But it was not
by the law. Even David understood this. "How blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sins are covered...to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity," Psalms 32:1-2. But he also knew that those sacrifices were not the avenue through which forgiveness came. "Thou doest not delight in sacrifice or I would bring it it." Psalms 51:1-2.
4. The inability to renew again is not linked to a supposition of "IF" they were to fall away. The impossibility is linked to the fact that after having been saved they have rejected the cross, not the old sacrifices, and in so doing have shamed Christ openly.
5. The writer does not say they cannot be 'saved' again. He says that cannot be brought back to repentance again. I am sure you would agree however, that this would render them unable to be saved since there is no longer repentance.
6. He is not comparing the crucifying of Christ again to the repetitious offering of O.T. sacrifice. To those who have rejected and fallen away, they are considering Christ worthy of the crucifiction. Thery are rejecting him and his sacrifice. Like those of 10:29, they are considering the blood of Christ "BY WHICH THEY
HAD BEEN SANCTIFIED" and unclean thing, and have insulted the Spirit of grace.
7. The writer's point is that these
had been sanctified - made holy - something that all of the sacrifices of the O.T. combined could never do. In verse 29, he even draws a contrast between the one's he speaking of and those who died under the law for rejecting Moses. those who rejected the blood after having been cleansed by it are worther of greater punishment. Verse 30 shows their fate.
Thank your for your patience in awaiting my response.