Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 155:617 (Jan 1998)
Article: The Old Testament Background of the Warning in Hebrews 6:4-8
Author: Randall C. Gleason

BSac 155:617 (Jan 98) p. 62

The Old Testament Background of the
Warning in Hebrews 6:4-8

Randall C. Gleason

Randall C. Gleason is Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, International School of Theology-Asia, Quezon City, Philippines.

The continuous flow of articles on the warning passages of Hebrews over the last decade testifies to the complexity of those passages as well as their enduring theological significance.1 Often overlooked are the diverse methods used in interpreting the warning passages. For example some utilize a deductive method in which the warnings are primarily interpreted in light of theological concepts found elsewhere in the New Testament. Passages that seem to teach the security of the believer (e.g., John 10:25–30; Rom. 8:28–39; 1 Pet. 1:3–9) are regarded as clear and central to the New Testament, while other passages such as the warnings in Hebrews, which seem to teach the possibility of apostasy, are interpreted in line with the clear texts.2 Others claim to avoid the pitfalls

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of a theological reading of the warnings by employing a more inductive method in which they proceed from a purely exegetical viewpoint.3 In the end it seems that the passages with which one begins determine one’s theology.

Many exegetes who begin with the Hebrews warning passages end up affirming the non-Calvinistic view that religious apostasy is possible for genuine believers. Meanwhile, those who give other passages more weight generally advocate the Calvinistic interpretation that the epistle warns against those who merely profess to be Christians and are not genuinely converted. Following sociological trends in New Testament studies, deSilva seeks a fresh understanding of the apostasy in light of the patron-client relationship prevalent in Mediterranean societies of the first-century. He argues the author was warning his readers not to violate the social obligations and loyalty due Jesus as “Patron” of the Christian community, because such an affront to their divine Benefactor’s honor would result in irrevocable exclusion from God. This method attempts to use a Greco-Roman situation to unlock the meaning these warnings had for a Hebrew audience.4

One area that needs more attention is the use of Old Testament themes, particularly in Hebrews 6:4–8. The purpose of this art...