Does Heb. 6:4-6 teach that a saved person can lose his salvation? We need to look at the historical context and the literary context of the passage. First, the writer addresses Christians who are flirting with Jewish practices in a dangerous way. Although all early Christians were Jews and many continued to practice the forms of Judaism, informed Christians of that time knew that the ceremonies and institutions of the Law pointed to Christ, and they trusted in Christ alone for their salvation. The context of the entire letter suggests that the readers failed to distinguish type from antitype, shadow from substance, and thus were on the verge of practicing Jewish rites as though they contributed something to their salvation. The book is filled with teaching about the once and for all sacrifice of our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who has by that once-and-for-all sacrifice obtained eternal redemption for us. Nothing further is needed.

In order to develop his argument fully, the writer introduces Jesus as mediator of a better covenant with better promises, as our prophet, priest, and king. He focuses in on Jesus’ work as priest and the efficacy of His perfect sacrifice, reaching his conclusion in 10:10: “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all…14: “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified…18: “Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”

He just begins to introduce the work of Christ as high priest in 4:14, but at 5:11 he breaks off, as though in the middle of his thought he realizes that some in his audience are not with him, that their level of comprehension has not kept up. What he writes from 5:11 to 6:12 is parenthetical, an aside, a chiding, somewhat of a scolding. It is as if a teacher stops in the middle of an important lecture to remind the students that they are not listening and not understanding. We shall look closely at the parenthetical thought in the next study. Thank you for continuing with us through this important analysis!