The text says, “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”
I confess that I get the question. As a committed believer in the doctrines of grace, I often say that there are no Arminian prooftexts. Yet, if there were one, this would likely be it. At first glance it looks like a denial of perseverance or preservation of the saints, the idea that a true believer can never lose his or her salvation. A second glance can either be a polite way to describe hermenutical gymnastics, or a prudent interpretive practice. I’m saying it’s the latter.
The first thing to notice in this second glance is that this long list of blessings the hypothetical person has received, while impressive, and while listing good things genuine believers receive, is well short of the blessings that only genuine believers receive. Each of them, in fact, are blessings that are given to the visible church as a whole. One can be enlightened, taste the heavenly gift, a partaker of the Holy Spirit and taste the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and not be elect, regenerated, repentant, given the gift of faith, have one’s sins atoned for, be vindicated in the resurrection, indwelt by the Spirit, gifted by the Spirit, and adopted into the family of God.
The visible church consists of those that we believe have received both sets of experiences. When one falls away, however, we learn that such a person hasn’t received that second set of blessings. It strikes me that the author of Hebrews, as broad as his description of the gifts is, studiously avoids listing anything that only genuine believers receive. A person who is unregenerate and in the church has been enlightened in that that they have been taught the gospel. They have tasted the heavenly gift in that they eat the bread of life at the Lord’s Supper. They, by virtue of being a part of the church which is the dwelling place of the Spirit, have been partakers of that Spirit. They, by sitting under the preaching of God’s Word have tasted its power, and again, by being within the church have been witnesses of the powers of the age to come.
I could add two more. What if someone had received all the above, plus had performed miracles in the name of Jesus, and even had Jesus Himself wash his feet? That adds up to Judas. I’m afraid we have too low a view of the work of God in the visible church, and, if we doubt that the One who suffered for us will never lose us, too low a view of the fullness of His salvation.