The Possibility of Apostasy (12)

(Hebrews 10:26-31)

Mike Johnson

We are continuing to examine passages that show the possibility of apostasy.  Consider a very familiar context in the book of Hebrews.  Hebrews 10:26 says,   “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.”  This verse is found right after the writer admonishes them not to forsake “assembling of ourselves together.”  This verse makes it clear that Christians can sin, and the rest of the passage shows they would be lost.  The writer speaks of those, including himself, who had obtained the “knowledge of the truth.”  Milligan points out,

The word rendered knowledge (epignosis) means more than a mere objective knowledge (gnosis) of the truth.  It rather denotes a full experimental knowledge, such as we gain by the active application of our minds to the study of the truth (Robert Milligan, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate Company, 1973,  page 145)

Read verses 27-31 for yourself, and see if there is any possibility he is saying the person described in 26 still has salvation.  A child of God can fall from grace.