The Danger of Apostasy

In the first five chapters of the Book of Hebrews, the author has made a powerful case for the superiority of Jesus Christ. Jesus is superior to angels, to Moses, and to the priests of Israel. The author of this epistle has built a powerful case because the church to which he is writing is facing a serious crisis. A number of people in this church came to faith in Jesus Christ as converts from Judaism. Now, apparently, a number of these same converts were facing serious persecution. As a result, many have renounced their faith in Jesus and returned to the synagogue. In light of the superiority of Jesus Christ, the author issues a stern warning to the members of this church to grow to maturity, to know what they believe and why, as well as warning them of the need to persevere to the end of their lives in faith. But the nature of the warning raises an important and long-standing theological question. Can a professing Christian fall away from Christ and be lost?

The author’s warning about the possibility of apostasy is set out in Hebrews 5:11-6:12. Christians have long debated the meaning of this passage. Some see it as proof that a true Christian can fall away from Christ and be lost, while others see the passage as a warning for Christians not to fall away, a warning which those are truly Christ’s will heed–the implication being that those who fall away were never truly Christ’s in the first place. Far too often this debate takes place apart from the context in which the possibility of apostasy arises, the author’s warning to professing Christians about returning to Judaism. So, as we deal with this issue, it is imperative that we keep the original context in mind.

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