CAN TRUE BELIEVERS FALL AWAY

ACCORDING TO HEBREWS 6:4-8?

PAPER

Subject:
New Testament Studies: Hebrews

Instructor:
Waldemar Kowalski, Ph.D.

Written by:

HELMY KURNIAWAN

MAGISTER THEOLOGY PROGRAM

BANDUNG THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
DECEMBER 2017
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CAN TRUE BELIEVERS FALL AWAY

ACCORDING TO HEBREWS 6:4-8?

HELMY KURNIAWAN

THE DECLINE OF CHRISTIANITY

Majority of Americans identify themselves as Christians. Barna researchers wrote,

―Most people in this country identify as Christian. Almost three-quarters of Americans

(73%) say they are a Christian, while only one-fifth (20%) claim no faith at all (that includes

atheists and agnostics). A fraction (6%) identify with faiths like Islam, Buddhism, Judaism

or Hinduism, and 1 percent are unsure.‖1 However Barna researchers also counted who the

practicing Christians are. When a Christian attends a religious service at least once a month

and says their faith is very important in their life, Barna considers that person a ―practicing

Christian.‖ The numbers drop to around one in three U.S. adults (31%) who fall under this

classification. Barna researchers argue this represents a more accurate picture of Christian

faith in America, one that reflects the reality of a secularizing nation.2

Another way Barna measures religious decline is through the ―post-Christian‖

metric. If an individual meets 60 percent or more of a set of factors, which includes things

like disbelief in God or identifying as atheist or agnostic, and they do not participate in

practices such as Bible reading, prayer and church attendance, they are considered post-

Christian. Based on this metric, almost half of all American adults (48%) are post-

1
―The State of the Church 2016,‖ Barna Group, accessed December 6, 2017,
https://www.barna.com/research/state-church-2016/.
2
―The State of the Church 2016.‖
 3

Christian.3 This decline of Christianity indicate that many Christian aren‘t faithful to their

faith.

Concerning to the issue of apostasy, Hebrews 6:4-8 gives some harsh warning to the

reader of Hebrews. This passage is known as one of warning passages by some scholars.

Unfortunately, Hebrews 6:4-8 is one of the most puzzling passages in the Bible. This

passage seems to indicate that a believer can fall away or a Christian can reject God‘s grace

of salvation. In this paper, we will examine this question, ―Can believers lose their

salvation if they ‗fall away‘ from or ‗reject‘ God‘s grace?‖ We will examine the thesis that

genuine believers cannot lose their salvation. In other words, genuine Christian cannot fall

away or reject God‘s grace. Some people we know as Christians, but then they ―fall away.‖

We have to assume that someday God will lead them back to the fellowship, or their faith

are not genuine. The Bible tell us that if they have genuine faith, they will persevere, not by

their might, but by the power of God.

THE BACKGROUND

The background is the church was facing a great deal of persecution. This sermon

gave warnings that the believer to be faithful to their faith and press on to spiritual maturity.

The purpose of Hebrews was also to strengthen, encourage, and exhort the members of a

persecuted Christian community to hold firmly to their confession of Jesus Christ rather than

3
―The State of the Church 2016.‖ To qualify as ―post-Christian,‖ individuals had to meet 60% or more of the
following factors (nine or more). ―Highly post-Christian‖ individuals meet 80% or more of the factors (12 or
more of these 15 criteria): do not believe in God, identify as atheist or agnostic, disagree that faith is important
in their lives, have not prayed to God (in the last year), have never made a commitment to Jesus, disagree the
Bible is accurate, have not donated money to a church (in the last year), have not attended a Christian church
(in the last year), agree that Jesus committed sins, do not feel a responsibility to ―share their faith,‖ have not
read the Bible (in the last week), have not volunteered at church (in the last week), have not attended Sunday
school (in the last week), have not attended religious small group (in the last week), and do not participate in a
house church ( in the last year).
 4

seek security in the old rituals of Judaism. There is a real danger of apostasy, and it is

directed to members of the church; but those who commit the sin were not true believers,

that is, not of the elect. D. A. Carson said, ―We will know the elect only when they persevere

until the end.‖4

SEVEN REASONS

In this paper, we will take a look some reasons why a true believer cannot fall away.

The reasons consist of seven things that will explain the reformed view.

First, we will take a look on the pronomina references. The author of Hebrews

intentionaly used some pronomina references to address the audiences. The warning

passages occur predominantly in third person and generic reference. In fact, the most severe

warnings in the book are almost entirely expressed in third person, not ―we‖ or ―you‖ forms

of reference. For example, the descriptions of 6:4-8 are entirely in third person plural

(generic ―they‖) or singular (―it‖ referring to the blessed or cursed ground). This is in

marked contrast to the previous passage of exhortation (5:11-6:3) and the subsequent

passage of reassurance (6:9-20), which are filled with ―we‖ and ―you‖ references.

The writer has addressed them directly in verse 1-3, and speaks to them again (using

you) in his encouraging remarks that immediately follow (verse 9-12). But he carefully

employs the third person, those who, in the descriptions of verse 4-6, and does not explicitly

identify them in the second person, ―you who. . . .‖5

4
Herbert W. Bateman IV, Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007),
128.
5
Peter T. O‘Brien, The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 2010), 279.
 5

The first is that the writer of Hebrews is not describing his readers themselves.

Richard Phillips says this because the author shifts here from his consistent use of the first

and second persons to the third person.6 This tells us that he is not speaking directly of his

readers‘ situation, an observation that is confirmed by verse 9, ―Even though we speak like

this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case -- things that accompany

salvation.‖

Since the writer is not omniscient, he does not truly know the heart condition of all

the readers, and they have not yet fallen into apostasy as he fears some might, though this is

threatening. So, he addresses them all according to their profession as Christians. In case

some may not be genuine, he indicates that the true test is perseverance and those who fall

away thereby demonstrate that they have not genuinely been partakers of God‘s new

covenant salvation (3:6, 14).

Second, who are those? Description of those who fall away (the audience). They

are… once enlightened, experiencing the heavenly gift, becoming partakers of the Holy

Spirit, and experiencing God's good word and the powers of the age to come. Randall

Gleason makes the following observation, ―In the end it seems that the passages with which

one begins determine one‘s theology.‖ 7 This is particularly true when determining the

audience.

Bruce Compton had examined these verses and made a conclusion that the audience

of Hebrews 6 are false believers. He wrote,

It offers the most consistent interpretation of the verses within their own and related
contexts and leaves the least number of questions unanswered. According to the
fourth view, the passage refers to those who have heard the gospel, have made a

6
Richard D. Phillips, Reformed Expository Commentary: Hebrews (Phillipsburg: P&R, 2006), 186.
7
Randall C. Gleason, ―The Old Testament Background of the Warning in Hebrews 6:4-8,‖ BlBLIOTHECA
SACRA 155 (March 1998): 63.
 6

profession of faith, yet are not saved. Under the pressure of persecution, these
abandon the faith and are faced with eternal condemnation and judgment.8

F. F. Bruce suggest that ―once enlightened‖ refers to baptism, because in the second

century, baptism often being related to ―enlightened.‖9 ―Experiencing the heavenly gift‖

may suggest to the Eucharist, but also refers to spiritual blessings. 10 ―Becoming partakers of

the Holy Spirit‖ means experiencing operations of the Holy Spirit. ―Experiencing God's

good word‖ refers to people that already have heard the Gospel but not really received it in

their heart.11

On the face of it these seem to reflect different facets of a full experience of true

Christian conversion. But, actually they do not definitively denote Christian conversion.

Receiving enlightenment or a knowledge of the truth, experiencing the word, hearing the

message, and so forth could refer to an exposure to the gospel and even a preliminary

positive response to it without entailing the decisive and genuine experience of Christian

conversion. Experiencing heaven‘s gift and association with the Spirit‘s powerful and

miraculous work could be mainly an outward thing, not involving the life-changing effects

of salvation itself. Even repentance or some level of sanctification can be superficial and

preliminary rather than genuinely personal and saving.

In the Gospel of Matthew, it is written, ―Not everyone who says to me, ‗Lord, Lord,‘

will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in

heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‗Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name,

and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?‘ Then I will tell them

8
R. Bruce Compton, ―Persevering and Falling Away: A Reexamination of Hebrews 6:4–6,‖ Detroit Baptist
Seminary Journal 1 (Spring 1996): 145.
9
F. F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), 120.
10
Anthony A. Hoekema, Diselamatkan Oleh Anugerah (Surabaya: Momentum, 2006), 336.
11
Hoekema, 336.
 7

plainly, ‗I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!‘‖ (Matthew 7:21-23). It means

that many people could taste some degrees of heavenly gift without experiencing true

conversion. The people have not been born again by the Holy Spirit. They just involved in

the ministry. Their name just were written on the list of church congregation, but not listed

in the Book of Life.

The writer has portrayed the apostates in distinctly Christian terms to emphasize how

close they have been to new covenant salvation and what they are spurning if they depart.

Their enlightenment, experience of the Spirit, repentance, knowledge of the truth, sharing in

the sanctifying effects of Christ‘s blood, and so forth will prove to be only preliminary and

spurious if in fact they repudiate Christ. Their repudiation will constitute willful departure,

or apostasy, from the religious convictions and public stance they once seemed to hold. 12

The writer is only portraying the phenomena of their conversion, what their Christian

experience looks like outwardly. He portrays them in distinctly Christian terms to

emphasize how close they have been to the faith and what they are rejecting if they depart. 13

Third, causes versus evidences. We are sometimes confused with the cause of our

salvation. Enduring faith is the evidence of genuine salvation (not its cause and not a

condition for maintaining genuine salvation).14 So the writer's point is not that holding firm

in faith to the end causes their salvific participation with Christ to continue to final salvation,

but that holding firm in faith to the end is the evidence that they have become and are truly

partakers with Christ.

So when we meet post-Christian people that do not repent until to the end, the post-

Christian actually show themselves that they do not have true faith in Jesus. The enduring

12
Bateman IV, Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews, 137.
13
Bateman IV, 137.
14
Bateman IV, 135.
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faith is the evidence of genuine salvation. So, people who really have genuine faith cannot

fall away.

Fourth, according God‘s grace or human effort? If we believe the slogan of

reformation ―sola gratia,‖ we will understand than our salvation is not our merit. It is just

given by God to whom that believe in Jesus Christ. Our effort do nothing in our salvation.

Edwin Palmer wrote, ―Perseverance of the saints depend on perseverence of God.‖15

Our perseverance can happen only because of the providence of God. If God doesn‘t give

His providence upon us, we will perish in our sins just as before we believed in Jesus.

Westminster Confession of Faith confirmed the eternal salvation, ―They whom God

hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither

totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to

the end, and be eternally saved.‖16

Canons of Dort gives us the certainty of this preservation:

So it is not by their own merits or strength but by God‘s undeserved mercy that they
neither forfeit faith and grace totally nor remain in their downfalls to the end and are
lost. With respect to themselves this not only easily could happen, but also
undoubtedly would happen; but with respect to God it cannot possibly happen. God‘s
plan cannot be changed; God‘s promise cannot fail; the calling according to God‘s
purpose cannot be revoked; the merit of Christ as well as his interceding and
preserving cannot be nullified; and the sealing of the Holy Spirit can neither be
invalidated nor wiped out.17

―It is, strictly speaking, not man but God who perseveres. Perseverance may be

defined as that continuous operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer, by which the work of

15
Edwin Palmer, Lima Pokok Calvinisme (Jakarta: Lembaga Reformed Injili Indonesia, 1996), 108.
16
Westminster Confession of Faith, XVII, 1.
17
Canons of Dort, The Fifth Main Point of Doctrine - Article 8
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divine grace that is begun in the heart, is continued and brought to completion. It is because

God never forsakes His work that believers continue to stand to the very end.‖18

The doctrine of perseverance of the saints doesn‘t mean that every people who

comes to church will be saved. Bible teach us that from old time until now there are always

people who seem to become part of the people of God, but actually they are not. There are

always chaff between the wheat (Matt. 3:12) and branches that does not bear fruit (Jn. 15:2).

The problem is we don‘t know who they are, we cannot look into their heart.

According to Romans chapter 8, John Murray gave us a remarkable understanding

that God secure our salvation to the end.

A true Christian cannot be defined in lower terms than one who has been called and
justified. And therefore the question is: may one who has been called and justified
fall away and come short of eternal salvation? Paul's answer is inescapable—the
called and the justified will be glorified.19

The perseverance of the saints doctrine means our eternal guarantee. If genuine

Christian can fall away, they will go to hell. So a Christian could enter, go out, enter again,

go out again the eternal life. Sometimes they have life spirituality, sometimes they have

dead spirituality. So who can ensure the end result? Only God could secure our final

salvation. So the genuine believers cannot fall away.

G. C. Berkouwer described well the relationship between perseverance doctrine and

the warning passages in the Bible,

Doktrin ketekunan orang-orang kudus tidak akan pernah menjadi suatu jaminan
yang a priori di dalam kehidupan orang-orang percaya sehingga memberi peluang
bagi mereka untuk menjalani kehidupan mereka tanpa teguran dan peringatan. . . .
Teguran-teguran ini sangat signifikan untuk memahami hubungan antara iman dan

18
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1941), 546.
19
John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955), 195.
 10

ketekunan yang benar, teguran-teguran ini memampukan kita untuk lebih memahami
natur ketekunan.20

Even though we already have eternal guarantee of our salvation, it doesn‘t mean that we

could neglect warnings from the Bible. We realize that the warnings are so significant for us

to understand the relationship between faith and the true perseverance. It doesn‘t mean that

the true believers don‘t have responsibility upon their perseverance. By keeping the

warnings such like this, the believers will persevere.

Fifth, the analogy of exodus generation. Another approach to the descriptions of

Hebrews 6:4-6 that leads to a similar result is to see these phrases as allusions to the national

experience of the wilderness generation and therefore as not specifically Christian.21

References to the ―tabernacle‖ rather than the temple also point back to the

conditions in the wilderness. The Exodus generation experienced God‘s blessings

corporately as part of the covenant community. When most of them fell due to rebellion and

unbelief, it was evident that they were not inwardly and truly members of God‘s people.22

Exodus generation has been enlightened, experiencing the heavenly gift, becoming partakers

of the Holy Spirit, and experiencing God‘s good word. But most of them did not enter the

Promised Land because their unbelief.

Participation in spiritual realities of those who ―fall away,‖ though they have been

―enlightened‖ and ―shared‖ and ―tasted‖ the things of God, parallels the privileged

experience of the children of Israel in the wilderness who fell away and died in unbelief. As

part of the covenant community, the fallen Israelites had placed blood on the doorposts,

eaten the Passover lamb, miraculously crossed the Red Sea, observed the pillar of cloud by

20
Hoekema, Diselamatkan Oleh Anugerah, 331.
21
Bateman IV, Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews, 179.
22
Bateman IV, 179.
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day and fire by night, tasted the miraculous waters at Marah, daily ate manna, and heard the

voice of God at Sinai. But their hearts were hardened in unbelief, and they fell away from

the living God. True, some of those who perished in the wilderness were regenerate and

some were unregenerate, but both were visible members of the covenant community and

thus shared a profound mutuality of spiritual experience. Similarly, these Christians of

Hebrews 6 were accepted into the covenant community and likewise experienced something

of the spiritual realities, but fell away.

From his description of the experiences of those who may fall away, it would be

difficult to distinguish them at the outset from those who are going to stay the course. For

they have been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, partaken of the Holy Spirit, and

experienced the goodness of the word of God and the mighty works of the age to come. Just

as the Hebrew spies who returned from their journey to the land of Canaan carrying the fruit

of the land, but failed to enter the land because of their unbelief.23

In this passage, the author spoke about the Israelites‘ day of testing in the wilderness.

The author wrote, ―So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‗Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden

your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your

fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did‘‖ (Heb. 3:7-9). So, the

wilderness narrative is still in our author‘s mind. The Israelites who failed to enter Canaan

failed in spite of the fact that they had been baptized in the Red Sea and had their camp

illuminated by heavenly light, in spite of the provision of manna (bread from heaven) and

water from the rock, and God‘s Spirit to instruct them, in spite of their hearing the oracles of

God and seeing his mighty works.

23
Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Epistle to the Hebrews, 131.
 12

Here in Hebrews 6 they describe people who were not yet Christians but who had

simply heard the gospel and had experienced several of the blessings of the Holy Spirit‘s

work in the Christian community. The falling away is not a falling from salvation, but a

failure to exercise saving faith in light of the blessings to which the readers have been

exposed through association with the Christian community.24

Sixth, falling away – How bad? There is not as sharp a disagreement among

interpreters regarding this element, although within the broad consensus there are spesific

matter in dispute. The verb used in Hebrews 3:12 for turning away denote a willful rejection

of salvation and rebellion against God and his ways. 25

―Falling away‖ is not a kind of betrayal-and-then-recovery like Simon Peter. It is a

failure that puts someone in an irretrievable position of loss. The ―falling away‖ was not the

sort of struggle with sin and temptation. We have solution for our weakness, when we

commit common sins. Even in Hebrews, Christ as merciful High Priest stands ready to

provide mercy and grace for our weakness (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:14-16). Instead, the readers

were warned against a knowledgeable, willful rejection of Christ and his sacrifice. Falling

away is a failure that puts someone in an irretrievable position of loss. The example of Esau

in Hebrews 12:16-17 does seem intended as a parallel to 6:4-6. Esau forfeited his rights of

inheritance because he place no value on them and later was unable to inherit blessing,

though he sought it, because no opportunity for repentance was available to him.26

This leads us to know the consequence of repudiate him (to refuse God‘s ultimate

and only effective sacrifice for sins) is a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire

24
Dave Mathewson, ―Reading Heb 6:4-6 in Light of the Old Testament,‖ Westminster Theological Journal 61
(1999) 224–25.
25
Bateman IV, Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews, 180.
26
Bateman IV, 185–86.
 13

that will consume the enemies of God (Heb. 10:27). No provision fo sin could be expected

but only a terrible and fiery judgment as the vengeance of the living God against his

enemies. There could be no blessing, no repentance, and no escape for one who profanely

refuses the awesome God who will shake the whole creation, who himself is a consuming

fire (Heb. 12:14-29).27

The main problem of the people who fall away is ―a continuous refusal ... to press on

to maturity‖ and ―a decisive refusal to trust and obey God.‖ Such these things can‘t be

done by a genuine Christian.

Seventh, analogia fide principle. A key principle of biblical interpretation is that

since God is the ultimate author of all the Bible, and since God is infallible and true, there

can be no basic inconsistency in Scripture. This means that when faced with difficult

passages, we must interpret them in light of clearer ones.28 When we see Hebrews 6 is so

difficult to understand and this passage has brought up unfinished debates among scholars.

So we should see Hebrews 6 as a difficult passage. We need many supports from other parts

of the Bible so we can get the real meaning of this. The clear parts of the Bible will help to

understand the difficult parts.

Compared to the doctrines of the whole Bible, a genuine Christian has Holy spirit

who is deposit guaranteeing our inheritance (Eph. 1:14). Even in Hebrews also written that

Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant (Heb. 7:22). In Gospel of John, Jesus

said, ―I give them eternal life, they shall never perish, no one will snatch them out of my

hand. My Father who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out

of my father‘s hand (Jn. 10:28-29). The Father ensure that the believers are always in his

27
Bateman IV, 187.
28
Phillips, Reformed Expository Commentary: Hebrews,188.
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mighty hand. Nobody can snatch them out. In other words, the Holy Trinity secure our

eternal salvation.

Scripture also asserts that ―He who has begun a good work . . . will perfect it until

the day of Christ‖ (Phil. 1:6; cf. Luke 14:28-32). ―Life‖ shall not separate believers from the

love of God in Christ (Rom. 8:38, 39). The golden chain of God‘s purpose is not thinning

out toward the end, but that the very people who are known, foreordained, called and

justified are also glorified (Rom. 8:29, 30). The believers are ―kept by the power of God

through faith unto final salvation and for an incorruptible inheritance‖ (1 Pet. 1:4, 5; cf. Jude

24, 25; 2 Tim. 1:12). The true believers are ―sealed by the Spirit unto the day of

redemption‖ (Eph. 4:30). Scripture asserts that apostates were never true members of Christ

because otherwise they would not have fallen away (1 Jn. 2:19).

The Scriptures asserts again and again that the new life in Christ is ―eternal.‖ What

kind of eternity would that be which could be brought to an end in our own life-span? Jesus

asserts that it is impossible ―to lead the elect astray‖ (Matt. 24:24). Jesus asserts that

everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have everlasting life, and He will raise

him up at the last day (Jn. 6:40; cf. 54). Jesus asserts, ―I know my sheep, and they follow

me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them

out of my hand‖ (Jn. 10:27, 28).

Even, in Hebrews 7:25, the author wrote, ―Therefore he is able to save completely

those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.‖ God is

able to save completely His people.

Besides that, the first epistle of John gives us warnings against denying the Son.

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is
coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last
 15

hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had
belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none
of them belonged to us (1 Jn. 2:18-19).

The Apostle John told us that antichrists went out from us (believers), but they did not really

belong to us. In other words, their faith was not genuine. If they had genuine faith, they

would have remained with the believers. Too many verses in the Bible that assert that the

true people of God (genuine Christian) will not fall away. God will guide the elect people

until to the end. They will persevere.

THE PURPOSE OF THE WARNINGS

We understand that some people may think that if the genuine Christian cannot fall

away, so what‘s the warning for. Believers always need the warnings as the same as

believer always need the instructions from the whole Bible. One thing that we should

realize is that we don‘t know who has a genuine faith or who doesn‘t have in our believers

community. The warnings always become the reminder for the true believers to be faithful

in their faith.

CONCLUSION

Those apostates in Hebrews 6:4-6 are not genuine Christians. Genuine Christian

cannot fall away or reject God's grace. God‘s work that has been start in us will be fulfilled

entirely by His grace.29 The warnings in Hebrews about falling away and the exhortations to

endure are intended to urge the readers to maintain faith in Christ's high priestly work.

Those who repudiate Christ thereby give evidence that they have never partaken in Christ.

29
Hoekema, Diselamatkan Oleh Anugerah, 324.
 16

The writer wants his readers to be motivated, to endure by God‘s grace, and so show

themselves to be true ―partakers of Christ.‖ Bruce wrote, ―A credible profession of faith

must be accepted as genuine, but ultimately it is only the Lord who knows those who are

his.‖30

As Christians, we are warned by this difficult passage to be faithful to God. The

warnings always become the reminder for us to be faithful in our faith. We have had a

secure salvation by His grace. We have what a blessed assurance. A beautiful hymn by

Fanny Crosby will help us to have a self reflection before God.31

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

30
Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Epistle to the Hebrews, 133.
31
―Blessed Assurance > Lyrics | Frances J. Crosby,‖ accessed December 20, 2017,
http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Blessed_Assurance/.
 17

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS:

Bateman IV, Herbert W. Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews. Grand Rapids:
Kregel, 2007.

Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1941.

Bruce, F. F. The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Epistle to the
Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.

Canons of Dort.

Hoekema, Anthony A. Diselamatkan Oleh Anugerah. Surabaya: Momentum, 2006.

Murray, John. Redemption Accomplished and Applied. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955.

O‘Brien, Peter T. The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the Hebrews. Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010.

Palmer, Edwin. Lima Pokok Calvinisme. Jakarta: Lembaga Reformed Injili Indonesia, 1996.

Phillips, Richard D. Reformed Expository Commentary: Hebrews. Phillipsburg: P&R, 2006.

Westminster Confession of Faith.

JOURNAL:

Compton, R. Bruce. ―Persevering and Falling Away: A Reexamination of Hebrews 6:4–6.‖

Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 1 (Spring 1996): 135–67.

Gleason, Randall C. ―The Old Testament Background of the Warning in Hebrews 6:4-8.‖
BlBLIOTHECA SACRA 155 (March 1998): 62–91.

Mathewson, Dave. ―Reading Heb 6:4-6 in Light of the Old Testament.‖ Westminster
Theological Journal 61 (1999): 209–25.
 18

INTERNET:

―Blessed Assurance > Lyrics | Frances J. Crosby.‖ Accessed December 20, 2017.
http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Blessed_Assurance/.

―The State of the Church 2016.‖ Barna Group. Accessed December 6, 2017.
https://www.barna.com/research/state-church-2016/.