Brother Bob said:
What is hard about seeing that God said it is impossible to "renew" such a one to repentance. It does not matter if this person has an early death or what, to "renew" such a one unto repentance is impossible, and Jesus said not to even pray for him. Surely you can see that.
Hebr. 6:4
4: For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5: And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6: If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Regardless of what one may believe about the interpretation of Heb. 6:4-6 (no doubt your favorite Bible verses, considering how many times I've seen you post them)
, HankD did say that I John and the sin unto death said nothing about anything being said that one could not repent from it. (I ain't getting into 'repent of sin' at this time, so all can relax! :laugh
But Heb. 6:4-6 is not the same passage as I John 5: 16-17 in anybody's book. And as has been stated several times before, including by me, what exactly is "a sin unto death" (or perhaps better rendered as a 'sin that leads to death') is not specifically stated, either here or elsewhere in Scripture,
only that "
there is a sin unto death." Why does this undefined "sin unto death" even have to be the same sin for every individual?? Scripture never says that it does, anywhere that I can find.
Acts 5
Lying to the Holy Spirit
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?”
She said, “Yes, for so much.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.
I would agree that in the case of Ananias and Saphirra, that "lying unto the Holy Spirit" was such a sin, given the consequences. (BTW, you might note that Peter did not tell Saphirra that Ananias was dead, at first. - "Oh yeah! BTW, your husband is already dead and buried, and you're a-fixin' to follow him into the ground, right now. Your pallbearers are here and waiting, already." "
Thud!!") And you might note that their deaths served to 'scare the fuzz' out of the church, as well as those who were not part of the church, and by causing those to hear what was preached and then miracles worked by the apostles, after that, and also led to great revival.
17 Now in giving these instructions I do not praise
you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of
others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise
you.
Institution of the Lord’s Supper
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the
same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke
it and said, “Take, eat;[
b] this is My body which is broken[
c] for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner
He also
took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink
it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Examine Yourself
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks
this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood[
d] of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.29
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner[
e]
eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s[
f]
body. 30
For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come. (I Cor. 11:17-34 - NKJV)
I would agree that the Corinthian believers who partook of the Lord's table unworthily, with this ensuing judgment that "many sleep" probably had committed "a sin unto death", as well, for this is what Scripture specifically says in so many words, or at least that many were dead (sleep) because of this very reason. Beyond these two instances, I am leery of assigning a particular "sin unto death" to any other believer, either in the OT or in the NT, for the Bible simply does not give enough evidence for this, that I see. Or even attempting to guess what it may be or may have been.
But apparently that sin is/was not drunkenness (Noah);
not incest (Lot);
not prostitution (not Rahab nor Tamar, the latter of which added incest, to boot);
not lying to a king, as opposed to lying to the Holy Spirit (Abraham and Isaac);
not stealing (Jacob);
not adultery with murder tacked on for good measure (David);
not polygamy (Solomon - who could have given anyone else in history lesson on it!);
not whoremongering (Samson);
not denying the Lord (Peter);
not unbelief in the testimony of ten apostles about resurrection of the Lord, unless he could 'thrust his hand into the Lord's side' (Thomas);
not even being "the chief of sinners" (Paul).
You know, seeing as how none of these died over any of this, you understand.
Given these instances, I am just not willing to attempt to even hazard a guess as to what it might be, but will wait for that to be revealed to me at the coming of the Lord!
Ed
