Gr. geuomai (see on ch. 2:9). The meaning “to experience” seems to apply here. Compare Ps. 34:8.

 Or, “illuminated” (see on Eph. 1:18).

 Verses 4-6 deal with the fate of those who fall away from God. The question at issue is the possibility of restoring such as have had a deep Christian experience but have fallen away. Can they be restored to Christian fellowship and again receive mercy? This passage has been the source of great perplexity and discouragement to many. It seems to teach that those who fall away from the faith are irrevocably lost.

Among the various views that have been held two are worthy of consideration.

 (1) That the apostasy here spoken of is the commission of the unpardonable sin (see on Matt. 12:31, 32), since this is the only form of apostasy that is hopeless.

 (2) That the passage correctly understood does not teach the absolute hopelessness of the apostasy here described but a conditional hopelessness (see on Heb. 6:6).

Most commentators accept the former view, although the latter has merits and can be defended on the basis of the Greek.

 The idea that repentance was impossible under certain circumstances was current among the Jews. They taught, for example, that such was the case of the man who sinned wantonly, trusting in future repentance: “If one says: I shall sin and repent, sin and repent, no opportunity will be given to him to repent. [If one says]: I shall sin and the Day of Atonement will procure atonement for me, the Day of Atonement procures for him no atonement” (Mishnah Yoma 8. 9, Soncino ed. of the Talmud, p. 423). They taught also that repentance was impossible for the man who led the multitude into sin: “Whoever causes the many to be righteous, sin occurs not through him; and whoever causes the many to sin, they do not afford him the faculty to repent” (Mishnah Aboth 5. 18, Soncino ed. of the Talmud, p. 71). Of interest also is a passage from the Book of Sirach: “Say not, ‘I have sinned, but what happened unto me?’ For Jahveh is longsuffering. Count not upon forgiveness, That thou shouldst add sin to sin. And say not, ‘His mercies are great, He will forgive the multitude of mine iniquities’; For mercy and wrath are with Him, And His indignation abideth upon the ungodly. Delay not to turn unto Him, And put (it) not off from day to day; For suddenly doth His wrath come forth, And in the time of vengeance thou shalt perish” (ch. 5:4-7; R. H. Charles, The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, vol. 1, p. 332).

 That is, the gift of salvation or perhaps a special gift of the Spirit (Rom. 5:15; 1 Cor. 12).

 That is, they have received an outpouring of the Spirit either as the divine energy in conversion (John 3:5) or through the impartation of some special gift (1 Cor. 12).