Whoever wrote this letter (It may have been the Apostle Paul) seems a tad frustrated with the Jewish Christians. They seem stuck at first base, wanting to hear the glorious good news of the gospel again and again. I remember my “honeymoon period” when I first made a serious commitment to follow Jesus. I wasn’t in much of a hurry to move on.
This passage, along with others, helped me to finally get off the stick and start on the path towards a more mature faith.

6:1 Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God, 6:2 teaching about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 6:3 And this is what we intend to do, if God permits. 6:4 For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 6:5 tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, 6:6 and then have committed apostasy, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt. 6:7 For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God. 6:8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed; its fate is to be burned. 6:9 But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation. 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. 6:11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 6:12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.

I am still not sure what to make of verses 4-6. Perhaps there are such things as little apostasies, the temporarily unresolved doubts that we experience as we mature in our faith; but only one Apostasy, which is outright denial of the Lord Jesus for which there is no return. I believe the ‘no return’ state is God’s doing, the irreversible hardening of the heart resulting from “crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt.”

All I can do is to eagerly strive for a more mature faith and trust in His promise to sustain me until I fully inherit the promises.

Dave, still striving.

-sdg-