Preserving Perseverance: The Reception of John Owen’s Treatment of Hebrews 6:4–6 within the History of Reformed Interpretation
type: CreativeWork
description: Hebrews 6:4–6 is regularly identified as a challenge to the doctrine of perseverance. This study presents a history of Reformed interpretation of Hebrews 6:4–6 with particular focus on the question of the doctrine of perseverance and the identity of those described in this passage. It also traces the reception of John Owen and his interpretation of that passage within the English history of interpretation. Owen (1616–1683) is significant to this history because he stands as a prominent early figure of the Reformed tradition, and his Exposition on Hebrews is a massive and thoughtful contribution to the body of interpretive literature on Hebrews in the English-speaking world. Later Reformed biblical interpreters are grouped and analysed within their hermeneutical, theological, and exegetical contexts. Critically adopting the methodology of reception history as presented by Parris and Evans, these later interpretations of Hebrews 6:4–6 are examined with the intent of discerning to what extent Owen’s interpretation of this passage is formative on later readings in terms of continuity, rebuttal, and modification, and for how long and in what ways. This is the first study to examine the influence of John Owen’s work on Heb 6:4–6 on later Reformed exegetes. It finds that within the history of interpretation, most Reformed interpreters have declined to see the descriptive markers of Heb 6:4–5 as denoting genuine Christians. Earlier interpreters instead tended to regard the markers in a negative light and to emphasise how they fell short of describing a state of salvation. However, a trend began with Owen to see these markers in a positive light. While not denoting salvation, these were instead understood to be designed to demonstrate how much these people had experienced. This broad position characterised all Reformed interpretations until the early nineteenth century. From this point, a consistent minority tradition of dissent began which held that Heb 6:4–6 did indeed des…
abstract: Hebrews 6:4–6 is regularly identified as a challenge to the doctrine of perseverance. This study presents a history of Reformed interpretation of Hebrews 6:4–6 with particular focus on the question of the doctrine of perseverance and the identity of those described in this passage. It also traces the reception of John Owen and his interpretation of that passage within the English history of interpretation. Owen (1616–1683) is significant to this history because he stands as a prominent early figure of the Reformed tradition, and his Exposition on Hebrews is a massive and thoughtful contribution to the body of interpretive literature on Hebrews in the English-speaking world. Later Reformed biblical interpreters are grouped and analysed within their hermeneutical, theological, and exegetical contexts. Critically adopting the methodology of reception history as presented by Parris and Evans, these later interpretations of Hebrews 6:4–6 are examined with the intent of discerning to what extent Owen’s interpretation of this passage is formative on later readings in terms of continuity, rebuttal, and modification, and for how long and in what ways. This is the first study to examine the influence of John Owen’s work on Heb 6:4–6 on later Reformed exegetes. It finds that within the history of interpretation, most Reformed interpreters have declined to see the descriptive markers of Heb 6:4–5 as denoting genuine Christians. Earlier interpreters instead tended to regard the markers in a negative light and to emphasise how they fell short of describing a state of salvation. However, a trend began with Owen to see these markers in a positive light. While not denoting salvation, these were instead understood to be designed to demonstrate how much these people had experienced. This broad position characterised all Reformed interpretations until the early nineteenth century. From this point, a consistent minority tradition of dissent began which held that Heb 6:4–6 did indeed des…
author: Northcott, Christopher S.
date published: 2024
date modified: 2026-07-27T18:45:53Z
provider: AUT University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: AUT University