On 'Taste'
Does 'taste' refer to a saving experience?
One way to think about this is to look at how the Hebrew writer uses the word 'taste' elsewhere. This word is used by the writer to describe Christ tasting death (2:9). Since this means a full experience of death, it follows that the experiences being described are full experiences; not mere previews. But this is not convincing. “Taste death” is an expression common to three of the gospels (Mk. 9:1; Lk. 9:27 ; Jn. 8:52 ), and so may have been either a common expression, or taken from the same source. It is therefore hardly convincing that the writer always uses “taste” in the context of a full experience.
But I think there's better evidence elsewhere...
For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:1-5).
Notice how they actually ate and drank from Christ, and yet most of them were “overthrown” in the wilderness, which the Hebrews writer views as due to a lack of faith (Heb. 3:16-19; 4:2). Now let’s see what Jesus says about himself:
“Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink (Jn. 6:54-55).”
He doesn’t mention faith here, so how were some of the Israelites who drank and ate in the desert overthrown? His answer is provided earlier in the passage:
Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent (Jn. 6:26-29).”
I think the same thing happened in the desert. The Israelites were following God not because they believed by because their stomachs were full. Therefore, I must conclude that it is quite possible to “taste the heavenly gift” without being saved.
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’ (Jn. 7:38).
And it’s by that living water than we are known to be true followers of the living God, Jesus Christ.
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter (Zech. 14:18).
See http://sevenpages.org/blog/archives/90
Created about 2 years ago
