This week I read St. John Chrysostom's exegesis on Hebrews 6:1-6 and he reads it in the following way.

Essentially, he equates being "renewed to repentance" with the renewal we receive through Christ's Crucifixion. This renewal is what allows us to "put off the old man" spiritually and begin to form ourselves to the mind of Christ. However, in his view, we experience this renewal through the sacrament of baptism, which cleanses us of original sin, renewing us to repentance. Therefore, he interprets this passage, at least in part, to indicate that we can only be baptized once, like it says in the Nicene Creed ("we believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins").

This is confirmed according to Chrysostom in the "crucifying afresh" and "putting Christ to shame" verses from the passage. Christ's sacrifice is all-encompassing, therefore to indicate that a man is in need of a second renewal to repentance is to indicate that Christ's first sacrifice was not sufficient, but that another is needed. Thus, Christ would have to be crucified again. However, we experienced the fullness of the Crucifixion in baptism, and needing a second baptism would be akin to requiring a second Crucifixion.

He also equates "having tasted the Spirit" with experiencing the remission of sins.

Perhaps the most puzzling part of his exegesis however is the following excerpt, concerning which I have yet to reach final conclusions.

"But if we should be always going to be saved by grace we shall never be good. For where there is but one grace, and we are yet so indolent, should we then cease sinning if we knew that it is possible again to have our sins washed away? For my part I think not."