Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Hebrews 6:5

"and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come," — Hebrews 6:5 (ASV)

The people in question have “tasted the goodness of the word of God.” While some limit this to the Gospel, there seems to be no need to do this. Any word that God has spoken is a good gift to people, and those the writer has in mind here have come to hear something of God’s word to the human race. They have also experienced something of “the powers of the coming age.” The “age to come” is normally the Messianic Age; powers proper to the coming Messianic Age are in some sense realized now for God’s people. “Powers” (GK 1539) indicates that that age puts at people’s disposal powers they do not have of themselves.