In the last section, we noted that the writer set forth the fact that Jesus is greater than Aaron as High Priest. Jesus Christ is the great High Priest after the order of Melchisedec instead of being after order of Aaron and this section emphasizes that since Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, He has taken away the types of it. This section consists of: A description of the spiritual status of the Hebrew readers; A warning not to go back to the fulfilled and done away sacrifices of the Levitical system; and An exhortation to put a heart faith in the New Testament Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ.
These Hebrew readers are described as: Hard to teach and dull of hearing; Those who ought to be teachers but cannot teach; Those who are babes; Those who are enlightened; Those who had tasted of the heavenly gift and had been made partakers of the Holy Spirit; Those who had tasted of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come; Those who had been brought to repentance; and They are exhorted to put off once for all any dependence upon the Levitical sacrifices and to go on to faith in the New Testament Sacrifice (Hebrews 6:1).
Hebrews 6:1: Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on
unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and
of faith toward God,
Hebrews 6:11, 12 summarize the main message of this difficult (and often misunderstood) section of this letter. Israel wanted to go back to Egypt; and as a result, a whole generation failed to inherit what God had promised. They were safely delivered out of Egypt, but they never enjoyed the promised rest in Canaan.
Hebrews 6:11, 12: 11And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence
to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12That ye be not slothful, but followers
of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Today, we believers can make the same mistake. If we keep in mind that the emphasis in this section is on making spiritual progress or reaching spiritual maturity, we will steer safely through misinterpretation that could create problems.
In this chapter, we will look at the marks of spiritual immaturity. The writer is about to begin his 83
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explanation of the heavenly priesthood of Jesus Christ after the order of Melchisedec, but he is not sure that his readers are ready for what he has to teach.
The problem is not found in any lack in the writer. The problem is in the spiritual condition of the readers. There were dull hearers! The word translated "dull" (Greek nothros) is the same word which is translated "slothful" in Hebrews 6:12. This word means "slow, sluggish."
DULLNESS TOWARD THE WORD OF GOD
Verse 11: And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to
the full assurance of hope unto the end:
These believers started on their "backward journey" by drifting from the Word (Hebrews 2:1-4) and then doubting the Word (Hebrews 3:7- 4:13). As a result, they were now dull of hearing. This refers to a condition of spiritual apathy and laziness that prevents spiritual development. These Hebrews were slow, sluggish, and numbed in their comprehension of the teaching of the New Testament truth. This made it difficult to teach them. The difficulty did not lie in the writer. It was in the readers of this letter.
They were unable to listen to the Word, receive it, and act on it. They did not have the attitude of the Thessalonians.
1 Thessalonians 2:13, "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because,
when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word
of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you
that believe."
They had not always been in that condition, as shown by the word translated "are". The word which is translated "are" in Verse 11 is the same word which is translated “are become” in verse 12. It is in the
"perfect tense" which speaks of completed action in past time with the results continuing into the present.
These Hebrews had at one time a spiritual understanding of New Testament truth. That understanding was clear enough for them to see that the New Testament Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ had fulfilled the Old Testament sacrifices, and therefore they had been set aside.
One of the first symptoms or marks of spiritual regression or backsliding is dullness toward the Word of God. Sunday School class is dull, the preaching of God's Word is dull, and anything spiritual is boring.
Usually, the problem is not with the Sunday School teacher or the pastor but with the hearer.
INABILITY TO SHARE THE WORD OF GOD
Verse 12a. "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one
teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God..."
"Time" is from the Greek word "chronos", which means "time, duration, time in general, any time; the time in which anything is done,' It speaks of the succession of moments, not a specific amount of time. Because of the length of time in which these Hebrews had been under the instruction of teachers presenting the Word of the New Testament truth, they ought to be teaching the same message.
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The ability to share spiritual truth with others is a mark of maturity. Not all Christians have the gift of teaching, but all can share the Word and what they have learned from it. The recipients of this letter had been saved and taught long enough that they should have been able to share God's truth with others. But, instead of helping others to grow, these Hebrew Christians were in need of learning again the simple teachings of the Christian life.
The word "ought" is a word which speaks of moral obligation. It is translated from the Greek word
"opheilo" and means "to owe, to be indebted; then to be bound, to be obligated to the performance of any duty." This word speaks of necessity imposed either by law or duty or by the matter under consideration. But they again have need that someone would teach them the fundamentals of the beginning of the utterance of God.
A BABY FOOD DIET
Hebrews 5:12b-13. "...and are become (have become) such as have need of milk,
and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word
of righteousness: for he is a babe."
Milk is pre-digested food, and it is specially suited for babies. But the mature ones can enjoy meat.
The writer defines milk as "the first principles of the oracles of God" (Verse 12). The meat of the Word is the teaching about our Lord's ministry now in heaven as our Great High Priest. The writer wanted to give them this "meat", but they were not ready for it. Milk is ideal for newborn babies.
1 Peter 2:1, 2: "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies,
and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of
the word, that ye may grow thereby."
Meat is from the Greek word "trophes" meaning "food" in general. Today in our English language, the word meat means the edible flesh of animals. When the King James Version translation was made, it meant food in general.
John 4:31-34, "In the mean while His disciples prayed Him, saying, Master, eat. But
He said unto them, I have meat (broma, food) to eat that ye know not of. Therefore
said the disciples one to another, hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith
unto them, My meat (broma, food) is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish
His work."
Matthew 4:4: "But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Jeremiah 15:16: Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me
the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of
hosts.
The milk of the Word refers to what Jesus Christ did on the earth—His birth, life, teaching, death, burial, 85
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and resurrection. The meat of the Word refers to what Jesus Christ is now doing in heaven. We begin the Christian life on the basis of His finished work on earth. We grow in the Christian life on the basis of His work for us in heaven.
As believers, we can still learn much from our Lord's work on earth. BUT WE MUST NOT STOP
THERE! We must make spiritual progress, and we can do this only if we learn about the priestly ministry of Jesus Christ for us in heaven.
Hebrews 13:20, 21: "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our
Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant, Make you perfect in very good work to do His will, working you that which
is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and
ever."
Babe comes from the Greek word "nepios", which means "a baby without the power of speech, an infant."
Babes are "tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14).
They glory in men (1 Corinthians 3:1-6).
1 Corinthians 3:1-6: 1And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual,
but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2I have fed you with milk, and not
with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3For
ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions,
are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and
another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos,
but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6I have
planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
They must have much sleep. Spiritual babes fuss over this and that, just as babes in the flesh fuss. They are quarrelers, dividers, and those who like a spoiled child want their own way.
UNSKILLED IN USING THE WORD OF GOD
Hebrew 5:13, 14: 13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe. 14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full
age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good
and evil.
As we grow in the Word of God, we learn to use it in daily life. As we apply the Word, we exercise out
"spiritual senses" and develop spiritual discernment. It is characteristic of little children that they lack discernment. An immature believer will listen to any preacher or teacher and are not able to identify whether or not he is true to the Scriptures.
The expression "useth milk" refers to an0 exclusive diet of milk. Mature individuals may drink milk, but it is not their total diet.
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Unskillful is from the Greek "apeiros" which means "inexperienced or without experience."
Note the contrast between the babe and those of full age.
1 Corinthians 14:20: "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice
be ye children (nepios, like an infant), but in understanding be men (telios, mature)."
The ability to discern good and evil is a vital part of Christian maturity. The nation of Israel in Moses'
day lacked this discernment and failed to claim their promised inheritance. The readers of this letter were in danger of making the same mistake. It is impossible to stand still in the Christian life. Either we go forward and claim God's blessing, or we go backward and wander about aimlessly.
The writer was urging his readers to go on to spiritual development or maturity. There was not such thing as perfection under the Law (Hebrews 7:19; Hebrews 10:1).
Hebrews 7:19: For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope
did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Hebrews 10:1: For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the
very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year
by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Those in Christ are not under the Law of Moses (Romans 6:14; Romans 7:4-6). They are saved and have a spiritual nature which is alive unto God. There is the "law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus which has made them free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1-4). See also Romans 10:1-4.
Romans 6:14: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the
law, but under grace.
Romans 7:4-6: 4Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the
body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from
the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 5For when we were in the flesh,
the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth
fruit unto death. 6But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein
we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the
letter.
Romans 8:1-4: 1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit.
Romans 10:1-4: 1Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that
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they might be saved. 2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not
according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going
about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the
righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every
one that believeth.
Conclusion
God wants believers to grow and mature spiritually (2 Peter 3:17, 18).
2 Peter 3:17, 18: 17Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before,
beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your
own stedfastness. 18But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Immature believers have dullness toward hearing the Word. Immature believers have an inability to share the Word. Immature believers need a "baby food" diet, the milk of the Word. Immature believers are unskillful in using the Word.
What is your spiritual status? Are you mature or immature?
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