Hebrews 5:11-14 Spiritual Maturity

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11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Text Explained

As we come into this week, it would be good for us to remember where we left off. Two weeks ago we covered the beginning of chapter 5 and looked into the wonder of our High Priest Jesus. Because of Jesus acting as our High Priest we are able to go before the throne of grace with a humble boldness and find help in our time of need. Last weeks sermon was a supplement to going to God in prayer because of our High Priest Jesus. So now we come into our portion of scripture today which is directly connected to verse 10. Jesus, “being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” Here the logical next step in the author’s discussion should have led him to speak further about the significance of Jesus being a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, yet the author takes a detour because the readers don’t seem to be able to grasp what he wants to tell them. Now the author will come back to Melchizedek in chapter 7, but for now he focuses in on a different problem. Namely, the readers lack of spiritual maturity. Let’s read verse 11 About this (Jesus being a priest after the order of Melchizedek) we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, why is it hard to explain? since you have become dull of hearing. An idiom literally meaning “lazy as to one’s ears”. In an effort to get the idea of this idiom across, the NLT translated this phrase “you don’t seem to listen.” That translation I believe gets the force of the saying across. It wasn’t because the people lacked the ability or had not had enough time to learn, but Jesus as a High Priest like Melchizedek was hard to explain because the people/the listeners did not want to listen. You see the author makes it clear that at this point in their lives, they should have been able to grasp this connection. Verse 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, They had closed their ears. Now let’s clarify something, just in case someone says, “Well I don’t want to be an official teacher.” This statement from verse 12 is not referring to teaching as an occupation, but rather it means merely that the Christians in general should have mature enough spiritual understanding and should be able to instruct newer believers. Enough time and instruction had been given that they should have been able teach others. Yet, (verse 12 continued) you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles (divine messages gathered to form a collection/the Bible/OT) of God. They needed to go back to the basics. The author reinforces this statement by using an illustration. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. Infants/little children are not ready to eat solid food. They are unskilled meaning inexperienced 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

1 Corinthians 3:1 “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” “Pride

1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—” “I don’t need theology, I just need Jesus” Wrong, in order to know Jesus you need theology.

1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.