Sermon Tone Analysis

Having begun his discourse on Christ’s appointment as a superior high priest, the author suddenly breaks off the topic and turns to confront his audience directly with the problem of their spiritual immaturity.

The writer follows with a blistering warning against falling away from Christ (6:4–8), which in turn is followed by an expression of encouragement and confidence in the hearers’ commitment (6:9–12).

Original Meaning

Having begun his discourse on Christ’s appointment as a superior high priest, the author suddenly breaks off the topic and turns to confront his audience directly with the problem of their spiritual immaturity.

The writer follows with a blistering warning against falling away from Christ (6:4–8), which in turn is followed by an expression of encouragement and confidence in the hearers’ commitment (6:9–12).

The Author Confronts the Hearers (5:11–14)

The author articulates the slowness of learning of his readers with the words nothroi … tais akoais.

In the ancient world the first of these words (nothros) could mean “sluggish, dull, dimwit, negligent, lazy.”

However, our preacher finds the hearers’ condition especially egregious in light of their long-term involvement in the church.

By now they “ought to be teachers,” but instead need someone else to teach them

Moving on to Maturity (6:1–3)

HAVING ASSESSED THE spiritual condition of his listeners in 5:11–14, the author moves on to challenge them to correct their present course and move on to maturity.

He expresses the challenge both positively (v.

1a) and negatively (vv.

1b–2), concluding with a statement of resolve (v.

3).

Moving on to Maturity (6:1–3)

This balanced section of exhortation can be diagrammed as shown on the following page.

Thus the author both confronts and comforts as he warns this church concerning the dangers of falling away from Christ.

As the first piece in this puzzle, 5:11–6:3 focuses attention on the issue of spiritual immaturity.

In 5:11–14 the author offers a bald assessment of his hearers’ current condition.

They exhibit a dullness as learners of God’s truth, even though they have been engaged in the Christian walk long enough now to be teachers of others.

The preacher likens them to infants still at a mother’s breast, who cannot handle more substantive fare.

Then in 6:1–3 he exhorts them to move on in the faith, progressing beyond the elementary teachings about Christ.

This exhortation with its warning and encouragement continues to 6:12.

The introduction and repetition of the colourful word ‘sluggish’ in 5:11 and 6:12 are intentional (it appears nowhere else in the New Testament), and hold the literary unit together with an inclusion, framed by the words ‘you have become sluggish (nōthroi gegonate, 5:11) and ‘in order that you not be sluggish’ (nōthroi genēsthe, 6:12).

But the real difficulty lay not in the subject matter of Christ’s high priesthood.

Rather, it was in the hearers: ‘since you have become sluggish (nōthroi) in your hearing’n.This is serious, for throughout Hebrews hearing the word of God is of vital importance (2:1–4; 3:7–19; 4:12–13).

It was through hearing and obeying the word God spoke through his Son that they first became believers.

Their difficulty is not simply mental laziness but spiritual resistance

This is serious, for throughout Hebrews hearing the word of God is of vital importance (2:1–4; 3:7–19; 4:12–13).

It was through hearing and obeying the word God spoke through his Son that they first became believers.

Their difficulty is not simply mental laziness but spiritual resistance

O’Brien, P. T. (2010).

The Letter to the Hebrews (pp.

205–206).

Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.