"Let Us Go On Unto Perfection"

Hebrews 5:5-6:3

Hebrews 5:5–6:3 NKJV

So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”; who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.

Jesus as the High Priest

The High Priest under Moses' Law had certain attributes.

He was taken from men to serve and help men to give and sacrifice for the atonement of sin. Acted as Mediator between Man and God.

Jesus works as our superior High Priest.

Though He was not born into the line of the priesthood, Jesus is the “begotten Son”, and was made a priest “after the order of Melchisedec”.

(5:11-12) “...you ought to be teachers...”

The author wants to tell them more. Luke 24:27, 45

Glorious moments when the Scriptures are expounded upon by Jesus

Luke 24:27 “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

Luke 24:45 “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”

No doubt the author would love to explain everything concerning Jesus as our High Priest, but there is a problem with that.

The time and effort that the author would make in communicating the grandness of this association with Jesus as the High Priest would be wasted on them. The problem is that they cannot hear.

Interestingly, he later DOES go on in explaining more about Melchizedek, but this passage lays out why that is a difficult thing to do since their development has been stifled.

These brethren have RE-gressed. Mark 4:11-12, 23-25

Some might think that the author is simply saying that they are “laymen” - utterly unable to comprehend the deeper matters of Christ.

However, v.12 tells us that they have “BECOME” this way. Their ears have become “dull”, but it was not always so.

Mark 4:11-12, 23-25 - Ironic that such a thing should happen to those born of God in Christ. Brethren in Jerusalem, for example, might have discussed from time to time the lack of foresight in what the ruling Jewish establishment did with Jesus. These brethren have not progressed to teach what they ought to be teaching.

ORACLE

λόγιον, plur. oracles, divine responses or utterances (it can include the entire O. T. scriptures); in Rom. 3:2 mainly of the promises in the Old Testament; in Heb. 5:12 probably of Jesus’ teaching. Souter, A. (1917). A Pocket Lexicon to the Greek New Testament (p. 147). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

4 times in NT

Acts7:38 ““This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us,”

Rom.3:2 “Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.”

Heb.5:12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”

1 Pet.4:11 “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Acts 18:1-8, 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 – Similar problem within 3-5 years, and a big reason to consider that Paul might be the author of Hebrews.

When we allow ourselves to become dull and inactive, God can't use us the way that He would prefer to.

A possible solution – SHARPENING the mind

They are dull because they are not allowing themselves to be sharpened!

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

In order for this sharpening to work, there must be some of the knife scraped away. Such is the same in sharpening each other. We have to be willing to deal with the “negative” in order to be more “positive”. It takes honesty and sometimes bluntness to achieve this.

There is always a balance to be struck – a blade can break if the user is negligent with it.

(5:13-14) “...those who are of full age...”

There is a PROGRESSION to being a Christian.

Early on, we will be “unskilled in the word of righteousness”.

We might make some big blunders in our handling of the Word of God!

However, God in His mercy gives us a road that carries us “onward and upward” - but only if we follow it.

We would consider a 5 year old who is still drinking baby formula to be underdeveloped. This is the image of these regressed Christians.

Some prefer to REMAIN in this state – we have to make it clear to them that to do so is not Biblical!

1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation--

The deeper things of God are for those who “exercise”. 1 Cor. 2:10; Rom. 1:17; Phil. 1:8-11

“Strong meat” / “solid food” - is for those who can “discern”.

Often, a young Christian will seek after the “deeper things” without a proper foundation. This can often lead to apostasy. However, it's another thing to “get the foundation”, and then just sit on it.

1 Corinthians 2:10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

Romans 1:17 For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.

Philippians 1:8–11 NKJV

For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

(6:1-3) “...principles of the doctrine of Christ...”

Moving past the simple, keep building.

Once our foundation is properly laid – the “milk” - we must push past it and keep building.

NOT leaving these principles behind as if to dispense with them – again, BUILDING UPON them.

Makes no sense to lay a second foundation over the first one.

We must move toward “perfection” / “completion”

The Principles

Repentance from dead works – anything we did outside of Christ. Everything before our rebirth in Christ is pointless.

Faith toward God – the active, saving faith of a Christian.

The Doctrine of Baptisms – Plural (Eph.4)? Even moving beyond baptism in our understanding.

Laying on of Hands – various signs of approval/bestowing a spiritual gift/blessing.

Resurrection of the Dead – the final Resurrection.

Eternal Judgment – the judgment of Christ over the world.

A confident assertion – WE WILL DO THIS.

And a qualifier - “if God permits”.

A difference between patience and hesitancy. We must work boldly within the Kingdom, and become who God wills us to be.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.