Hebrews 5:11-6:3

We are in the Middle of the Main Focus of the Letter:

The High Priesthood of Jesus

Hebrews 5:1–10 (NIV)

Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.

In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

A High Priest Must Be Human and Know What it is Like to Be Clothed in Weakness

And He Must Be Chosen By God

Jesus is Human and Knows What it is Like to Be Clothed in Weakness

And He was Chosen By God

And He Named Our High Priest By God in the Order of Melchizedek

The Author of Hebrews Has a Lot to Say About Melchizedek…

And How Jesus Relates to This King and Priest of the OT

He Even Tells Us that He Has a Lot to Say About Him in the Next Verse (11)

But There is Another Issue that Needs to Be Dealt With First

Hebrews 5:11–14 (NIV)

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

The Author is Now Beginning the 3rd of the 5 Warning Passages in Hebrews

This Warning Will Span From Hebrews 5:11-6:12

He is Going to Warn Against Spiritual Immaturity…

And the Eternal Danger of Spiritual Immaturity

Hebrews 5:11 (NASB95)

Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

The Author Wants to Say More About Jesus’ High Priesthood Through the Shadow of Melchizedek

But He Knows Some of His Audience Won’t Be Able to Handle it

All Throughout the Book So Far, the Author Has Been Urging His Audience with Commands Like:

“Pay Much Closer Attention”

“Consider Jesus”

“Do Not Harden Your Hearts”

“Take Care/Pay Close Attention”

“Let Us Fear”

“Be Diligent”

“Let Us Hold Fast Our Confession”

They Were in Need of Constant Urging to Stay Faithful to Jesus

But, Until Now, We Haven’t Been Given a Very Clear Indication…

As to What was Specifically Going On with These Hebrew Christians

They Had Become “Dull of Hearing”

With All the Other Warnings in the Book…

They are Warned About Possible Future Outcomes of Unfaithfulness

But Here They are Directly Accused of Wrongdoing

“Dull” = Lazy, Sluggish

They Had Become Lazy and Sluggish in Their Hearing and Understanding of the Word

They Weren’t Paying Attention to the Reading and Teaching of God’s Word

They Lacked Any Desire to Put Forth the Effort to Learn More

Have You Ever Been in a Conversation with Someone…

Who Likes to Talk a Lot About Things You Don’t Find Interesting or Important?

If You Have, You Know What it’s Like to Be Dull of Hearing

You Become Lazy in Your Listening and Seeking to Understand

The Author Wants to Share with Them the Importance of Jesus’ High Priesthood

But They Have Become Lazy and Uninterested Listeners

So Trying to Explain These Things to Them is Difficult

Not Because it’s Too Difficult of a Topic…

But Because They Haven’t Cared Enough to Learn and Grow

It Makes Sense Why So Many of Them Were Thinking About Abandoning Christianity

They Had Stopped Learning and Weren’t Putting Any Effort Toward Changing

Hebrews 5:12 (NASB95)

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

The Purpose of a Christian is to Learn and Grow so that We Can/Will Teach Others

Remember the Words of the Great Commission?

“Make Disciples”

How?

By Going, Baptizing, and Teaching

We All Have Been Given that Mission

How are We Doing in the Disciple-Making Department?

These Christians Were Not Growing Because of Their Laziness and Lack of Interest

But They Weren’t Just Dull, Lazy, Sluggish, Stagnant

What Happens When You Become Lazy/Sluggish/Stagnant with Exercising?

Your Body Doesn’t Just Stay in the Shape it was in When You Were Exercising

It Begins to Revert to a State of Being Unhealthy

When You Stop Listening, Learning, and Growing…

You Start Reverting/Regressing

“Use it or Lose it”

These Christians Should Have Been Teachers, But They Needed to Be Taught Again

They Didn’t Need the Deep, Difficult Teachings

They Needed the Elementary Principles of the Word of God

“Elementary Principles” = The Basic Components

The ABCs of God’s Word

Some of Those Will Be Listed in 6:1-2

They Should Have Been Grown Adult Christians…

But They Were Still Needing Milk as Their Nourishment Instead of Solid Food

A Child Who Never Moves From Milk to Solid Food is Going to Be in Bad Shape

Milk Offers an Infant Initial Immunity and Provides the Nutrients for Growth

But After a While, It’s No Longer Enough to Provide What They Need to Continue Growing

Solid Food is Eventually Needed to Grow and Survive

We Push Children to Transition From Milk to Solid Food

We Encourage Them and Help Them Transition

And We Expect Them to One Day Make the Transition

But Do We Push Immature Christians to Continue Growing and Maturing?

Do We Encourage Them and Help Them Grow and Mature?

Do We Expect Our Brothers and Siblings to Grow and Mature?

Or are We Just Fine with Allowing Them to Remain Babies Who Only Have a Knowledge of the Basics?

We Often Leave the Responsibility of Growing and Maturing to the Individual Christian

We Encourage Them, Study with Them, and Help Them Be Born Again

But Once They are Born, We Often Leave Them to Fend for Themselves

A Crucial Aspect of Making Disciples is What Happens After a Person Becomes a Christian

They Need Continued Support, Study, and Encouragement

In This Context, the Blame is On Those Who are in Need of More Milk

It’s Not that No One Has Tried to Help Them Grow

It’s that They Have Had No Interest in Growing, Learning, Maturing

And Because of That, They Need to Be Taught the Basics of Christianity All Over Again

We Need to Individually Analyze Ourselves and Ask, “Have I Become Dull of Hearing?”

If So, We Need to Repent and Refocus Our Minds On Jesus and Who We are in Him

Hebrews 5:13 (NASB95)

For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.

The Spiritually Immature are “Not Accustomed” to the Word of Righteousness

“Not Accustomed” = “the Lack of Knowledge or Capacity to Do Something Because of Inexperience”

What Does the Word of Righteousness Refer to?

Some Believe it Refers to the Gospel in General

Some Believe it Refers to the Righteous Standing We Have with God Through Jesus

Some Believe it Refers to the Ability to Discern Right From Wrong

Some Believe it’s a Combination of All 3

Word of Righteousness = The Message of Jesus that Puts Us in Right Standing with God and Helps Us Discern How to Live Righteous Lives

I Think When I Take the Next Verse into Account…

I Lean More Toward Interpreting the Passage Like This:

“For Everyone Who Partakes of Milk is Inexperienced in Discerning Right From Wrong.”

But I Also Think We Need to Keep This Connected to the Larger Context

The Larger Context is Focused On the High Priesthood of Jesus

One Commentator Broke it Down This Way:

“The ‘milk’ of the Word refers to what Jesus Christ did on earth. His birth, life, teaching, death, burial, 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 unfinished work in heaven.”

I Don’t Know if that is Exactly What the Hebrews Author Meant, But it’s Worth Thinking About

These Hebrews Christians Were Unable to Discern Good From Evil, Right From Wrong, Truth From Lie

Because of Their Laziness/Sluggishness Toward Learning and Growing…

They had Reverted to Being Spiritual Babies

Hebrews 5:14 (NASB95)

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Those Who are Able to Handle Solid Food are Mature

They are Mature Because They Have Trained Their Capacity to Discern Good From Evil Through Repetitive Practice

Becoming Mature is Not for the Dull of Hearing/Lazy

It Takes Effort and a Desire to Learn and Grow

The More We Strive to Learn From the Scriptures, Jesus, and His Gospel…

The Better We Become at Discerning Between Good and Bad Moral Behaviors

The Better We Become at Discerning Between True and False Teachings

Hebrews 6:1–3 (LEB)

Therefore, leaving behind the elementary message about Christ, let us move on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God, teaching about baptisms and laying on of hands, and resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits.

These Hebrew Christians are Being Encouraged to Move On to Maturity

That Means Moving Past the ABCs/the Foundational Teachings

Hebrews 6:1 (NASB95)

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

The Author Tells His Audience to Press/Move On to Maturity

According to This Verse, How Do We Go About Doing That:

1.) Leaving the Elementary Message of Christ

The Very Basic/First/Beginning Message of Jesus Christ

Things that a Person Learns in Order to Begin Their Walk with Jesus

2.) Not Continuing to Lay Down the Foundational Messages

In Order to Become Mature Christians…

Capable of Discerning Right From Wrong…

We’ve Got to Move On From and Stop Continuing to Lay Down the Foundations of the Gospel

If You Want a Baby to Learn to Speak Like a Mature Adult…

You’ve Got to Stop the Baby Talk

If You Want Them to Think, Talk, and Act Like a Baby Their Whole Lives…

Then Keep Treating Them Like a Baby

But if You Want Them to Grow and Mature…

Leave the Foundational Baby Stuff and Move On

That Doesn’t Mean the ABCs of the Gospel Aren’t Important and Should Be Forgotten

It Means They are the Starting Point, Not the Finish Line

They are the Foundation that Should Be Built Upon

You Don’t Lay the Foundation of a House/Building and Then Stop

You Build Upon Them and Bring the House/Building to it’s Completion

I’m Afraid Too Many Churches of Christ Focus Only On the Foundational Teaching

Too Often You’ll Hear the Same Topics Being Preached On Over and Over

That Doesn’t Mean They Aren’t Important Topics…

But So Often They are So Extremely Shallow and Elementary

In Order to Grow and Mature in Our Christian Walk…

We Have to Move Passed the Elementary Teachings

The Author Gives Us a List of Foundational Teachings that Need to Be Built Upon

A Lot of Times When I’m Studying with a Person Who Wants to Become a Christian…

I’ll Turn to Hebrews 6:1-2 and Study the Foundational Teachings with Them

These are Things Every Person Needs to Know in Order to Become a Christian

This List is Not Exhaustive, But It’s a Good Summarized List

The 1st Mentioned Elementary/Foundational Teaching of the Gospel is…

Repentance From Dead Works

My Favorite Definition of Repentance is:

A Change of Mind that Results in a Change of Action

Dead Works are Simply Works/Actions that Lead to Death

One of the Foundational Teachings of Christianity is:

Changing Ones Mind and Actions Away From Thoughts and Actions that Lead to Death

One Greek Dictionary Described Repentance Like This:

“a change of self (heart and mind) that abandons former dispositions and results in a new self, new behavior, and regret over former behavior and dispositions.”

Hebrews 6:1 (NASB95)

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

The 2nd Mentioned Elementary/Foundational Teaching of the Gospel is…

Faith Toward God

Repentance is From Dead Works

Faith is Toward God

My Favorite Substitute for Faith is “Trust”

Faith is Belief, But Not Just Belief

It is Belief Paired with Action

My Favorite Illustration is of a Tightrope Walker

After Walking Several Times Across the Tightrope…

He Asks the Crowd if They Believe He Can Push a Wheelbarrow Across the Tightrope

Everyone Raises Their Hands Indicating that They Believe He Can

Then He Asks Which Person Wants to Sit in the Wheelbarrow

Everyone’s Hands Go Down

If They Truly Believed/Trusted/Had Faith that He Could Do it

They Wouldn’t Be Afraid to Hop in the Wheelbarrow

Faith Toward God is Fully Trusting and Obeying Him

Hebrews 6:2 (NASB95)

of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

The 3rd Mentioned Elementary/Foundational Teaching of the Gospel is…

Teaching About Washings/Baptisms

Washings/Baptisms is Plural Here

That Makes This a Little More Difficult to Interpret than if it Were Singular

Maybe the Key to Understanding What is Meant By “Baptisms”…

Lies with Remembering Who the Audience is

The Audience are Christians, But They Come From a Jewish Background

Jewish People Had Various Purity Washings They Would Take Part in

Converts to the Jewish Religion Would Be Baptized as a Part of Their Conversion

And Those Who Place Their Faith in Christ are Baptized into Christ…

Joining Jesus in His Death, Burial, and Resurrection…

And Becoming a Citizen in His Kingdom

Any or All of These Could Be Included in the Foundational Teachings that They Were Continuing to Lay Down

But I Believe Baptism into Christ is at the Forefront of What the Author is Referring to

Just Like Repentance and Faith, Baptism was a Foundational/Elementary Teaching of the Gospel

It Needs to Be Built Upon

I’ve Been to Churches Where Baptism is Talked About and Studied Almost Every Service

Repentance, Faith, and Baptism are Wonderful, Foundational, Essential Teachings of Christianity…

But They are Elementary

They are Milk

They Need to Be Built Upon

The 4th Mentioned Elementary/Foundational Teaching of the Gospel is…

Laying On of Hands

The Laying On of Hands Had 3 Purposes in the New Testament:

1.) To Give Authority to Another

When Choosing the 7 Ministers to Take Care of the Hellenistic Widows

Acts 6:1–6 (NASB95)

Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.

So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

Also When Paul and Barnabas Were Sent On Their First Missionary Journey

Acts 13:2–3 (NASB95)

While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

2.) To Miraculously Heal People

Jesus and His Apostles Laid Their Hands On Many People, Resulting in Their Healing

3.) To Miraculously Pass a Gift of the Holy Spirit From an Apostle to Another Christian After Their Baptism

This is Probably What is Being Referred to Here…

Since it was Listed After Baptism in this List

This is a Foundational/Elementary Teaching of the Gospel

Hebrews 6:2 (NASB95)

of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

The 5th Mentioned Elementary/Foundational Teaching of the Gospel is…

The Resurrection From the Dead

“Dead” is Plural

This Tells Us that He is Not Just Referring to Jesus’ Resurrection

He is Referring to the Resurrection of All the Dead When Jesus Returns

Our Resurrection From the Dead at the End of the Age…

Is a Foundational/Elementary Teaching of the Gospel

As I’ve Said Many Times, Resurrection Has Been a Neglected Topic in My Experience in the Churches of Christ

But in the First Century, it was a Foundational Doctrine

Throughout the New Testament, We Find that it was the Primary Hope of the Early Church

The 6th Mentioned Elementary/Foundational Teaching of the Gospel is…

Eternal Judgment

Along with the Resurrection Will Come Judgment From King Jesus

Eternal Stresses How the Results are Final and Will Last Forever

All of These 6 Teachings are Foundational and Elementary to Christianity

Repentance, Faith, Baptism, Laying On of Hands, Resurrection, and Judgment

The Author Wasn’t Trying to Discourage Believing These Teachings

He Wasn’t Trying to Tell Them to Stop Studying and Talking About These Topics

He was Telling Them to Dig Deeper

These are Just the Foundations of the Gospel of Christ

Build Upon Them and Grow

Don’t Just Stop with the ABCs, But Move Beyond Them

Hebrews 6:3 (NASB95)

And this we will do, if God permits.

What Will We Do if God Permits?

Move On to Maturity, Leaving the ABCs, Not Continuing to Lay Down the Foundational Teachings

Conclusion

The Main Point of the Book of Hebrews was to…

Strengthen the Faith/Confidence of These Hebrew Christians in Jesus

This Warning Passage is No Different

They Have Become Lazy and Dull in Their Hearing of the Gospel

They Have No Desire to Grow and Mature

They Only Desire to Hold On to the Foundational/Elementary Teachings

But These Teachings are Nothing if They are Disconnected From Jesus

They Were Fixated On the Teachings of Repentance, Faith, Baptism, Laying of Hands, Resurrection, and Judgment…

But in a Way that was Completely Unrelated to Jesus

All of These Teachings Had Their Place in Judaism

But What the Hebrew Christians Were Missing was…

All of These Teachings Found Their Fulfillment in Christ

Their Question was:

What Does Repentance, Faith, Baptism, Laying on of Hands, Resurrection, and Judgment Have to Do with Jesus?

The Hebrews Author is Saying, “Everything!!!”

Repentance is Useless Without Jesus and His High Priesthood

Faith is Useless Without Jesus and His High Priesthood

Baptism is Useless Without Jesus and His High Priesthood

Laying On of Hands is Useless Without Jesus and His High Priesthood

Resurrection is Meaningless Without Jesus and His High Priesthood

Judgment is Hopeless Without Jesus and His High Priesthood

It’s All About Jesus!

And These Elementary Teachings are Meant to Be Our Launching Point…

To Deeper Understanding, Love, and Commitment to Him

Invitation

James 1:9–11 (NASB95)

But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.