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. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 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.
Commentary
Vs. 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."
Continuing on from the rebuke of their being dull of hearing (see Heb 5:11) the Word of God now makes an appeal to their false sense of being mature in the faith. For not unlike today, there are always some who need to move beyond the essentials of the faith and move onto maturity. And so though they should have been teachers, both in terms of their knowledge and understanding, and even their lives, and thus they should have been well established in the faith. Instead they were still found to be in need of the first principles of the oracles of God, and thus like infants they were still needing and feeding on milk and not solid food. And so somewhere along the way they stalled in their faith, and instead of moving onto maturity they lost sight of the Way. Maybe they returned to Jewish legalism (Rom 10:3-4), or maybe they continued to emphasize Spiritual gifts and giftedness rather than moving onto love (1 Cor 13). Whatever it was, it was bad enough for the Word of God to need to rebuke their inattentiveness to His Word and His wanting to lead them onto maturity. And so before we go on we all need to examine ourselves and make sure that what we think is being mature really is! Because nothing stifles growth and maturity and unity more than clinging to and exalting those things that are meant to lead us into maturity, and not into their own exaltation and servitude.
Vs. 13 "For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe."
For everyone (from the Pastor to the new born child of God) who partakes only of milk (a metaphor for beginning things of our faith, more on this in chapter 6) is only unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. Notice it is God's Word that is the standard of righteousness by which we discern both good and evil. And so like the machinist who calibrates his very precise measuring tools against a known and unchanging standard, so must we calibrate our faith and beliefs and lives by the Word of God, which is the unchanging and unalterable standard of God. For it is the only true standard and measure for us who believe of what is righteous and holy and just conduct in the sight of God and what is not. And so being well versed in God's Word, both in belief and practice, is how we learn and discern God's will for us and for all.
Vs. 14 "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 solid food belongs to those who are mature, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Spiritual discernment then is both a gift of the Spirit of God as well something that comes to us by our putting the Word of God in practice. Maturity then is linked to our obeying the Word of God and it's truths, as God by His Spirit reveals these things to us. For by doing so we not only mature in the faith, but we will also grow in our abilities to discern between good and evil. Something that is desperately needed as this world undoes all that is Godly and true and righteous and sound so as too leave no other standard then their own degenerating values for people to measure their lives and conduct by, and so rather than following that pathway of sin which leads to death (Rom 3:23), turn by faith too the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior not only for the remission of all your sins, but also for the regeneration, and thus transformation of your person and life! For it is Jesus Christ and Him alone who can and will bring you into a living and eternal relationship with God the Father Himself the moment you believe! Therefore be reconciled to God today, open your heart and mind and receive Jesus Christ so that you will have remission of all your sins and everlasting life united with God through Christ forever (Rev 3:20).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Commentary
Vs. 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."
Continuing on from the rebuke of their being dull of hearing (see Heb 5:11) the Word of God now makes an appeal to their false sense of being mature in the faith. For not unlike today, there are always some who need to move beyond the essentials of the faith and move onto maturity. And so though they should have been teachers, both in terms of their knowledge and understanding, and even their lives, and thus they should have been well established in the faith. Instead they were still found to be in need of the first principles of the oracles of God, and thus like infants they were still needing and feeding on milk and not solid food. And so somewhere along the way they stalled in their faith, and instead of moving onto maturity they lost sight of the Way. Maybe they returned to Jewish legalism (Rom 10:3-4), or maybe they continued to emphasize Spiritual gifts and giftedness rather than moving onto love (1 Cor 13). Whatever it was, it was bad enough for the Word of God to need to rebuke their inattentiveness to His Word and His wanting to lead them onto maturity. And so before we go on we all need to examine ourselves and make sure that what we think is being mature really is! Because nothing stifles growth and maturity and unity more than clinging to and exalting those things that are meant to lead us into maturity, and not into their own exaltation and servitude.
Vs. 13 "For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe."
For everyone (from the Pastor to the new born child of God) who partakes only of milk (a metaphor for beginning things of our faith, more on this in chapter 6) is only unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. Notice it is God's Word that is the standard of righteousness by which we discern both good and evil. And so like the machinist who calibrates his very precise measuring tools against a known and unchanging standard, so must we calibrate our faith and beliefs and lives by the Word of God, which is the unchanging and unalterable standard of God. For it is the only true standard and measure for us who believe of what is righteous and holy and just conduct in the sight of God and what is not. And so being well versed in God's Word, both in belief and practice, is how we learn and discern God's will for us and for all.
Vs. 14 "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 solid food belongs to those who are mature, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Spiritual discernment then is both a gift of the Spirit of God as well something that comes to us by our putting the Word of God in practice. Maturity then is linked to our obeying the Word of God and it's truths, as God by His Spirit reveals these things to us. For by doing so we not only mature in the faith, but we will also grow in our abilities to discern between good and evil. Something that is desperately needed as this world undoes all that is Godly and true and righteous and sound so as too leave no other standard then their own degenerating values for people to measure their lives and conduct by, and so rather than following that pathway of sin which leads to death (Rom 3:23), turn by faith too the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior not only for the remission of all your sins, but also for the regeneration, and thus transformation of your person and life! For it is Jesus Christ and Him alone who can and will bring you into a living and eternal relationship with God the Father Himself the moment you believe! Therefore be reconciled to God today, open your heart and mind and receive Jesus Christ so that you will have remission of all your sins and everlasting life united with God through Christ forever (Rev 3:20).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
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