"Concerning
him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull
of hearing. 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. For everyone who partakes
only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses
trained to discern good and evil." (Hebrews 5:11-14)
Spiritual
Babes
Babies are
wonderful, so are baby Christians if one means those who have recently come to
the faith. The author of Hebrews, however, is speaking of babes of a different
variety. These "babes" are in a state of perpetual infancy. They lack
the interest and ability to understand Biblical teaching of any complexity and
consequently lack discernment. Geriatric spiritual babies love to be
entertained and amused like their counterparts in the nursery, but balk at the
notion of learning and understanding theology.
Hebrews 5:11-14
is perplexing to many modern Christians because it is not compatible with their
priorities. Think about it. Why would the author of Hebrews rebuke his readers
for not being able to understand the difference between the typological
implications of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods (this topic is picked
up in Hebrews 7 after the extended parenthetical section of 5:11 - 6:20)? The
problem is not that they did not already understand this point of theology, it
was that they could not hear it (Hebrews 5:11). The same is true today. Today
many cannot have such matters explained to them either because they would not
attend a church that tried, nor would they tolerate learning enough theology
and hermeneutics to tackle passages such as Hebrews 5-7. Many remain babies
today because they do not think growing up is worth the effort.
Hebrews 5:11
explains this condition. These Christians were "dull of hearing." The
Greek word used here means ". . . no push in the hearing, slow and
sluggish in mind as well as in the ears." Thomas Hewitt comments on this,
". . . his readers had become confused and limited in their minds through
apathy and mental listlessness. They had become dull of hearing, which was a
common Greek ethical term for a sluggish intelligence."
The word in
Hebrews 5:11 translated "hard to explain" comes from the Greek word
from which we get the word "hermeneutics." In Luke 24:27 Jesus
"explained" Old Testament, Messianic passages to some disciples on
the road to Emmaus. "Explained" here is also from hermêneuô, Greek
for "to explain in words, expound." It was difficult to expound the
theological point concerning the high priesthood of Jesus and how it finds its
Biblical roots in that of Melchizedek because the readers were not accustomed
to thinking in such terms. They were only accustomed to the "elementary
principles of the oracles of God." This was not a commendation of those to
whom it was addressed.
Many who fall
into the category of "babe" as used in Hebrews 5 do not consider
themselves such. Their lack of hermeneutical skill and willingness to study
causes them to miss the point of this passage. They think that a baby Christian
is one who has not preached on a street corner, given a prophecy in a meeting,
received spiritual revelations and visions, testified of performing miracles,
or given substantial amounts of money. Rarely do they think in terms of lacking
the ability to understand theology and Biblical exegesis. Some have even
suggested that the "milk" is the written Scriptures and
"meat" the revelations of modern day prophets. Those who stumble so
badly over the clear meaning of Hebrews 5:11-14 belie their own baby status.
The
"oracles" to which the author of Hebrews refers are probably brief,
easily understood sayings such as the ten commandments. As A. T. Robertson
states, "Logion is a diminutive of logos, divine oracles being usually
brief. . ." Hewitt says that oracle (logion), ". . . originally meant
a `brief, condensed, divine saying.'" Babes never progress beyond briefly
stated basics of the faith. These elementary principles are necessary, as
Hebrews 6:1-3 shows, but it is wrong to consider them all that is necessary for
spiritual maturity. The babe knows John 3:16, the Lord's Prayer, perhaps the 10
Commandments, and little else. He understands only the most basic summary of
the Christian message and has no hunger for more. Sometimes, slogans or
formulas loosely based on Scripture serve as trite answers to every question,
effectively cutting off serious theological discussion.
It is not that
baby Christians never go to meetings where teaching is present. It is that they
seek out teachings, teachers and churches that do not require them to think
about theology. Many consider "theology" to be a pejorative term.
They claim that their pastor teaches more "practical" matters. These
are often inspiring stories, pop psychology, motivational sayings, personal
testimonies of spiritual experiences, "how to" seminars, or
"touchy-feely" meetings of group encounter -anything but
hermeneutically sound, theologically solid, Biblical teaching that requires the
hearers to think and digest the material. This (more detailed Biblical study
and exposition) is expressly what the passage under consideration (Hebrews
5:11-14) urges as necessary for maturity and discernment.
Biblical
Education and Judaism
There exists in
some parts of evangelical, American Christianity an antischolastic bias that
mitigates against the sort of teaching needed for Christian maturity. It is
argued that study and thinking are dangerous to one's spirituality. Those with
such beliefs probably do not realize how contrary they are to those of the
Jewish writers of Scripture. Certain "proof texts" are adduced to
justify this addiction to ignorance. A favorite passage is Acts 4:13, "Now
as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they
were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize
them as having been with Jesus." Since God had done a mighty miracle in
Jesus' name and those who resisted the work of God were "rulers, elders
and scribes," (Acts 4:5) it is assumed that study is a hindrance and
ignorance a help to the power of God in one's ministry. It is further supposed
that God does not expect Christians to be well educated in theological matters.
However, this
contention does not do justice to the proper interpretation of Acts 4:13 or the
degree of education to which these disciples had attained. Were these men actually
as ignorant as their adversaries claimed? Were they lacking knowledge of
Scripture? What happened while they spent those years with Jesus?
To understand
this verse, we must first understand the educational system to which the
scribes (Acts 4:5) were comparing Peter and John. They were not asserting that
these two apostles were ignorant of the Scripture. As Jews they were trained in
the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) from their youth.
The
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states under the entry for synagogue,
". . .teaching the Law to children was part of Israelite religion from the
time of Moses (Dt. 6:7). The first school was the home. The first textbook was
the Hebrew Bible." Going to the synagogue was an extension of this Bible
training. This was not just for special students. Under the same entry it says,
"In communities where numerous small synagogues may be found in proximity,
men and their sons may be seen going to the house of prayer on any day."
We know that there was a synagogue in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee, where
Jesus taught (Mark 1:21,22). This incident shows that synagogue teaching was a
part of the life and culture of these Galilean fishermen. According to
Josephus, the Jewish historian, there was also a synagogue in Tiberias which is
on the Sea of Galilee.
Alfred Edersheim
eloquently describes the training of Jewish children at the time of Christ's
earthly ministry:
Thus, encircled by his pupils, as by a crown of glory. . ., the
teacher . . . should impart to them the precious knowledge of the Law, with
constant adaptation to their capacity, with unwearied patience, intense
earnestness, strictness tempered by kindness, but, above all, with the highest
object of their training ever in view. To keep children from all contact with
vice; to train them to gentleness, even when bitterest wrong had been received;
to show sin in its repulsiveness, rather than to terrify by its consequences;
to train to strict truthfulness; to avoid all that might lead to disagreeable
or indelicate thought; and to do all this without showing partiality, without
undue severity, or laxity of discipline, with judicious increase of study and
work, with careful attention to thoroughness in acquiring knowledge - all this
and more constituted the ideal set before the teacher, and made his office of
such high esteem in Israel." The study that occupied these students is
discussed by Edersheim, "Roughly classifying the subjects of study, it was
held, that, up to ten years of age, the Bible exclusively should be the
textbook; from ten to fifteen, the Mishnah, or traditional law; after that age,
the student should enter on those theological discussions which occupied time
and attention in the higher Academies of the Rabbis." The description of
Jewish education and particularly of Messiah and His family is brilliantly
described by Edersheim in his classic work on pages 229 - 234 of volume I. Any
who would read this description will come away with a heightened appreciation
for Biblical education.
The
"ignorant" Jewish fishermen of Acts 4 were better educated in
Scripture and theological issues derived from it than the vast majority of
modern Christians even with all our modern communication helps. What the Jewish
leaders meant when they called Peter and John "uneducated and untrained
men" was that they had not received special training in any of the formal
rabbinical schools. This was also true of Jesus Himself (John 7:15). These
schools gave training in the rabbinical traditions. The schools consisted of disciples
of particular rabbis who had gained prominence and reputation in their
knowledge of the Law and the traditions that surrounded it.
The Theological
Dictionary Of The New Testament states, "The talm d [Hebrew for
`disciple'] is the first step towards the rabbi, who in later Judaism is the
religious authority for those who are bound by traditional piety. He who would
follow the Law in all things cannot do without the constant instruction and
guidance of the rabbi." To study under a great rabbi was a tremendous
opportunity and achievement. One great rabbi, Hillel, reportedly said, "He
who does not learn is worthy of death." To enter a sort of "rabbinic
guild" one must have mastered not only Torah, but also the Mishnah,
Talmud, and the other rabbinical teachings and traditions. To be ordained one
must have also have been a male of at least 40 years of age. No matter how well
one knew the Torah, if he had no teacher, he was not considered a true
"talm d"
In this setting,
it is easy to understand the opinions of the rulers and scribes who were
assessing Peter and John. Since these men had not been trained in any of the
rabbinical schools, they were technically "uneducated." They could
not be considered true disciples of Torah or Moses (see John 9:28 where the
Jewish leaders claimed to be Moses' disciples, which was what rabbinic training
was all about), no matter how well they knew the Scripture. Acts 4:13 ends,
however, ". . .they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having
been with Jesus."
They had previously
encountered another similar person. Jesus was also eloquent in the Scripture,
brilliant in theological debate, and powerful in the Holy Spirit, yet not
trained in the rabbinical schools. These men had been trained after all - by
Jesus Himself. Three intensive years of personal discipleship under Jesus
Christ, the Incarnate Word, can hardly be considered a poor, inadequate
education! This was on top of the lifetime of studying Scripture they had
received as Jewish men at home and in the synagogue.
Acts 4:13 hardly
gives comfort to those who would see ignorance of Scripture and theological
issues as a virtue. It also should be kept in mind that the inspired text
merely reports the opinion of the "rulers and elders and scribes"
(Acts 4:5) without commending it. Peter and John were "laymen" (which
is in effect what was being said of them) but were in no way lacking training
and preparation for the ministry to which Christ had called and commissioned
them.
Later, God
called Saul (who became "Paul") into His service. Paul was trained
under Gamaliel I who was either the son or grandson of a great, famous rabbis,
Hillel. Paul, whom God used to write much of the New Testament, was a brilliant
and well educated man.
Justification
for theological ignorance and satisfaction with only the most simple and basic
understanding of Scripture is not to be found in the New Testament. To the
Jews, being a babe in these matters when they ought to be eating strong meat
was a serious rebuke, and the author of Hebrews delivered it to a Jewish
readership. He obviously wanted to get their attention.
Why
Biblical Education is Resisted
"But solid
food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to
discern good and evil" (Hebrews 5:11-14). To go from being babies to being
mature Christians, we need "practice." The author of the book of
Hebrews shows by his own method the sort of practice he has in mind: the study
and application of the "word of righteousness" (Hebrews 5:13) that
causes growth in the faith. Faith in and obedience to Messiah that is rooted
and grounded in His Word (Hebrews 1:1,2) leads one to the promised rest
(Hebrews chapts. 3, 4 & 11). The author of Hebrews shows the pattern in his
use of Scripture to correct error and encourage truth and obedience. We ought
to be able to do the same, but without practice we will always need to have
someone again teach us the "logion" and never progress further.
Practice at
anything is hard work. Perhaps this is what causes so much resistance to the
Biblical command to become students of Scripture. "Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling
accurately the word of truth" (2Timothy 2:15). Paul also told Timothy,
"Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor,
especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching" (1Timothy 5:17).
To become teachers as Hebrews 5:12 says we ought we must first be diligent in
study, which is hard work.
The call to hard
work probably will never be popular in the age of television where everything
is done for us and we are passive spectators. Modern Christianity has produced
a generation of spiritual consumers, many who are from the "baby boomer"
generation whose wants and needs dictate which churches will be successful.
This generation is repulsed by the idea of a lifetime of hard work with little
recognition or immediate pay off. As consumers we want to be the center of
attention and if a waiter or waitress does not attend to our needs now, we make
a fuss and move on. This is sadly how many from our modern generation approach
church life. We want the church administration to hire professionals to do
everything for us, including teaching our children. We want to be comfortable,
happy, entertained, never put upon, never made to feel guilty, and certainly
never commanded to do anything that would be more work and responsibility. If
the author of Hebrews was concerned that his admonitions could not be heard by his
first century, Jewish audience, how much more difficult is it for twentieth
century, pampered, "baby boomers"?
God's Word is
changeless and we will be judged by it even if it seems incompatible with our
modern priorities. We must allow God's Word to speak to us and not be content
to compare ourselves with others of our own ilk. We could stay babies and never
notice it or stand out because we live in a culture of babies. However, what a
sad waste of a spiritual life!
Maturity
and Discernment
Practice is
necessary for spiritual sensibility and discernment. The type of practice
referenced here is the study of Scripture and its application to the issues of
life. Faith and obedience are the envisioned outcomes of this process.
"Trained senses" (Hebrews 5:14) means the ability to differentiate
between good and evil because of having continued in the Word of Christ (John
8:31,32) and become disciples. Many think discernment depends on a
"metaphysical impression sensor" that differentiates between the
feelings and sensations produced by different spiritual beings.
For example, I
received a phone call from a person who announced, "I have the gift of
discernment." She told a strange tale of demons, angels, human spirits,
etc., that would be fit for the pages of a supermarket tabloid. The answer to
various problems for individuals and churches was to use her secret, spiritual
knowledge to manipulate the spirit world so that things would go God's way.
This concept of discernment that makes it out to be a mystical ability to view
into the unseen spirit world has many counterparts in the occult, but it is not
what Hebrews 5:14 is about. The example of the author of the book of Hebrews
was to use Biblical passages to correct error, warn against sin, urge to faith,
and differentiate truth from falsehood. One need not enter an altered state of
consciousness to exercise this type of discernment.
Thomas Hewitt
comments on Hebrews 5:14 and how one gains the discernment that comes with
maturity, "It is gained by the regular exercise of the spiritual faculties
in the Word of God and in the doctrines of the Christian faith, for there is no
easy way to spiritual maturity. From this position those of full age can
discern both good and evil; they have an exact, or right, judgment in all
things. When different viewpoints are placed before them they can at once
distinguish the good from the evil, the right from the wrong."
The word
"discern" means "to judge or distinguish between." The
immature are more easily deceived. This is why people warn small children not
to talk to strangers. They cannot distinguish between a person who is
legitimate and one who has bad intentions. Discernment is the ability to make
necessary distinctions. According to our verses in Hebrews 5, it comes from the
study and application of Scripture.
Discernment
and the Knowledge of Good and Evil
In the book of
Genesis, the Serpent tempted Eve to partake of the tree of knowledge of good
and evil, claiming that she would not die as God said but would become like
God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:4,5). This deception was believed and the
entire human race plunged into spiritual and moral darkness. The knowledge
gained was not the type of knowledge of good and evil that Hebrews 5:14 urges.
It was the opposite. The lie of Satan ("you shall be like God")
obliterated necessary categories. Since its first reception by gullible humans,
it has caused them to fail to distinguish between the most important
categories. "For they exchanged the truth of God for a [lit. the] lie, and
worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed
forever" (Romans 1:25). Rather than gaining the ability to differentiate
good from evil, they gained an experiential knowledge of evil from which God
was shielding them. This knowledge led to creature worship, the ultimate
deception. Like the Evil One, they sought to transgress the boundaries and
erase the line between themselves and God.
Biblical
discernment is the ability to judge between truth and error, right and wrong,
good and evil. The knowledge of good and evil offered by the forbidden tree was
a rebellious, experiential knowledge of evil that destroyed discernment and led
to the erasure of God ordained categories. The big lie of the New Age movement
is that there are no valid categories. "All is one" they say. The
creation is the Creator and we are "gods," only we do not know it.
They claim that all apparent categories are illusions. This is a prescription
for the ultimate deception. There really, then, would be nothing to discern
since good and evil are one.
Too
Many Categories?
Many Christians
are taken in by this thinking. Some have told me, "you have too many
categories." They think categories are bad and resist study, because the
more you study the more distinctions between finer points you can make. What
they do not understand is that they are promoting perpetual, spiritual infancy.
A baby distinguishes few categories. As a child grows, he learns to identify
more categories. We consider this good progress and if it is not happening we
bring the child for testing to see what is wrong.
All education
and progress require discernment in the sense that identifying and typifying
categories is involved. For example, the difference between a paramedic and a
brain surgeon is in the number of categories that can be discerned. The one is
able to see that an injury has occurred and perhaps that the brain has been
affected. The other is able to deal with the workings of the human brain down
to the microscopic level, distinguishing myriads of different anatomical
entities and functions. All education involves identifying, understanding,
naming, and working with an increasingly complex series of categories. This is
why it is hard work, "exercise." If one chooses to remain an infant
throughout life, then very few categories need to be understood: mommy, daddy,
food, sleep, comfort, etc. are all that is needed.
In order to
"discern good and evil" as Hebrews 5:14 exhorts, study and hard work
that result in maturity are necessary. Many more Biblically defined categories
can then be distinguished. Before the author of Hebrews began his parenthetical
exhortation about infancy and maturity, he was showing his readers the
difference between the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthood and their typological
ramifications concerning the high priesthood of Jesus the Messiah. He realized
that these were more categories that his immature, Christian readers cared to
be concerned about. Perpetual infants go so far and stop, having no hunger to
learn more about the faith.
How many
Christians in modern, American, Evangelical churches would attend a lecture on
the typological significance of Melchizedek and Aaron with regard to the
priestly ministry of our Lord? A few perhaps, but church growth experts warn
against emphasizing such things. What we may not realize is that discernment is
lacking because we do not care about this and numerous other Biblical issues.
This is one reason why cults and charlatan preachers prosper, recruiting many
of their followers from our own ranks.
Heeding
the Warning
The warning of
Hebrews 5:11-14 is clear. The need for maturity and discernment is evident. The
Holy Spirit inspired this passage and preserved it for us (as with all other
Scripture) ". . . for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training
in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good
work" (2Timothy 3:16b,17). The idea that study, Biblical education, and
doctrine are superfluous or even harmful is creating a generation of perpetual
infants.
The author of
Hebrews entreats, "let us press on to maturity" (Hebrews 6:1).
Pressing on to maturity is God's answer to the problem of perpetual infancy.
Hebrews 6 contains a vivid and frightening warning against apostasy. A failure
to press on to maturity creates a severe danger to those who do not heed this
Biblical call.
God will give
grace to help us obey the Holy Spirit's call to grow up. If we respond to it,
we will be equipped for the work of the ministry and can be sure that God will
use us in these perilous times.