Growing up in God
Hebrews 5:11-6:3
Can you teach the foundations of faith in Jesus?
#faith
#maturity
#foundation
Published February 16th, 2017; Updated March 24th, 2017
Devotional
Main point summary
Arc
Devotional
Not every believer will grow up. Sadly, some will never finish the foundation of their faith and get the building of their life in Christ off the ground. The writer of Hebrews unpacks this reality for us in three ways. Naturally, all of us are students of the basic doctrines of Scripture when we first become believers. But we are not meant to stay there. We are meant to gain such a solid understanding of core gospel truths that we can faithfully teach them to others. Can you teach the foundations of faith in Jesus? It also makes sense that we start off as spiritual infants when we are born again. Thus, we are in need of being fed the simple milk of the gospel at this stage. But not forever. God would have us grow up such that we can receive the hard food of hard truths. Can you handle more difficult doctrines? And finally, any person new to a profession needs training. So too those new to the Christian faith. They do not always know how to properly interpret the Bible, particularly its teaching on righteousness. The Lord provides this necessary training through his Holy Spirit and teachers in the church, along with plentiful hands-on practice in navigating good and evil. Could you be described as trained in discernment? Brothers and sisters, let us learn, grow and be well trained in the gospel.
notes
Main point summary
Let us not call into doubt and reevaluate the foundational teachings of Christ, but building upon them let us—Lord willing—press on to know the glories of Jesus more.
Arc
NT
Hebrews 5:11-6:3
esv
na28
About this we have much to say,
Περὶ οὗ πολὺς ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος
and it is c hard to explain,
καὶ δυσερμήνευτος λέγειν,
series
since you have become dull of hearing.
ἐπεὶ νωθροὶ γεγόνατε ταῖς ἀκοαῖς.
For though by this time you ought to be teachers,
καὶ γὰρ ὀφείλοντες εἶναι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τὸν χρόνον,
you need someone to teach you again d the basic principles of the oracles of God.
πάλιν χρείαν ἔχετε τοῦ διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς τινὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ θεοῦ
concessive
You need e milk, not solid food,
καὶ γεγόνατε χρείαν ἔχοντες γάλακτος [καὶ] οὐ στερεᾶς τροφῆς.
for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness,
πᾶς γὰρ ὁ μετέχων γάλακτος ἄπειρος λόγου δικαιοσύνης,
since he is f a child.
νήπιος γάρ ἐστιν•
ground
But solid food is for g the mature,
τελείων δέ ἐστιν ἡ στερεὰ τροφή,
for those who have their powers h of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
τῶν διὰ τὴν ἕξιν τὰ αἰσθητήρια γεγυμνασμένα ἐχόντων πρὸς διάκρισιν καλοῦ τε καὶ κακοῦ.
ideaexplanation
alternative
Therefore i let us leave j the elementary doctrine of Christ
Διὸ ἀφέντες τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγον
and go on to maturity,
ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα φερώμεθα,
actionmanner
not laying again a foundation
μὴ πάλιν θεμέλιον καταβαλλόμενοι
of repentance k from dead works
μετανοίας ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων
and of faith toward God,
καὶ πίστεως ἐπὶ θεόν,
and of l instruction about washings, 1
βαπτισμῶν διδαχῆς
m the laying on of hands,
ἐπιθέσεώς τε χειρῶν,
n the resurrection of the dead,
ἀναστάσεώς τε νεκρῶν
and o eternal judgment.
καὶ κρίματος αἰωνίου.
negativepositive
And this we will do
καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσομεν,
p if God permits.
ἐάνπερ ἐπιτρέπῃ ὁ θεός.
conditional
inference
na28
discourse
Comments
Mildred Queenie CS
Andy Hubert
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