1. Literary and Theological
Context
Hebrews 5:11–6:3 functions as a rhetorical
and pastoral interruption. The author has begun to expound Christ’s high
priesthood “according to the order of Melchizedek” (5:10), but pauses because
the audience is not presently able to receive the depth of that teaching. This
is not a digression; it is a necessary diagnostic. The warning and
exhortation here prepare the reader for the severe admonition of 6:4–8 and the
renewed encouragement of 6:9–12.
The passage is thus both rebuke
and invitation: rebuke for stagnation, invitation to growth.
- The problem is moral-spiritual, not cognitive.
- The audience once had capacity, but has failed to advance (cf. 5:12).
- Hearing in Hebrews is covenantal: to “hear” is to respond in obedient faith (cf. Heb 3–4; Ps 95).
- “Oracles of God” (λόγια τοῦ θεοῦ) refers to divine revelation, not human tradition. In the Jewish context, this would include the Scriptures, especially as fulfilled and clarified in Christ.
- “Basic principles” (στοιχεῖα) denotes elementary components—the ABCs, not errors or falsehoods.
- The rebuke is not that they know these basics, but that they still require re-teaching, despite having had sufficient time to mature.
- Milk represents foundational teaching appropriate for spiritual infancy.
- Solid food represents teaching that requires discernment, reflection, and spiritual exercise—especially Christ’s priesthood, covenant mediation, and the implications of perseverance.
- Habitual practice (“by constant use”)
- Discernment (διάκρισις)
- Moral perception (“good and evil”)
- Works of the Mosaic law apart from faith in Christ, or
- Sinful actions that lead to spiritual death.
- Jewish ceremonial washings
- Early Christian baptismal instruction
- Identification and blessing
- Commissioning
- Reception into the covenant community
- Growth is necessary, but not autonomous.
- Human responsibility and divine sovereignty are held together.
- Progress in understanding and perseverance is a gift of grace, not merely effort.
- Spiritual stagnation is dangerous, not benign.
- Foundational doctrines are essential but insufficient for perseverance.
- Maturity involves practiced discernment shaped by obedience.
- Growth beyond basics is required to rightly apprehend Christ’s priesthood and covenant mediation.
- Advancement in faith occurs under God’s sovereign permission and enabling grace.
2. “Dull of Hearing” (νωθροὶ ταῖς ἀκοαῖς)
— Hebrews 5:11
The phrase translated “dull of
hearing” does not indicate intellectual incapacity, nor a congenital
deficiency. The adjective νωθρός carries the sense of sluggish, lazy,
negligent, or apathetic. It is used again in Hebrews 6:12 (“so that you may
not be sluggish”), forming an inclusio that frames this section.
Key observations:
Thus, “dull of hearing” refers to
a culpable dullness, a willful resistance to deeper engagement with
God’s revealed truth.
3. “The Basic Principles of
the Oracles of God” (τὰ
στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς
τῶν λογίων τοῦ θεοῦ) — Hebrews 5:12
Several points are critical here:
This is a warning against arrested
development. Remaining at the elementary level is not neutral; it is
dangerous when growth is expected.
4. “You Need Milk, Not Solid
Food” — Hebrews 5:12–13
The metaphor is pastoral and
relational, not contemptuous.
Importantly:
“Everyone who lives on milk is
unskilled in the word of righteousness” (5:13).
The issue is not ignorance of
facts, but lack of practiced discernment. The “word of righteousness”
likely refers to instruction that shapes judgment, obedience, and perseverance
in alignment with God’s righteous purposes in Christ.
5. “Solid Food Is for the
Mature” — Hebrews 5:14
“Mature” (τέλειος) in Hebrews
does not mean sinless perfection, but teleological completeness—being
oriented rightly toward the end (τέλος) for which one is called.
Maturity is defined by:
This echoes wisdom literature and
anticipates Hebrews’ emphasis on endurance, obedience, and faith expressed
through action.
6. “Let Us Leave the
Elementary Doctrine of Christ” — Hebrews 6:1
This phrase is often
misunderstood. The author is not urging abandonment, but movement beyond
repetition.
“Leave” (ἀφέντες) means to move forward from, not to
discard. Foundations are not despised; they are built upon.
The phrase “doctrine of Christ”
here likely refers to instruction about Christ as Messiah, particularly
in its foundational, catechetical form.
7. The Enumerated Foundations
— Hebrews 6:1–2
The six items form three
paired foundations, likely reflecting early catechetical instruction common
to Jewish-Christian converts.
a. Repentance from Dead Works
This refers to turning away from
actions that do not produce life—possibly:
Repentance is foundational, but
not the sum of Christian life.
b. Faith Toward God
Faith is covenantal trust,
oriented toward God as revealed in Christ. Again, foundational—but meant to
issue in perseverance.
c. Instruction About Washings
(βαπτισμῶν διδαχῆς)
The plural “washings” suggests ritual
purification concepts, likely encompassing:
This points to transitional
catechesis rather than mature theological reflection.
d. Laying on of Hands
This could include:
Again, essential but
introductory.
e. Resurrection of the Dead
A core eschatological doctrine
shared with Judaism, now clarified in Christ.
f. Eternal Judgment (or
Eternal Punishment)
A sober reminder of final
accountability—essential to moral seriousness, but not the entirety of
Christian hope.
8. “And This We Will Do, If
God Permits” — Hebrews 6:3
This brief statement is
profoundly theological.
This anticipates both the warning
of apostasy and the assurance that follows.
9. Theological Synthesis
Hebrews 5:11–6:3 teaches that:
This passage thus prepares the
reader to grapple with the tension Hebrews consistently holds: God’s
sovereign preserving grace alongside real warnings against falling away,
including the sobering reality that not all who profess faith ultimately
demonstrate saving faith.
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