Context No. 2546 of 4322 · Hebrews

Hebrews 5:6-14: in context

6As he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 7He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear, 8though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered. 9Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation, 10named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. 11About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing. 12For although by this time you should be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the revelations of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food. 13For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. 14But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

Hebrews is unfolding the priesthood of Christ, who learned obedience through what he suffered, when it breaks off to scold its readers. There is much to say about these deep things, the writer complains, but you have become dull of hearing. By now you ought to be teachers, and instead you need someone to teach you the ABCs again; you have gone back to milk when you should be eating solid food.

The rebuke is about arrested growth. These are not new believers; they have had time to mature and have not, sliding back to the basics as if starting over. And the writer names how growth actually happens: solid food is for the mature, who by practice have trained their senses to discern good from evil. Discernment is not downloaded; it is exercised into being, grown through use over time. To stay on milk indefinitely, still needing the elementary lessons, is not humility; it is a failure to grow up. The expectation is that we move from being fed toward feeding others.

Am I still on milk, needing the basics repeated, when by now I should have grown to solid food and be helping to feed others?

Sources

Hebrews 5:12: by this time you should be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments... You have come to need milk, and not solid food.
Hebrews 5:14: But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.
Hebrews 5:8: though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered.