Hebrews 6:1- Leaving for What?

newton3005

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For some, the Bible can be seen as a progression from the Law that people were expected to abide by, to faith in God through Christ. For others, it seems, there is a further progression to getting away from at least some of what Christ teaches, but to what exactly?

It may be safe to presume that the Book of Hebrews was originally directed at Hebrews, particularly those who were receptive to what Christ Jesus taught. Perhaps for their sake, Jesus sums up the Law and the prophets in two commandments: The first is that you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and the second is that you love your neighbor as you love yourself. This is something that the Jews in Jesus’ day could find digestible, because after all, what argument can you present to counter such a statement regarding the Law and the prophets? The two commandments together are essential for the continuous existence of God’s Creation, being man, on earth, and this is what the Law and the prophets leads up to.

Galatians 3:23-26 sets up the progression in saying, “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” It almost seems that those words, although from God via 2 Timothy 3:16, were expressed by Hebrews; for who but the Hebrews would be cognizant of the Law?

But then, Hebrews 5:12-14 tells us to consider some of the things Christ said, to be just milk as opposed to solid food. And Hebrews 6:1 considers the “milk’ to be the “elementary Doctrine of Christ,” something a mature person in God no longer needs.

What does such a mature person go by, who no longer needs the milk? Hebrews 5:14 says such a mature person is someone who “[has] their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” That’s all well and good, but how many such people are there, relative to the general population?

Can everyone leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to such maturity, as stated in Hebrews 6:1? Did the author of Hebrews 6:1 really believe that everyone who heard these words is capable of reaching a state of maturity whereby they no longer need to be reminded of the elementary doctrine of Christ because they will be mature enough to decide for themselves what is good and what is evil? Would you put your trust in a next-door neighbor to decisively know good from evil? Would you put your trust in anybody in that regard?

One may wonder about the milk analogy, considering that many mature people in an earthly respect still drink milk, though they are quite capable of eating solid food as many of us have shown. Is there anyone who has actually forsaken the drinking of milk for other than health reasons?

Comes to mind that when I was a boy, someone who was working on our house told me he was thirsty and asked me if there was anything to drink. Being the boy I was, I told him we have milk. He said he doesn’t drink milk. End of conversation. But to further the milk analogy, it seems that even a mature person in God may be thirsty from time to time and would go back to the Bible for that milk to regain insight and reassurance. And, if you think of it, even those who are mature may look forward to being reminded of the milk in the Bible when they listen to a clergyman in a house of worship.
 
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newton3005

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Are you suggesting that a "mature" Christian no longer need to rely on the scriptures in the Bible?

***Not sure what that question has to do with Ps 14:1, but I'm not suggesting anything. It's Hebrews 6:1 that is effectively telling us to progress beyond the 'milky' parts of the Bible that are connected with Jesus.
 
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Clare73

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For some, the Bible can be seen as a progression from the Law that people were expected to abide by, to faith in God through Christ. For others, it seems, there is a further progression to getting away from at least some of what Christ teaches, but to what exactly?

It may be safe to presume that the Book of Hebrews was originally directed at Hebrews, particularly those who were receptive to what Christ Jesus taught. Perhaps for their sake, Jesus sums up the Law and the prophets in two commandments: The first is that you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and the second is that you love your neighbor as you love yourself. This is something that the Jews in Jesus’ day could find digestible, because after all, what argument can you present to counter such a statement regarding the Law and the prophets? The two commandments together are essential for the continuous existence of God’s Creation, being man, on earth, and this is what the Law and the prophets leads up to.

Galatians 3:23-26 sets up the progression in saying, “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” It almost seems that those words, although from God via 2 Timothy 3:16, were expressed by Hebrews; for who but the Hebrews would be cognizant of the Law?
But then, Hebrews 5:12-14 tells us to consider some of the things Christ said, to be just milk as opposed to solid food. And Hebrews 6:1 considers the “milk’ to be the “elementary Doctrine of Christ,” something a mature person in God no longer needs.
First of all, "elementary" means the basics, which are not something that we no longer need.
They are something that we build on.
The basics we learned in elementary school are what our knowledge is built on.

The author tells us what basics/foundational teaching they were moving on from:
repentance, faith in God, baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, eternal judgment;

and we see what they were moving on to, to build on them their basis for belief and hope in the New Covenant; i.e., the certainty of God's promise in Christ, change in the priesthood and change in the covenant, of which he was both High Priest and Mediator.

What does such a mature person go by, who no longer needs the milk? Hebrews 5:14 says such a mature person is someone who “[has] their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” That’s all well and good, but how many such people are there, relative to the general population?

Can everyone leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to such maturity, as stated in Hebrews 6:1? Did the author of Hebrews 6:1 really believe that everyone who heard these words is capable of reaching a state of maturity whereby they no longer need to be reminded of the elementary doctrine of Christ because they will be mature enough to decide for themselves what is good and what is evil? Would you put your trust in a next-door neighbor to decisively know good from evil? Would you put your trust in anybody in that regard?

One may wonder about the milk analogy, considering that many mature people in an earthly respect still drink milk, though they are quite capable of eating solid food as many of us have shown. Is there anyone who has actually forsaken the drinking of milk for other than health reasons?

Comes to mind that when I was a boy, someone who was working on our house told me he was thirsty and asked me if there was anything to drink. Being the boy I was, I told him we have milk. He said he doesn’t drink milk. End of conversation. But to further the milk analogy, it seems that even a mature person in God may be thirsty from time to time and would go back to the Bible for that milk to regain insight and reassurance. And, if you think of it, even those who are mature may look forward to being reminded of the milk in the Bible when they listen to a clergyman in a house of worship.
 
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