WE SHOULD BE TEACHING OTHERS INSTEAD WE NEED TO BE TAUGHT

PROCLAMATION

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God: and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.  For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.  But strong meat belongeth to them that are full of age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”  Hebrews 5:12-14 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by an unknown human author, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the Hebrew believers and indirectly to all believers.  In this fifth chapter the author begins by describing Jesus, The Christ, as the ultimate high priest.  He compares Him to Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:5-6) whose name literally means “king of righteousness or justice.”  Melchizedek was a Canaanite king who reigned in Salem, and who kept up religion and worship of the true God and was honored by Abraham for doing so. (Hebrew 7:1-2)  The author states that the Hebrews had a number of advantages over other people including being descendants of Abraham, being exposed to the law of Moses and the writings of The Old Testament, having heard the ministry of Christ directly from Him or from His apostles, and having received the gift of The Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.  They had this for thirty years and they should have grown.  Instead of being teachers of others they were in need of being taught the basics principals of God’s Word themselves.  Instead of being ready for the meat of the gospel, the advanced course, they were in need of milk or formula, which is the basic beginning lessons. 

 

APPLICATION

Today there are many adult Christians who can say that they were “brought up in the church” or that they have “been in church all of their life.”  This text proves that just being in church and being around The Word of God for a long period of time does not mean that a person has grown in knowledge and understanding of it.  Considering the number of years that we have exposed to the teachings of The Bible, most of us should be Bible scholars by now and we should be teaching others.  Unfortunately, far too many Christians have heard a lot of sermons preached but have not internalized or practiced what they heard.  Also, too many believers only open their Bibles on Sunday while they are in church.  If we want to grow in knowledge and understanding of God’s Holy Word, and to rightly apply it to our lives, then we need to read it and study it on a regular basis. (2 Timothy 2:15)