A couple of years ago I preached a sermon series entitled "Look to Jesus" at Forest Community Church. This sermon comes from Hebrews 6:1-3 and is entitled "Journey to Maturity." I will post the sermon notes below as well as a link to the video. Please be aware that the video may not completely line up to the notes below. We had some announcements and communion before the sermon, so the sermon itself starts around the 13:00 mark on the video. Thank you for watching and reading!
Video: Sermon Hebrews 6:1-3
Hebrews Series: Look to Jesus
Hebrews 6:1-3 The Journey to
Maturity
Intro: In this section our author returns to
something of a note of optimism: 5:11-14 produces the accusation of immaturity;
6:1-3 assumes the position of knowledge and understanding. The author of
Hebrews wants his readers to move beyond the
elementary teachings of the gospel. They haven't grown spiritually. He issues a stern rebuke against their spiritual immaturity (Heb. 5:11-14). He told them
to grow up. He wishes to instruct his readers regarding the solid food found in
the fulfillment of the Melchizedek priesthood in the person and work of Jesus
Christ. "Concerning Him we have much to say" (5:11) refers to Melchizedek and Christ.
However, some in his audience are "dull of
hearing" and too lazy to understand. They are sluggish spiritually and
lazy mentally. They have been in this state for so long that they cannot even
comprehend the simplest teaching regarding Messiah. Every believer is expected
to be able to share his testimony of God's saving grace and defend the good news of Jesus.
These readers are like spiritual children; they cannot understand basic
spiritual truth. In the context of Hebrews chapters 5 and 6, we are discussing the
ABC's of Christianity, the most basic knowledge of what it means to be a
follower of Messiah. The “adult” Christian recognizes the moral claim of God on
his or her life even if it exposes the Christian to possible death. The author encourages us to continue on the journey to
maturity. Our author envisions three things as embodying this journey: 1)
Something to leave behind, 2) a goal to move toward, and 3) help to get there.
Let’s read Hebrews 6:1-3 a we begin our Journey to Maturity.
Point 1: The Journey to Maturity requires us to Leave
Behind the Elementary Things (vv. 1-2) Our author wants his readers to move from first grade on to second grade without repeating basic information. He
knows that they are built on a good foundation. The metaphor for
"foundation" refers to the ABC's or elementary truths as opposed to
maturity. "The elementary teaching about Christ" is literally,
"the word (or teaching) of the beginning of Christ." They need to move beyond the basics, i.e., the first presentation of the gospel, the plan of salvation. The
author encourages them to leave behind the foundation.
The implication here is
that they had a foundation laid at some point in the past. The positive element
is that the foundation seems sure. Each basic tenet or ritual serves to
reinforce those contours of church-shaped reality and makes the author’s agenda
clearly the advantageous course of action to follow, and all
opposing courses foolish and disadvantageous. The specific elements are rich
with Jewish and Christian cultural references. Our author encourages his
readers to move beyond the elementary or fundamental teachings to a mature
faith (6:1). One possible reason that the author refuses to review the elementary principles of
the faith is that he assumes the maturity of his hearers or readers—he doesn’t
think that they need a review.
What are these “elementary” or fundamental teachings? The six things listed in these verses find
parallels in Judaism and Christianity.
Numbers 1 and 2: The “repentance from dead works” and “faith toward
God” sum up the initial step of Christian commitment—The emphasis is on
unproductive works vs. faith. Precise identification of the “dead works” (νεκρῶν
ἔργων) from which one repents is problematic, . . . More attractive is the suggestion that “dead
works” refer to idols. Both times they are mentioned (6:1; 9:14), these “dead
works” stand in contrast to faith toward, or worship of, the “living God.” Their prior life (be it in idolatry and its
accompanying sins or in transgressions against torah) was a life of “dead
works,” works without value or life or honor. The works they do for one
another—their “works of mutual love and service”—are “noble works,” works that
live in the memory of God and have great reward. (David
A. deSilva, Perseverance in Gratitude: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), 215–216.)
Characterizing one’s life
prior to one’s association with the Christian community as “dead” is a
strategic way to reinforce commitment to persevere in the new community. After
turning from lifeless works (repentance), a positive action of faith in God
must be taken. . . . Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. They
form the essential foundation upon which one may enter the Christian life. Acts
that lead to death are those that come out of unbelief and disobedience. They
are the acts of a person who depends on this world for security and
satisfaction rather than believing in God’s power and promises. The person who has faith in God believes in
His existence and character. Such a person lives in the confidence that God’s
power is real and that God keeps His promises of future, eternal reward (see
11:6). (Ray
C. Stedman, Hebrews,
The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Westmont, IL: IVP Academic, 1992), Heb
6:1–3)
Number 3: “Baptisms” may refer to ritual washings or even internal
spiritual cleansing from sin. DeSilva: While several commentators assume that
he is alluding to some early teaching that contrasted pagan ablutions or Jewish
purificatory washings with baptism, we should consider the author’s own
conceptualization of the cleansing of the believer as this is articulated in
10:22. There the author speaks of two purificatory ablutions, one pertaining to
the body and effected with “clean water” and one pertaining to the heart, which
is “sprinkled clean from a bad conscience,” recalling the effects of Jesus’
blood in 9:11–10:18. Even baptism is an
external rite and sign; the cleansing of the heart is solely the work of
Christ’s sacrifice. (Gareth
L. Cockerill, Hebrews: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan
Publishing House, 1998), 134–135)
That the noun for baptism is plural is a strong indication
the readers were still practicing Jewish ceremonial washings in mikvoth. If this is so, then either this is evidence
Jews in Rome practiced ritual purity at a much higher level than we might have
thought, or that the book of Hebrews was sent to Jerusalem, where there is
clear evidence of mikvoth and ritual washing.
Number 4: “Laying on of hands” may have to do with the giving of
the Holy Spirit. David DeSilva (see note above, p. 218): The second member of this pair, the “laying on of
hands,” is a well-attested practice of the early Church and serves a number of
functions (healing, imparting the Holy Spirit, commissioning). Once again it is
difficult to be certain of which function the author or audience would recall
here, although the “basic” nature of the other elements would favor the most
primary experiences of the imposition of hands, namely, confirmation of the
rite of baptism, of the baptized person’s reception of the Holy Spirit, and of
God’s anointing.
Numbers 5 and 6: The other two (“resurrection” and “judgment”) seem
related to eschatology. DeSilva (p. 218): The third pair, “resurrection of the dead and
eternal judgment,” lay out two elements of the Jewish and Christian worldview
that are especially essential to maintaining commitment to the minority
culture’s way of life.
Phillip J. Long (online sermon: Hebrews 6:1-3--Leaving Elementary Teachings Behind): The author does not say these “foundational items”
are unimportant, but these ought to be settled by now to that the readers are
ready to move on to more mature doctrines. The “deeper” things in this case is
next section of Hebrews, the teaching on Melchizedek and the Tabernacle. The readers are fretting over foundational
issues (who is in/out, details of theology which are not critical), and they
are therefore unprepared for the difficulty of the argument which he is about
to make. But more important for the writer of Hebrews, the readers are
unprepared for the possibility of persecution.
The point the author seems to make here is that you cannot
go back in time. If a person has begun the journey of Christian discipleship,
then that person must move forward to maturity. We have a responsibility to
grow and not to regress. As a result, Hebrews is not a word to the immature but
to the mature.
The author is not saying the
Christian should despise or abandon the elementary doctrines of Christianity.
The fundamentals are always basic to every stage of spiritual growth. We never
forsake them; we grow on them. There is no stopping-place in the Christian
life. We go from one stage to the next as we grow in our knowledge and faith in
Christ. The author lovingly confronts his congregation. He assumes the
soundness of their foundation but challenges them to move on to maturity and
not to regress to immaturity. The author also acknowledges a process in
spiritual formation. He recognizes that we should be moving forward. But that
implies that a regression is possible too. The author of Hebrews seems to be
reminding us that we need to be reminded of the content and requirements of our
faith. We need to live what we believe. He realizes that the journey to
maturity requires leaving behind elementary teachings and being carried forward
to maturity in Christ.
Point 2: The Journey to Maturity requires us to move
toward the goal of maturity: Go on to Maturity in Christ (v. 1) Ray
Stedman (Hebrews IVP NT Commentary): “Life presents a thousand examples of the need to act on knowledge
before any benefit is received. It is not enough to know a telephone number; if
you want to talk to someone, you must dial the number. It is not enough to know
the price of an object; if you want it, you must pay that price. It is not
enough to know where India is; if you want to see it, you must go there. So it
should not seem strange that the writer of Hebrews insists that to know Jesus
you must receive him by faith and obey his teaching. This can only be achieved by going on to
those actions of faith that produce maturity. For this reason he urges them to
leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on from words to
applications.”
David DeSilva (p. 215): The word “maturity” (τελειότης) is polyvalent,
meaning also “completion” and “perfection” (in the sense of having arrived at
the final state proper to one’s being or calling; . . . The term plays on the adjective “mature” in
5:11–14 but also carries resonances with the other “perfection” terminology and
so introduces more than “mature teaching” as the goal that the author
proposes. Even as he proposes moving on,
the author reminds the addressees of the essential elements of the “foundation”
of their secondary socialization into the norms of the Christian culture in
6:1b–2. (See Cockerill commentary p. 133 for more information).
The believer needs to make himself available to
Messiah so that he will be borne along unto perfection. Sometimes our Teacher refuses to go back
over old ground with us. "For all who are being led by the
Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14). The Holy Spirit is
the true dynamic of spiritual growth. The word for "maturity" or
"perfection" is from teleios meaning mature. Let's move on
from spiritual babes to mature adults. Let's move on from milk to solid
spiritual food. . . . Evidence of spiritual life will be seen spiritual
development and progress toward Christian maturity. If there is no progress
toward maturity it should be questioned if there is any genuine experience of
the Holy Spirit. . . . The full revelation of God to man has been made in the
person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is no longer veiled in shadows and
types as seen in the Old Testament revelation, but now the full glory of God is
shown in the person of His Son. (G. Cockerill, pp. 133-134)
Since maturity is being made in the image of Jesus (see
Romans 8:28-29; Phil. 2:5-8; etc.), then the journey of maturity requires us to
learn and to follow and to obey. We cannot move on to maturity without action
on our part. Also, this move to maturity is dependent on God’s grace and action
toward us in Jesus our Messiah and by means of his Holy Spirit. We leave behind
a firm foundation, but then we move on (or are carried towards) maturity in
being like Jesus (1 John 3:1) by following him and trusting his Spirit. This
brings us to the final point, this journey is NOT contingent ONLY on human
effort. It is aided by God.
Point 3: the journey to Maturity is aided by God. This We
will do if God permits (v. 3) David DeSilva (pp. 218-219: More than just a conventional aside,
the acknowledgment of dependence on God to move forward at every step of this
journey prepares the way for the claim that the author will make concerning the
impossibility of the ingrate making a second start on this journey. If God’s
favorable disposition is required for progress on the journey and for arriving
at the goal of the journey, alienating oneself from God’s favor by insulting
the Benefactor becomes the most inexpedient course of action.
Ray Stedman (Hebrews, IVP NT Commentary): It is dangerous to stay forever on the foundation;
in fact, it is impossible. If they are not willing or able to move on to more
mature understanding, they are in grave peril of losing what they already have,
and that irretrievably! Growth in truth is something all Christians (note the
we in v. 3) must do, God permitting. Far
from being a polite cliché or pious wish, these words God permitting form the
fulcrum on which the warning of verses 4–8 turns.
G. Cockerill (pp. 136-137): Hebrews 6:1–3 is dominated by first person plural
pronouns; these verses begin with let us and end with we will do so (my
emphasis). The preacher includes himself with his hearers. . . . “if God wills.” . . . By this phrase
the preacher reminds his hearers and us that believers move on to perfection by
God’s grace and power. This phrase also sets the stage for the finality of
apostasy described in 6:4–8.
David Allen (Hebrews, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010),
344): The sense is: we will press on to maturity if
God permits, for we know about those (the wilderness generation) whom God did
not permit to press on and enter the Promised Land.
The journey to maturity means to leave something behind, to
move (or to be moved) towards a goal, and to be aided by God to get where we
need to go. How do we respond to these things?
Conclusion: First, take spiritual inventory. Is there
spiritual growth in your life? Are you turning from dead works to faith in God?
What needs to change to help you grow? Where do you need to make changes to be
more like Jesus? Where do you need the help of God’s Spirit?
Second, ask God for his direction/help and then look into
Scripture to find some ideas. Read Jeremiah 29; Psalm 66 and 111; 2 Timothy 2;
Luke 17.
Thanks for reading!
