|
 In
Neil R. Lightfoot's commentary on Hebrews (Jesus Christ Today)
he has the following to say about "leaving the
principles" and "going on to perfection" (6:1).
"The maturity of which he speaks is not to be connected so
much with the maturity of the readers (which was lacking) as
with the maturity of the teaching which they needed. Let
us ... go on, he says, to more advanced
teaching, to such doctrines as the nature of Christ's
priesthood, which they were scarcely able to grasp. They needed
to push on to higher plains, to more advanced Christian truths
than those to which they were accustomed." (p.119)
A.B.
Bruce, on the same thought, says, this "may be regarded as
an assertion of the right of the Church to be something more
than an infant school, and ... against the intolerance always
manifested by ignorance, stupidity, indolence, and prejudice
toward everything that is not old, familiar, and perfectly
elementary." That is pretty strong stuff, but it may rattle
our teeth because it hits us squarely in the face. (Ibid. p.lll)
"Something
more than an infant school”. Is the teaching program in
your church more than infant training? Does it challenge the
members to spiritual growth; expanding their knowledge of Bible
truth and increasing their ability to reason and apply? Or are
we
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satisfied with infantile stock answers,
repeated over and over, with no desire to "go on to
maturity"?
"Deeper"
water must not be confused with "muddy" water; with
theological speculations, or pedantic lectures; or even with an
overload of reading assignments and tests. We believe "deeper"
truths are simply the putting together and application of
simple, surface truths — and that this can be done in
simple, understandable language. But such putting together
requires thought, testing, evaluation — or in Bible language,
we must "prove all things."
"Leaving
the principles" (elementary doctrines) doesn't mean abandon
them, but build on them — as one must "leave" the
foundation and go on with the framing and finishing of a house.
But sometimes brethren so poorly understand the so-called
"first principles" that they can not build on this
faulty foundation. All the more reason to re-examine our
thinking. We must not fear such studies. Truth will only shine
brighter under investigation, and each truly basic principle
will serve as a stepping-stone to greater truths. Our knowledge
and faith is weak indeed if it must be shielded behind sectarian
pride.
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