CONCERNING HIM WE HAVE MUCH
TO SAY: peri ou polus hemin o logos legein (PAN):
(1 Kings
10:1;
John 6:6;
16:12;
2 Peter 3:16)
Harry Ironside introduces this next interpretatively difficult
section from Hebrews 5:11-6:20 with this note of caution...
We are now to consider one of those portions of the writings of "our beloved
brother Paul," (Ed note: I do not think Paul wrote Hebrews) as Peter called
him, "in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are
unlearned and unstable wrest... unto their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16).
Probably there is no part of the Word of God that has stumbled immature and
uninstructed Christians like Hebrews 5:11-6:20. Therefore the need of
examining it with the utmost care. (Ironside Expository Commentary on
Hebrews)
Ray Stedman introduces this section writing that...
It has been quite evident thus far in Hebrews that the pastor’s heart of the
author has been deeply troubled over the spiritual state of some of his
readers. Twice he has warned them at some length that they are in danger of
repeating the unbelief of the Israelites in the wilderness and failing,
therefore, to enter into the spiritual rest which they had been promised.
Once again he confronts them with their perilous state.
They are slow to learn, he declares, and because of this dullness, he has
difficulty in explaining to them the extraordinary advantages of the
Melchizedek priesthood of Jesus. If they had been growing as they should,
they ought by now to be able to pass the great truths of the faith along to
others. They would no longer be learning elementary truths of God’s word for
themselves but could be teachers of those coming after them. The high
priestly ministry which Jesus wants them to learn represents an advance on
the introductory truths of the Christian faith. But instead of responding to
his exhortations they seem to require those basic truths to be explained to
them again. At best, they are spiritual infants who need to be taught over
and over the elementary truths as a baby needs to be fed milk and is not
ready for solid food. At worst, they are not Christians at all, but are like
many of the Israelites in the wilderness. They also are in danger of failing
to act in faith on the teaching they have received. Fear that this may be
their condition is what leads the author to issue the solemn warning of
Hebrews 6:4;
6:5; 6:6,
though in
Hebrews 6:9,
he indicates that he does not yet believe they are all in such a fearful
state. (Hebrews 5:11-14 The Spiritual State of the
Readers)
Concerning him - Speaking of this mysterious OT figure Melchizedek.
The writer wanted to dive into a "meaty" discussion of this personage, but
their spiritual condition was an impediment as he now explains.
Concerning (4012)
(peri) means around, about this, concerning or regarding this. About
what? It could be translated about this or about him, the latter fitting the
context better.
He is ready to discuss Melchizedek but for the fear that the reader may fail to
grasp his meaning, for he will run counter to the usual Jewish ideas. (Hebrews
13:22 [note] "bear with" = endure
2 Timothy 4:3 - note) Hence he pauses to stir up the interest
of the readers before going on with the argument.
“I
still have a lot of things to say.”
As it turned out, his subsequent
discussion was indeed lengthy (Hebrews 7:1-10:18) as well as deep.
It is one of the tragedies of the Church that there is so little attempt to
teach new knowledge and new thought - notice I am not referring to "new
revelation" for the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation is complete and
is all we need for life and godliness. Be very wary of those who claim to
have new revelations from God. The Spirit as our Teacher gives illumination
to our heart and mind as we diligently study and meditate on the Word of
Truth, but He does not give us new divine revelation. Stated another way,
the Bible is the completed record and nothing is to be added to it. John
records these somber words...
I
testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if
anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in
this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the
holy city, which are written in this book. (See notes
Revelation 22:18;
22:19)
AND IT IS HARD TO EXPLAIN
SINCE YOU HAVE BECOME DULL OF HEARING:
kai dusermêneutos epei gigonate
(2PRAI) nothroi
gegonate (2PRAI) tais akoais:
(Isaiah
6:10;
Matthew 13:15;
Mark 8:17,18,21;
Luke 24:25;
Acts 28:27)
Hard
to explain (1421) (dusermeneutos
[dysermeneutos] from dus [dys] = hard + hermêneuô =
interpret) is literally hard to interpret. It conveys the ideas of hard or
difficult to explain, not easy to make clear, and pertains to being
difficult to tell the meaning of something.
It
means hard to explain because of the strange (to Jews) line taken, but still
more because of their dullness. It is not hard or difficult in itself, but
hard to present in such a way that the readers will understand. The fault
lies with the hearers not the presenter.
You have become dull -
"Become"
implies a deterioration on the hearers’ part. The thought is that they had
once been alert and interested to learn more of God's Word. They did not
start out dull but became that way. At one time they had been stirred and
moved and open, but they had sunk into a settled state of relative spiritual
stupor.
Become (1096)
(ginomai) means to come to acquire or experience a state.
The
perfect tense
indicates that they had
became and still are in such a state of spiritual stupor. It is not a
question of what they are by nature, but of what they have become by
default. How? Why? What happened at some point of time in the past that they
should become dull? What happens in my life that I become lethargic toward
God's Word? Usually it's sin in one of it's manifold forms. Sometimes it's
being attracted to worldly pursuits, not necessarily sinful ones but not
God's best, not His will for my short day on earth (see note
1 Peter 1:17).
These Christians were spiritually
immature, though they were not recent converts. Hebrews has as one of its
main goals the challenge to press on to spiritual maturity. One of the first
symptoms of spiritual regression, or backsliding, is a dullness toward the
Bible. Sunday School class is dull, the preaching is dull, anything
spiritual is dull. The problem is usually not with the Sunday School teacher
or the pastor, but with the believer himself.
Matthew Poole wrote that they
"dull of hearing;” because the ears of their mind were not created nor
proportioned to it: they were babes and children in understanding; the
difficulty was in themselves, not in the word or mystery; their intellective
faculty was slow to discern, perceive, and judge of this doctrine, and their
hearts were averse to it, being so conceited concerning the Levitical
priesthood: such were the apostles at the first, John 16:12 (Jesus declared
"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.".
(Matthew Poole's Commentary)
Adoniram Judson wrote:
"A life once spent is
irrevocable. It will remain to be contemplated through eternity...the same
may be said of each day. When it is once past, it is gone forever. All the
marks which we put upon it, it will exhibit forever...each day will not only
be a witness of our conduct, but will affect our everlasting destiny....How
shall we then wish to see each day marked with usefulness...! It is too late
to mend the days that are past. The future is in our power. Let us, then,
each morning, resolve to send the day into eternity in such a garb as we
shall wish it to wear forever. And at night let us reflect that one more day
is irrevocably gone, indelibly marked." (from E. Judson "The Life of
Adoniram Judson" published in 1883) (See
biography)
Dull
(3576) (nothros
from negative nê = no + ôtheô = to push means no push in the
hearing) is literally "no push" and thus means slow, sluggish, "numbed" in
mind as well as in the ears.
The idea is they are slow, slothful, slack,
obtuse, languid, lazy, sluggish.
In NT nothros is found only here and
Hebrews 6:12
that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and
patience inherit the promises.
(note)
Nothros was used in secular Greek to describe the numbed limbs of a
sick lion and the stupid hopes of the wolf that heard the nurse threaten to
throw the child to the wolves! In the Greek papyri the corresponding verb is
used of sickness. Plato calls some students nôthroi (stupid). "When they
have to face study they are stupid (nothroi) and cannot remember.” (Theaet.
144 B)
In the
Septuagint (LXX)
nothros is used only in Pr 22:29.
The author cannot deal with profounder themes (like Melchizedek) because his
readers have become slow to hear and learn.
Nothros however does not mean that
the readers are in a permanent state of low intelligence. They have had time
to understand, but they still do not and thus are in danger of falling into
a state worse than the one they were in before they heard these truths (see
note
Hebrews 6:6)
Nida writes that...
The readers have become less keen in their understanding of the Christian
faith and are in danger of abandoning their faith completely. (The
United Bible Societies' New Testament Handbook Series
or
Logos)
Steven Cole notes that...
The author hits the Hebrews with the fact that they have become dull of
hearing (Hebrews 5:11). They didn’t used to be that way, but they have
developed this spiritual malady. Dull is used only here and in
Hebrews 6:12 (note)
in the New Testament, and has the nuance of sluggish or slow. It is used in
the Greek papyri of someone being sick and therefore lacking energy. So the
word has the idea of spiritual laziness or lethargy. When there is an
opportunity to get into God’s Word, this person says, “Nah, let’s see what’s
on the tube.” When there is occasion to go and hear the Word taught, he
says, “I’m tired. I think I’ll stay home and go to bed early.” Verse 11
shows that teaching God’s Word is a two-way matter. There is the knowledge
and ability of the teacher to explain things clearly and in an interesting
manner. But also, there is the receptivity of the hearers. It is significant
that the best teacher who has ever lived used to exhort His audience, “He
who has ears to hear, let him hear.” “Take care how you listen; for whoever
has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he
thinks he has shall be taken away from him” (Luke 8:8, 18). If Jesus is the
preacher and the message isn’t coming through, guess who is at fault? When
hearers are dull, teaching is difficult.
I’m talking here about motivation. Motivation is the key to learning. Jesus
said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
shall be satisfied” (see note
Matthew 5:6).
Hunger and thirst are strong motivators! When you’re hungry or thirsty,
there is only one thing on your mind, to satisfy the craving for food or
water. If you are driven by the hunger or thirst for righteousness, you will
be satisfied (Matthew
5:6).
If you think, “Ho hum!” not only will you not grow; you won’t even know what
you’re missing! There is one other lesson in 5:11: There is no neutral in
the Christian life. Either you are growing or you’re shrinking. Which is it
for you right now? We fool ourselves into thinking that we’re just treading
water, but the strong current of the world, the flesh, and the devil carries
us backwards if we’re not striving to move ahead. Let me shoot straight: if
you’re not making time daily to spend in God’s Word and in prayer, you’re
not growing, you’re shrinking! You’re going from eating meat back to the
formula and pureed peas. That stuff is great for babies, but it won’t
sustain a growing teenager or adult.
The author wanted to teach them about the significance of Jesus being a high
priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, but they can’t handle
it. It’s like trying to get a student to read Shakespeare, but he can’t even
recognize the letters of the alphabet! In terms of their years as believers,
they should have been capable, but they needed to go back to spiritual
kindergarten. (Hebrews
5:11-6:3)
Hearing (189)
(akoe from akoúo = to hear; see related verb
hupakouo)
is the act, the sense or the thing heard.
Dull of hearing -
(idiom = ‘lazy as to one’s ears’) slow to understand.
The idea of hearing is a key idea in Hebrews...
Hebrews 2:1 (note)
For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have
heard,
lest we drift away from it.
Hebrews 3:7
(note)
Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS
VOICE, 8 DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY
OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS
Hebrews 3:15
(note)
while it is said, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR
HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME."
Hebrews 4:7 (note)
He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a
time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT
HARDEN YOUR HEARTS."
Hebrews 5:9 (note)
And having been made perfect, He became
to all those who obey (literally "hear under",
listen
attentively
hupakouo
= hupo + akouo) Him the source of eternal salvation,
Hebrews 5:11 (note)
Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you
have become dull of hearing.
Hebrews 11:8 (note)
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed (literally "hear under",
listen attentively
hupakouo
= hupo + akouo) by going out to a place
which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing
where he was going.
Why might
they be dull of hearing? Drifting, neglecting (unconcerned, paying
no attention to) (see notes
Hebrews 2:1;
Hebrews 2:3),
doubting (see notes
Hebrews 3:7ff),
hardening their hearts (see notes
Hebrews 3:7,
3:8
4:7), not obeying
(see note
Hebrews 5:9).
All of these attitudes and actions might explain their dullness. They had heard but they were not obeying
and thus not growing.
Jesus emphasized this important principle of spiritual growth in John
declaring...
"If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching,
whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself." (John 7:17) (Comment:
"If any man sincerely wants to do God's will, he shall know...." The
first prerequisite to ascertaining God's leading or the truth about some
doctrine, is a genuine willingness to believe the truth and to do the truth
which one does understand. To know and not to do runs the danger of being
hardened to that truth and thus becoming dull of hearing!)
The problem
was not that the writer was a dull teacher, but that they are dull
hearers! Think of a slug! Slothful, sluggish, lazy, stupid, a condition of spiritual apathy and laziness that prevents spiritual
development. This is an instructive passage in terms of studying Scripture. The writer
says he’s got a lot to say, but its “hard to explain.” Why? Is it the
difficulty of the revelation? No, it’s the density of those receiving. There’s
a "learning disability".
Spiritual lethargy and slow response to God's truth prevented additional
teaching at this time on "him" (probably Melchizedek), so the
writer delays
until
Hebrews 6:20
(note) to mention Melchizedek again. This is a reminder that failure to
appropriate the truth produces stagnation in spiritual
advancement and the inability to understand or assimilate additional
teaching (Jn 16:12"...but you cannot bear them now.")
Such a situation existed also among the Gentiles who have received God's truth
of natural (general) revelation from God in the creation (Ro 1:18-20).
Rejection of that revelation results in a process of hardening (Ro 1:21-32).
The Hebrews had not only received
natural revelation, but also
special revelation consisting of the OT Scriptures (see note
Romans 9:4), the
Messiah Himself (see note
Romans 9:5), and the teaching of the apostles (see
notes
Hebrews 2:2;
2:3). Until
the Hebrews obeyed the revelation they had received, additional teaching about the Messiah’s
priesthood would be of no profit to them. Evangelical
Ear trouble is still a problem today!
Christ as a priest
after the order of Melchizedek is a difficult subject, and the writer is
going to deal w it forthrightly. To understand the subject requires sharp
spiritual perception. It requires hearers to be spiritually alert and to have a
knowledge of the Word of God.
The Hebrew believers who are being addressed here had a low SQ, not IQ, but
SQ—spiritual quotient. It was hard to teach them bc they had lazy ears & it
was difficult to make them understand. They were babies, as many of the
saints are today, and they want "baby talk" from the preacher. They don’t
want to hear anything that is difficult to understand. This is the reason
some preachers are getting by w murder in the pulpit—they murder the Word of
God. They absolutely kill it and substitute something from their own
viewpoint, and the congregations like that kind of baby talk.
Guzik makes a cogent observation and application regarding dull of
hearing writing that...
The dullness usually comes first, then the desire to give up. Watch out when
the Word of God starts seeming dull to you! (Ibid)
Hughes explains...
Therefore we understand that their problem was an acquired condition
characterized by an inability to listen to spiritual truth. They were not
naturally “slow,” they were not intellectually deficient, but they had
become spiritually lazy. They listened with the attentiveness of a slug.
They had become unreceptive and closed.
When people truly come to Christ, their initial posture is one of intense
listening. Though only a boy, I was “all ears” after I met Christ. I
listened as best I could—and even took notes. God’s Word was alive! My
experience was not unique.
Webber, in his massive three-volume "A History of Preaching in Britain
and America", writes that one of the by-products of the Awakening
was an interest in shorthand...
Men and women studied shorthand in order that they might take down the
sermons that were stirring the English-speaking countries. This had happened
once before in Scotland, and it made its appearance once more in all
countries where the influence of the Awakening was felt. It was not at all
unusual to see men with a portable inkwell strapped about them, and a quill
pen thrust over an ear, hastening to join the throng assembling on the
village green.
But as the newness of it all died down, so did the listening—just as with
the Hebrews centuries before, and as with so many in the church today. To
such people it is “hard to explain” the deep, needful doctrines of the
faith.
Richard Baxter in his “Directions for Profitably Hearing the
Word Preached” gives this wise advice...
Make it your work with diligence to apply the word as you are hearing it.…
Cast not all upon the minister, as those that will go no further than they
are carried as by force.… You have work to do as well as the preacher, and
should all the time be as busy as he… you must open your mouths, and digest
it, for another cannot digest it for you… therefore be all the while at
work, and abhor an idle heart in hearing, as well as an idle minister.
(Hughes,
R. K. Hebrews: An Anchor for the Soul. Volume 1. Crossway Books;
Volume 2 or
Logos)
