Hebrews 5:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

NIV: But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

NASB: But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil.

CSB: But solid food is for the mature--for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

NLT: Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

KJV: But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

NKJV: But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

When a child is very young, they can only consume milk. Foods with more substance are beyond them; they can only process something specifically meant for infants. In the same way, those who are spiritually immature can only deal in simpler spiritual matters. This is not bad, when a person is a new convert. However, if a person remains in this state of spiritual infancy, when they should have grown enough to handle more solid spiritual "food," then they have only themselves to blame (Ephesians 4:11–15). According to the writer of Hebrews, his target audience is going to miss some of the deeper meanings he will describe (Hebrews 5:11), since they are "dull of hearing." In this context, that "dullness" means laziness and apathy.

Just as a child has to be trained to grow beyond milk to eating solid food, so too must a Christian's spiritual maturity grow through effort and experience. The prior verse used the term apeiros to describe these spiritual babies, meaning they are inexperienced or unskilled. Spiritual maturity has nothing to do with age, since it's possible to remain an immature Christian for a long, long time. Rather, maturity involves developing the ability to put our faith to practical use.

In the context of the book of Hebrews, this has everything to do with making a purposeful effort. It requires that a person "pay much closer attention" to the faith (Hebrews 2:1). It means Christians are to follow God's will without fear and without disobedience (Hebrews 4:11). Maturity requires that a person learn to use our greatest spiritual tool, the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12), in order to aid our discernment. The end result, according to this verse, is a person who can distinguish between good and evil. This is about more than just moral dilemmas—it's also a reference to knowing the difference between truthful, godly teaching and worldly, false faith.

Hebrews 5:11–14 is the beginning of yet another warning from the writer. Prior verses have begun to introduce the idea of Christ's High Priesthood. This is being tied to the Old Testament figure of Melchizedek. Here, the original audience is chastised for being spiritually immature. Like children who never learn to eat solid food, they are criticized for being dependent only on milk, from a spiritual standpoint. That will make much of the information the writer wants to relate hard to understand. This discourse on immaturity will continue through chapter 6.

Hebrews chapter 5 completes the previous commentary about Jesus' humanity. His human existence qualifies Him to understand other men and to offer sacrifice to God on our behalf. Jesus also fulfills the roles of both high priest and king, which the author demonstrates by returning to the Old Testament. The figure of Melchizedek is used to illustrate this point: that Christ, unlike any before, was able to be both the kingly Son of David and the High Priest for all people. The deeper meaning of this example, however, may well be lost on the letter's audience, since they are languishing in spiritual immaturity.

The book of Hebrews shows how Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God's purpose for mankind. For the sake of Jewish Christians, in particular, the author explains that Christ is superior to all other figures, and His covenant is superior to all other relationships. Chapter 5 continues the point made in chapter 4, that Christ's humanity makes Him a uniquely qualified High Priest. This passage bridges that idea into the writer's next warning: spiritual immaturity. This call to avoid apathy will run through all of chapter 6, before the writer returns to Jesus' priesthood in chapter 7.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.