what is milk?

[Matthew1344]

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,
- Hebrews 5:12

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,
- 1 Corinthians 3:2

What is milk?

 

[JOwen]

I'm preaching through a series on "The Household of Faith, taken in part from "Learning in Christ's School" by Venning. I can't pull up my notes now, but here is a link to that sermon that deals with milk.

 

[Justified]

It is my understanding that the author of Hebrews and Paul are saying that these people lack basic foundational doctrine/truths. Though by now they should be teaching others, they are in need of the most basic truths and teaching.
RC Sproul explains it a little better within this short video: Feed My Sheep - RC Sproul - YouTube

 

[JP Wallace]

Perhaps considering the first verses of ch6 might be helpful..it seems like foundational basics of faith and doctrine are what he has in mind...milk being analogous with elementary.

Hebrews 5:14 - 6:2 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

 

[Cymro]

When my generation were babes ,mothers would mix warm mik with bread to
make a kind of sop in order to introduce us by stages to more solid food. Thus
the digestive system, which is not large enough or capable enough to cope with
solids, was developed step by step.
Likewise to subject a babe in Christ to the profundities of reprobation, the decretive
will and permissive will of God etc, would overtax the new spiritual appetite. Paul would
desist from entering into the complexities of Melchisdec as a type of Christ because his
Hebrew readers were not in a ready state to receive it. They had to have 'the first principles'.
But Peter calls it the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby. Or undeceiving milk
of the word. It is all to do with growth and gradual development. To grow in grace and knowledge
of Christ there is to be a desire for the truth. To grow in holiness is by sanctification of the truth,
Thy word is truth. An assimulating,then a progressing to the next stage. But it means the constant
desire for the truth, the undeceiving truth to grow into the perfect man.

 

[reaganmarsh]

Pastor O'Neill,

Spot on.

 

[Matthew1344]

I know that milk means basic and foundational doctrine. I'm glad we all agree on that
I guess my question is more so what kind of doctrines are we talking about?

I ask this because I'm on the mission field in Thailand and another missionary here ( he does not embrace the doctrines of grace) told me he wanted to meet up and talk about discipleship.

Bottom line of the meeting was: stop teaching about:
1) Supremacy of God-God is infinitely valuable. More valuable than all other things. And God loves himself the most, and that's the most loving thing he can do.
2) The sovereignty of God- God is in control of all things. Sovereign over "ends" and "means". 5 points. The whole deal.
3) Romans 3 in detail. Righteousness through Christ. Christ as the appeasement, satisfaction, propitiation. Ya know
4) Christian hedonism- pursuing your pleasure in God. Maximizing you joy by desiring to do all things in,through,and for Christ. Don't waste your life.

I didn't know exactly what to say. He said he was only trying to help me. Then I asked him "what is your definition of milk?"
He didn't have an answer. So that was no help. That's why I am asking you guys.

I tried to explain to him that all I am doing is teaching Thais everything that I wish someone would have taught me. And that these things really were fundemental toy sanctification and I wanted others to share,embrace, and have joy in what God has shown me.... Any thoughts?

 

[Matthew1344]

And those three things took me like 5 months to go through. I went slow and explained to the be to my ability

 

[reaganmarsh]

Rev. Ford,

Perhaps considering doctrines in terms of foundational, secondary and third-level will be helpful. Dr. Mohler wrote a little booklet in which he deals with "theological triage" (which doctrines are essential and which are very, very, very important, but not critical to salvation) here: http://www.sbts.edu/resources/files/2010/09/the-pastor-as-theologian.pdf

I've personally found this triage concept very helpful. I'm not saying not to teach God's proper self-glorification or the DOG, etc. I'm saying consider the timing of your teaching.

For example, the Canons of Dort reminds us that the doctrine of election "...must be set forth -- with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High. This must be done for the glory of God's most holy name, and for the lively comfort of his people." (CD, Art. 14)

There is wisdom in that. Know your people. It's a sign of wisdom and maturity in the Scriptures to be able teach basic truths in such a way that they naturally flow into the deeper waters. It may be that you'd be wise to work on that, for a time, in such a way that the Godwardness of God or the DOG or whatever is evident and obvious and the logical conclusion to the more basic matters.

Prayerfully plan out your preaching and teaching a good way out. Think through how you can broach these matters with *your* people "where they are." Of course, the most natural way (in my estimation) is simple lectio continua exposition. Scripture situates deep truths in the most surprising places and with such beauty and hope that it breaks down our defenses unexpectedly.

Grace to you.

 

[reaganmarsh]

One other thought: it took me over 6 years of INTENSE study to come to embrace the DOG. The Lord has used that develop a lot of patience in my shepherding; it took me that long to understand things, and I was in Bible college and seminary! I have learned to give a lot of grace in these matters, and frankly, a lot of space as well.

When I interviewed at my present church, one of the men on the PSC shook my hand and said, "You seem like a really nice guy but I'm voting against you. My son in law is a Calvinist and I want nothing to do with that." Not at all what I wanted to hear at an interview. By God's grace, at the end of the theological interview (in which I took about an hour at their request and walked through Eph 1/Rom 9-11 with them) he spoke again: "I was wrong. Don't understand every detail of what you just said, but I understood enough to know that I've got a lot to learn." Now, he prays with me each Sunday AM before worship, and his prayers are often along the lines of "Lord, you gave a people to Christ, and his death has secured them. Thank you for choosing us to be saved."

That's not to brag at all; just to encourage you to preach and give the Word time to do its work (1 Th 2.13).

These are Christ's sheep, his dearly-loved elect, and he withholds no good thing from them. It may very well be that you are simply the Year 1 or 2 guy, and they've got 4 more years to go (to apply your situation to my experience).

Just my $0.02. Hope it helps.

 

[MW]

"Perfection" is redemptive historical rather than a matter of individual progress. In Hebrews the imperfection is the failure to come into the full light of new covenant realities. The "milk" was hindering them from understanding Christ as the fulfilment of the types and shadows of the Old Testament, as 5:9-11 makes clear. There was no recommendation that they be fed with milk. In Corinthians the imperfection relates to the initial stage of the apostolic mission, which included visible manifestations of the Spirit and focused attention on charismatic leadership while the corporate body of Christ was still in process of formation. The apostle notes that this initial stage still had something of the wisdom of the present age in it whereas those who had entered into the age to come would be taught spiritual wisdom. Again, the "milk" is not seen as a desirable method of nurturing new covenant believers.

The whole counsel of God is to be taught. It is a matter of common sense to teach this counsel step by step with tender care according to the capacity of the person learning it, as is prudently managed in the Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechism. There is no Scriptural reason for holding back doctrines like election, justification, etc. It is a false view of regeneration which gives rise to this synergistic mentality. There is no place for it in a reformed ministry, which does not shun to declare all the counsel of God and holds back nothing that is profitable for the hearer.

 

[reaganmarsh]

Very helpful, Pastor Winzer.

 

[Matthew1344]

is the failure to come into the full light of new covenant realities. The "milk" was hindering them from understanding Christ as the fulfilment of the types and shadows of the Old Testament, as 5:9-11 makes clear. .... Again, the milk is not seen as a desirable method for nurturing new covenant believers- Rev. Winzer

I have never heard that before? An you walk through verse by verse of Hebrews 5 and let me know how you got that?

 

[MW]

The chapter is dealing with Christ as the fulfilment of the Aaronic pattern of priesthood. Christ Himself has perfected this pattern so as to be the author of eternal salvation, verse 9. He then introduces the superiority of Christ's priestly order, verse 10, being Mechizedekian, a priest-king. This leads to a digression because the Hebrews are as yet unfit to receive this teaching as a result of bringing themselves as students under the ceremonies connected with the Aaronic rites, verse 11-12. They should have outgrown these tutors and come to be teachers themselves in the fulfilment which Christ has brought, but now they need to go back and learn the first principles of the doctrine of Christ which is taught in the Old Testament oracles in types like the Aaronic priesthood, verse 12. As such they do not have the requisite skill to comprehend the realities themselves as they are fulfilled by Christ and revealed in the word, verse 13. Those who have come into this complete state are exercised in these realities so as to be able to discern the good things which have come by Christ in opposition to the evil of returning to abrogated ceremonies, verse 14. It follows as a matter of course that we should go on to perfection, that is, receive and live in the full reality of the good things which Christ has brought, 6:1.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

I came across this exposition by Arthur Pink sometime back, and it rang true, and also fits with what Rev. Winzer is saying. "As we have repeated so often in the course of this series of articles, the theme of our Epistle is the immeasurable superiority of Christianity over Judaism. Unless the interpreter keeps this steadily in mind as he proceeds from chapter to chapter, and from passage to passage, he is certain to err."

An Exposition of Hebrews by A. W. Pink-Chapter 23