That would require us to just
take a quick glance at verse 10, where he mentions the order
of the priesthood of Melchizedek. Of whom we have many things to
say, and hard to be uttered, seeing you are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought
to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which
be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become
such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone
that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness,
for he is a babe. 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. Therefore,
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go
on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance
from dead works, and of faith towards God, of the doctrine
of baptism, and the laying on of hands, and the resurrection
of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do if God permits. For, impossible for those who
were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift,
and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the
good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they
shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing
they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him
to an open chain. For the earth which drinketh
in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs,
meat for them for whom or by whom it is dressed, receiveth
blessing from God. But that which beareth thorns
and briars is rejected. and is nigh unto cursing, whose
end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded
better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though
we thus speak, or though we speak after this manner, or in this
harsh, harsh way." As we said, our ultimate goal is to consider
chapter 6, verse 4 through 6. That's the higher point of our
study. But there are two great things
about this passage of the scripture that behooves us to give it a
very diligent study and set it in its context in every way. Number one, it is one of those
passages that is much disputed as to its meaning. It is a difficult
part of the scripture that we will concede, and it is a part
being difficult, therefore, one that is easy for someone to err
and to give a wrong view of this passage. And there has been much
disputing much disagreement as to the meaning of this passage
of Scripture and to the state of the persons that are described
in this passage of Scripture. The debate basically is whether
they are true or whether they are false professors that are
described in verse 4 through verse 6. whether once in the
grace of God and then out of the grace of God, whether they
are mere natural persons who attained a very formidable knowledge
of Christian doctrine and became knowledgeable about it, or even
whether it is only a hypothetical case. Some have taken that position,
but it is one of those things that are hard to be understood,
as Peter would say. Secondly, because it is a somber,
sober, serious, fearful passage of the Scripture, that if one
fall away from this truth that is in the Lord Jesus Christ in
the Gospel, It then is impossible to renew them again unto repentance. If they attain these things and
fall away, it is impossible then to bring them back to this place
or to their former condition. In other words, if one is in
the condition of those described, their state is a fearful one
indeed. Had they this knowledge and then
fall away, Their state is a fearful one indeed. Why? Because the
author said they are beyond recovery. Impossible it is. They cannot be renewed again
unto repentance. And we might notice here that
the reason is given. That is because those in that
text have committed an awful sin. And that sin is described
in chapter 6 and verse 6, and it is this. They crucify to themselves
afresh. That is, again. They crucify
afresh and again the Son of God. And not only so, but openly. and they put him unto an open
chain. We'll look at that when we come
across that passage later. Now, the first thing for us to
do, as in any passage of Scripture, is to position ourselves with
chapter 6 and verse 4 through 6 with the overall context of
this part of the Hebrew epistle. And so the question arises, how
does this relate to the flow of thought of the apostle. As
he moves along in his flow of thought, how is it to be related? Why is it written? Why did the
author write what he did? What is the purpose of these
words in verse 4 through verse 6? For you see, it is no secret
that setting the context is the first necessary part of rightly
dividing and understanding and interpreting and applying a passage
of the Scripture. Now, with that in mind, note
the opening word of chapter 6 and verse 1. Therefore, or wherefore,
as we might have the word. Now, the use of this word can
mean that there is a connection or an inference to be drawn with
what has been mentioned and that goes before. That there is an
inference to be drawn something is truthfully to be deduced or
a duty is to be performed based upon what has already been said
in the previous passage of the Scripture. Based upon what has
already been established, there is therefore an inference that
is to be deduced in the light of what he has said wherefore,
or therefore. A. W. Fink is right that the
chapter division here at chapter 6 does not begin a new subject
or a new section of the Hebrew epistle. It is simply a continuation
of what has been said in the end of chapter 5. The wherefore
or the therefore of 6 and 1 sends us back, therefore, to chapter
5, verse 11 through verse 14. Now most sound expositors agree
that at chapter 5 and verse 11, Paul begins what John Brown called,
quote, a cautionary digression, unquote. And it is a long one. It runs all the way to the end
of chapter 6 before he picks up again the subject of this
priesthood of Melchizedek. The digression begun at 5 and
11 continues all the way down to chapter 6 and verse 20, and
chapter 7 and verse 1 resumes the subject broken off in chapter
5 and verse 11, that is the Melchizedekian priesthood. Now, the subject
therefore, the last subject discussed in verse 10, what is it? In the light of this context
that we have, it requires a cautionary digression. It needs to really,
really be impressed upon these professing Hebrew Christians
to whom Paul is writing. It is a subject that he wants
to press upon them with diligence so that they see and understand
it. Now, a digression in which the
apostle handles two different themes or subjects if we may
look ahead. Number one, there is a warning
concerning their adherence to the doctrine of the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ. This is in chapter 5, verse 11
through chapter 6 and verse 9. A warning with regard to those
who had professed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly,
In chapter 6, verse 9 through verse 20, he encourages the saints,
those that are believers, those that truly believe and adhere
to the gospel, he encourages and exhorts them that they will
patiently endure, that they might receive the final blessing and
the promise. Now, with that in mind, we're
going to consider this morning the cause and the beginning of
the digression. So let's look back again at chapter
5 and verse 10. He had already breached the subject
of the priesthood of Christ. He mentioned it in chapter 2.
He mentioned it in chapter 3. He mentioned it twice in chapter
2, but now in chapter 5 and verse 10, he comes right out to say,
concerning the priesthood of Christ, called of God and high
priest after the order of Melchizedek. Not after the order of Aaron
or Elisha. after the order of Melchizedek. So the Melchizedek in priesthood
of Christ, that he is not only a priest, a priest of God, a
high priest that is passed into the heaven, but his priesthood
is after a unique and a particular order. Not of Aaron, chapter
7 verse 11, not called after the order of Aaron. but after
or according to the order of Melchizedek, a priest he is,
a great high priest. He's our great high priest, but
his priesthood is after the order of Melchizedek. For one can only
be a priest if he is called by God. None can enter the high
priesthood of his own volition or desire. Hebrews 5 and verse
4, he must be called to be a priest even as Aaron was called. Christ is, chapter 5 and verse
10, called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Now, this is a quotation from
the Old Testament oracle. This is a passage found in Psalms
110, And verse 4, the Lord has sworn and will not repent, thou
art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And the
Hebrew author bases the priesthood of Christ after the order of
Melchizedek on that Old Testament oracle. So having in chapter
5 and verse 10 mentioned the priesthood of Christ of the Lord
to be after or according to the order of Melchizedek. He then says in verse 11, beginning
by the digression, of whom we have many things to say, a lot
to be said about Melchizedek. many things about Him and His
priesthood and the order of His priesthood. For this relates
to the Lord Jesus Christ in a most intimate way. Not only are there
many words to be said regarding the Melchizedekian priesthood
and its relation and application unto Christ, but they are hard
to be uttered. Notice that. Many things to say
and hard to be uttered. In other words, difficult to
explain. John Brown contends that the
words may be properly rendered of difficult explanation. We have many things to say about
Melchizedek, which are of difficult explanation, difficult of interpretation,
and difficult, therefore, to speak, particularly to those
who are dull of hearing. Now with regard to that, difficulties
of interpretation are hard to speak. We must grant, we must
understand, we must concede that a thing or a subject or a matter,
particularly of the things of God, may be difficult of explanation
upon more than one ground. There may be more than one reason
why a thing is difficult of explanation. I'll name four, and you consider
them. Number one, the thing of God
may be difficult of explanation from the depth of the subject. From the depth of the subject,
as it is set forth for us in the Scripture. The unsearchable
things of God Almighty. The things that are past finding
out. Romans 11.33, Job 9 and verse
10. Unsearchable are the ways of
our God. Things hard to be understood.
2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 16. Things such as the eternality
of God. Things such as the Trinity. Things such as the hypostatic
union of our Lord, human, and divine natures in the one person. These may be hard to understand
and to explain. Secondly, it may be difficult
of explanation because of the ignorance or the weakness of
the one explaining. If I do not know a thing, I can't
explain it to you. I must understand something to
be able to explain it to someone else. And so upon that ground,
it may be difficult of explanation because of the ignorance or the
weakness of the explaining one. Thirdly, it may be difficult
of explanation from the limited amount of revelation or the lack
of it. Extensive revelation. It may
be difficult of explanation. This too would make it difficult
for us to explain it and open it to someone else. The secret
things of our God belong to our God. But the things He hath revealed
belong unto us. Now, fourthly, not to be overlooked
in this difficulty of explanation, is the condition of the hearer. And this we have in this particular
passage of the scripture, that the difficulty of explanation
may be because The student does not have ears sharpened and discerned
to hear. And the latter is the case here
in chapter 5 and verse 11. The difficulty of explanation
was owing to, quote, their dullness of hearing, unquote. Not lack
of revelation. Not that God had not clearly
revealed it. Not the inability of Paul the
apostle to explain it and open it unto them. No, the difficulty
lay in their being dull of hearing. It lay in their need to be refreshed
in the first principles of the things of God, of their having
need of milk and not of meat. They should be teachers, and
they needed further teaching themselves. Thus verse 11, the
many things he had to say of the a priesthood of Melchizedek,
are hard of explanation due to their dullness of hearing. Now, if not for this, if this
were not the case with so many of them, if this were not their
condition, the apostle might have gone directly from chapter
5 verse 10 to chapter 7 and verse 1. Look at it, 5 and 10, called
of God and high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Chapter 7 and verse 1, for this
Melchizedek, etc., etc. And he opens or reveals the many
things in chapter 7 that are to be said about him. For example,
how Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of the Most High God
at the same time. He held those dual offices. Another great type of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. How Melchizedek blessed Abraham
when he returned from the slaughter. How Abraham regarded him as a
great man and gave unto him a tent. He tithed. unto this man Melchizedek
when he came. And the great and marvelous thing
is that this man Melchizedek had nothing on record of his
birth or of his death. There was no record of the day
that he was born or the record of the day that he died. And
the great thing about that is he was a priest perpetually. Melchizedek Neither succeeded
another. He didn't follow any other priest. He didn't succeed another priest. He didn't get his priesthood
by succession. And he was not succeeded by any
other. In other words, he's the only
one to hold this priesthood. And you have it in chapter 7,
verses 1 through 3, if the Lord leads us we might get over into
that. But some wonderful things are
said about Melchizedek, to whom Abraham gave a tenth part of
all, being by interpretation king of righteousness, and after
that, king of Salem, which is king of peace. Verse 3, without
father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning
of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God,
abideth the priest continually." I know there are many who said
that Melchizedek was an anthropomorphic appearance of the Lord Jesus
Christ, that he was Christ appearing. But notice it said, he's made
like unto the Son of God. And that precludes that, I believe. Let's go back, if we might, to
our text of the scripture. Here we learn a wonderful thing. They are slothful and dull of
hearing, and therefore cannot, as it were, hear the gospel. Now, the tense, someone had pointed
out, is this. You are become dull of hearing. since dull you have become of
hearing." It was already the case with them. They were not
always so, for once they cherished the gospel and counted it precious.
The word of God had made a mighty impression upon them, and they
had acted upon it with fervent zeal when it first came unto
them. I'm turning to Hebrews chapter
10. And going to read verse 32 through verse 35, to show the
first state of these Hebrews, Paul writes to them, look at
verse 32, chapter 10, call to remembrance, he said, in these
days of apostasy, of others in persecution, call to remembrance
the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured
a great fight of affliction partly while you were made at gazing
stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilst
you became companions of them that were so used. For you had
compassion of me and my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling
of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better
and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore, brethren,
your confidence which hath great recompense of reward." That was
their former days when they believed under the preaching of the gospel. But after some years, after the
passing of time, they became dull of hearing. Over time and
facing the troubles of professing the gospel, they became dull
in their hearing. The word dull, nathros, sluggish,
lazy, slothful. And this word is used only twice
in all of the New Testament, both in Hebrews. Hebrews 5 verse
11, again in Hebrews 6 and verse 12, where it is translated slothful. Translated dull in 5.11, slothful
in 6 and verse 12. It is not the same word rendered
dull in Matthew 13, 15 or Acts 28, 27. The words in Hebrews
5.11 and 6.12 can be defined as mental listlessness. Mental listlessness. You have become mentally listless. Slothful. And it pictures them,
they have become slothful in hearing the things of God. A.T. Robertson, in his word studies
in the New Testament, says the word is an old adjective meaning
no push in hearing. No push in their hearing. Slow, sluggish, slothful of mind,
which transgresses itself, transposes itself into their hearing. They
were sluggish in hearing the things of God, and thus they
were the opposite of diligent in hearing the things of God.
They were slothful hearers, and the word is a description of
one hard to stir, hard to move, heavy, slothful, inactive, dull. with regard to the hearing of
God's Word, and particularly imagine the effect that some
deep and hard-to-explain thing might have upon such a person. Now, the effect of there being
slothful hearers, truth goes, right past them. It went right
over their head. When they hear these sayings
right by, right over their head, with no apprehension and no understanding,
making no impression upon them as they ought to, being not felt
in its fullness, and therefore being not acted upon because
they did not receive it with discerned hearing. It requires
an alertness to contemplate or comprehend the Melchizedekian
priesthood of our Lord. This is no common, ordinary thing.
This is a deep and wonderful matter of our God. Now, in chapter
5, verse 12 through 14, contain there an amplification of the
consequences of their slothfulness in hearing the word of truth
regarding Melchizedek and his priesthood. In verse 12, two
expressions of their dullness are mentioned. Notice number
one, when they should be able to instruct or to teach others. Long enough they had been, they
had heard long enough, that they ought themselves to have the
ability to teach the things of God unto others. And yet they
needed re-instructing in the first principles of the things
of God. And the second thing that he
says to them, not only should they be teachers and or not,
But He says unto them, they are babies in the faith. They are babies and need milk
instead of meat or strong meat or solid food. And in verse 13,
He applies the metaphor of the milk and the meat to each one. In verse 13, He applies it Everyone
that uses milk is unskillful in the Word, for he is a babe. Verse 14, he applies it to the
other. But strong meat belongeth to
them that are of full age, who by reason have their senses exercised
to discern both good and evil. Now, let's look at the statement
again in chapter 5, verse 11. When? For the time. Or because of the time. Very
simply. Owing to the time. By reason
of the time. Paul wants to say something unto
them. There is a question here among
the better exegetes where the apostle refers to the length
of time they had been in the faith, that is, been believers,
A. W. Pinks had been 30 years since
Pentecost, 30 years since the event of Pentecost to the writing
of this epistle, and some of them had had that length of time. Secondly, whether the time has
reference to the character or time of the seasons in which
they live or in which they had been called. Wherefore, for the
time or the season. Psalmist John Brown and John
Owens, the Puritan, combine the two meanings and says that it
can have reference to the peculiar character of that period. Otherwise,
they had not all the same time since their conversion, for not
all of equal endurance. But they had not ordinary ministers
as we have today. We have to take that into effect.
They had the ministry of the apostles, of the Lord and Jesus
Christ Himself. Yes, they had been ministered
to by the best, by the apostles, taught, trained, commissioned,
empowered, sent by our Lord. And in Hebrews chapter 2 and
1, And verse 3 and 4, we read that the Lord confirmed their
words with signs and wonders and miracles and gifts of the
Holy Spirit, so that they had ample instruction to be grounded
in the things of the gospel of Christ. Ample instructors and
ample instruction. signs accompanying so, that they
ought to believe and be grounded in the gospel that they had heard. Now comes the hard part of all
of this, and that is determining the proper relation of 6.1-3
to what is given before in chapter 5.11-14. Just suppose we read
again chapter 6.1-3 to refresh it in our minds. Therefore, leaving
the principles of the doctrines of Christ, let us go on to perfection,
not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works
and of faith toward God, or of the doctrine of baptism, the
laying on of hands, of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do if God permit
or allow." Some expositors see these exhortations in different
ways. For example, one as a contrast
between Judaism and Christianity. The substance over against the
shadow. That's how some look and correlate
the two. Secondly, others see it as a
contrast between two stages of the Christian life. Between a
babe in Christ and mature adulthood. And this shows that the passage
is of some difficulty, that there's not great agreement, easy agreement
about it. Now, let's notice something.
Little connecting words. How powerful they make a passage
jump out at us sometimes when we look at little conjunctive
and little connecting words. Let's notice something about
these words running through the passage in chapter 6. Verse 1,
therefore, wherefore, or for, it might be translated. Verse
4, for, for. Verse 6, if. Verse 7, for. Verse 8 and 9, but. Now, these make the connection.
These carry along the flow of thought. Verse 1 and 2 would
seem to contradict verse 11 through 14 of chapter 5 to go another
way. It seems to be that he's changed
his mind and going in another way altogether. For does he say,
You have need of milk, but I will give you the strongest meat of
the things of God. You are incapable of receiving
strong me, therefore will I give it to you. Or as John Brown made
the point, chapter 5 verse 12, you have need to be taught the
first principles of the Word of God. Chapter 6 and verse 1,
let us therefore leave the principles of Christ. You have need to be
taught again, therefore let us leave the principles of Christ. Brown expressed it this way.
He summed it all up. You require elementary instruction,
therefore let us plunge into the depths of the Christian ministry. That seems to be what we have
here. Therefore, he says, let us leave. Let us go on. Let us
leave the first principles and let us go on to perfection. Perfection, maturity, or adulthood. Now, he mentions six things in
verse 1 and 2 of chapter 6 that belong to the first principles
of the doctrines of Christ. And the footnotes in the New
Geneva Bible on Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 1 say, all these
doctrines can be found in the book of Acts. All these six things
that he is mentioning here can be found in the book of Acts. Now, these are not cast away,
for they are foundational. These are the first principles. They are foundational. What then
would the apostle have them embrace in addition to these things? What does he mean by strong meat,
perfection, full age? perfection and maturity, those
instructed in the mystery of the deep things of God or of
Christ? What would be this in the context
of this passage in Hebrews to the people that the epistle is
written to in the sixth chapter? For as Sapphire correctly observed,
this exhortation must be viewed in connection with the circumstances
of the Hebrews to whom the author is writing. And when we go astray
from that, we're going to misinterpret and apply any passage of the
scripture. Let me say that again. It must
be viewed in connection with the circumstances of the Hebrews. to whom Paul is writing. And
can I suggest that they're leaving the first principles of the doctrine
of Christ and going on to perfection, maturity, or adulthood? Hear this. Hear it if you hear
nothing else. That they're leaving the first
principles and going on has special reference to the heavenly priesthood
of Christ. This is the thing He wants to
take them on into. This is the thing at which they
have staggered and He wants to carry them on. The many things
that He had to say about Melchizedek. This He wanted to bring them
to and bring it unto them. And they are open in chapter
7 of this great book of Hebrews. It represented the full knowledge
of the heavenly priesthood of the Son of God. And that's what
he wanted to impress upon them. He wanted to carry them on. He
wanted them to go on, so that they might fully espouse the
Melchizedekian priesthood of our Lord, for it is of the utmost
importance with regard to Christ as our great High Priest. One
put it, to proceed to the unfolding of the preeminence of Christ's
priesthood as stated in accordance with Psalms 110 and verse 4. which belong to the higher principles
of the Christian faith." Higher principles of the Christian faith. For he would wean them away from
the Aaronic priesthood. He would wean them off of the
priesthood after the order of Aaron. Lead them to a full embrace
of the priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchizedek. When what is the order of the
priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchizedek? Well, it
is an eternal, undying priest in heaven, a priest who is, in
fact, very God. That's the kind of priest we
have, and we have him after the order of Melchizedek. Now, let's
use an example, if we might, to make a point. a deeper life,
charismatic, cannot perceive the priesthood of Christ aright
while overemphasizing the priesthood of believers. And this they do. Oh, I'm a priest. I'll tell God
what to do. I'm a priest. I'm a priest of
God. Hallelujah. I'm a little Jesus
priest. And that's kind of the idea they
take of the priesthood of the believer. Making this the end
of the priesthood. A Catholic cannot have a proper
view of the priesthood of Christ in heaven as long as he believes
in that guy in the cage on earth giving him penance and indulgences
and forgiving him. It blocks his view of the eternal
heavenly priesthood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Even
so, the Jews could not have a proper view of Christ's Melchizedekan
priesthood so long as they held on to the erroneous priesthood
and applied it unto our Lord. For it obscured their view of
the heavenly priesthood of Christ, who is the very Son of God."
So this point of emphasis, the heavenly priesthood of Christ,
is a vital thing as concerns our relationship to God. Without this high priesthood
of the Lord, we have no proper relationship to God, nor one
to represent us. And I think that here today,
Christendom is as weak as on any other point of good, solid
doctrine. And that is with regard to the
priesthood of Christ. Some consider themselves their
priest. Others, Father Frank is their
priest. And the Jews are looking to an earthly priest who is a
sinner and who dies. It is a vital thing as concerns
our relationship to God. We have one in the very presence
of God, a priest, a high priest, to intercede for us with God,
to be our advocate, to forgive our sins and procure our forgiveness
when we sin. And therefore, the apostle said,
let us go on. And verse 3, this will we do
if God permits. The success of his endeavor was
dependent upon the will and the assistance of God. It was his
purpose to design, to take them on into the fuller truths of
Christ as a priest after the order of Melchizedek. And he
owns, it was dependent upon the sovereign will of God. This will
we do if God permits. Now, in closing, we are ready
in our next study to consider verse 4 through 9, or verse 4
as long as time permits us. Verse 4, the far gives the reason
why the apostle would have them leave the principles of Christ
and go on to perfection. It gives the direct reason for
doing so, which is the impossibility of recovering apostates again
unto repentance. Let us go on, for it is impossible
to recover those having fallen away. Let us go on, impossible
it is to reteach such, or have cast aside what they have once
professed to be the truth of the gospel of our Lord. It is
not in the realm of possibility to recover those who have crucified
to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open
shame. Like chapter 10, once a person
cast away Christ, cast away Christ and His sacrifice, There's no
more sacrifice for sin. There's nothing else apart from
Christ. And when that's cast away. And
so we see here the importance of the priesthood of our Lord
and of our Savior. And next Sunday, God willing,
we look at verse 4 through verse 6. It is a serious thing to profess
and then cast away the gospel, the doctrine of Christ. It is
a serious thing to make some progress into this truth, and
then to renounce it and go from it. It is a serious, serious
thing. So serious, says the writer,
they cannot be renewed again until repentance. Well, we'll
save that for next Sunday. Tonight, God willing, I want
to preach from John 4, a great Savior for a great sinner. Our
Lord's encounter with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well.