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Hebrews #5 - 5: 11 to 6:20

I will not deal with everything in this whole passage.

It is important to give this section its proper context – otherwise it might be confusing as to what is solid food and what is milk. The writer certainly doesn’t want us to move away from Christ.

This chapter is in the middle of two sections about Christ being a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. The first line of 5:11 says –‘we have much to say about this..’ The ‘this’ refers to Christ as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

But they are not really up to this level of teaching because they haven’t learnt the basics yet. Also, they are faced with the temptation of turning back to Jewish ways and leaving the centre of their faith who is Jesus Christ.

This provides the context for this section.

Read Heb 5: 11 – 6:3

1.      A. What does this passage tell about infancy in the Christian life?

B. What do we learn here about maturity in the Christian life?

3. How motivated do you feel at the moment to keep maturing in your Christian life? How do you think you can do this?

2.      Think for a bit about the question – ‘Can a Christian fall away?’

1. What would you say to back a ‘yes’ answer to that question?
2. What would you say to back a ‘no’ answer to that question?

3.      Read Hebrews 6: 4 – 8

1. Who do you think this passage is describing?
2. What might these people actually do?

(I think there is a reference in v6 to giving Jesus away to the point of being like the Jews who crucified him in the first place. They are aligning themselves with them in seeing Jesus as needing to be got rid of as an imposter and would willingly put him to death. This is not a simple case of backsliding for a while. There seems to be something more extreme about it – standing against Jesus after experiencing him in your life. This will not be treated leniently but is under the judgement of God. These people had the opportunity to respond but produced thorns v8)

3. The fact that this warning is given and read means that these people are still hanging in there. The question is not really the theoretical one we have posed in 3a – ‘Can a Christian fall away?’. It is the much more real one – ‘Will you fall away?’ This is a personal question and the warning is given – ‘Make sure that you don’t!’
4. How can you endeavour to keep answering ‘no’ to the question ‘will you fall away?’
5. Although the warning is very strong, read Hebrews 6: 9-12, to see what outward signs are there that these people are persevering.

4.      If you have time –

The writer will now return to the theme of Jesus being our high priest. God has given us a very certain hope backed by his word on oath. Read Heb 6:19-20. What does this image communicate to you?

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