Early Christianity 101

I've been meditating much on the verses in Hebrews where Paul is addressing the church regarding their immaturity in the faith. He's telling them that by now they should all be teachers and yet they need to be instructed by the "elementary principles of Christ" or the "foundations of Christ" and another verse calls it "milk". Here's what the milk is that he was talking about...

Hebrews 6:1-2 "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the ELEMENTARY principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the FOUNDATION of (here they are) REPENTANCE from DEAD WORKS, and faith toward God, the DOCTRINE OF BAPTISMS (plural, not singular - could be talking not only of water baptism but the priority of Spirit baptism), LAYING ON OF HANDS (teaching a new believer laying on of hands!? yes!) RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, and ETERNAL JUDGMENT"

What I'm amazed by is what is considered Christianity 101 to the early believers is meat to we modern day Westerners. These foundational principles are not emphasized to converts today.

Let's look at the topic of eternal judgment alone. Eternal judgment is hardly talked about it in a church setting so let alone a new believer will even hear about it. Or even the resurrection of the dead. A new believer needs to have that foundation laid in his life that Christ is coming and this world is not our home. We have a hope in the resurrection.

Or even the laying on of hands. Why would we teach a new believer that?! Or the doctrine of baptismS.

Amazing that these are foundations in the early church, principles that were for babes in Christ to grasp and yet it's far fetched to many today.

You can't make a baby eat a plate of steak.

Paul talks of what the meat is - it's for the full grown, those who have had their SENSED TRAINED to discern good and evil. Discernment!!

Could it be that much of the Western church lacks discernment is because it lacks discipleship?

We're eager for converts yet lacking followers and what we've ended up with is an immature mega church system that has lots of presentations and programs yet few followers and faithfulness

We've got babes crying out for a revival and they don't even know what they're crying out for because they've got a dulled discernment.

Any thoughts or comments on this passage Hebrews 5:12 - 6:2. Please...

Any thoughts? That's good. Nowadays many people just don't think. They just go to church and then it's 'see you next time!'

Still, you asked concerning the passage of scripture.

It does seem that much of what was considered elementary then, is considered meat now, always at square one, never launching out into the 'deep', if you like. But then, what we consider deep isn't.

Sadly, in 1 Cor 3v1-3 Paul says he could not speak to them as spiritual, but carnal, as to babes in Christ.

He fed them with milk and not solid food, because they were not able to receive it. Receive what? Spiritual instruction.

It is easy to see that sort of depletion in the Church today.

There is little or no discipleship in the Church today. Hence the chronic weakness it displays to the world.

As for eternal punishment, hell, who cares about that? It almost never preached about.

But the word of God warns us to warn both the wicked and the righteous.

Ezekiel 3v18 - 'When I say to the wicked 'You shall surely die', and you give him NO WARNING, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, TO SAVE HIS LIFE, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will reqire at your hand'.

The wicked will perish, and so will the righteous, because they did not warn the wicked.

The Church lacks or refuses to use what discernment it does have. Too much fear of man and non of God, as if what man wants is more important than what God has commanded.

Long post. Will end here.

God bless.