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choke the word. Not only does this dullness of hearing seriously hinder the growth of the
believer, it prevents him from exercising that most blessed office, the ability to teach
others. Teaching demands of the teacher many precious gifts, but the most important of
all is that he too shall have the "hearing ear". The "tongue of the learned" is most
closely related to the "ear of the learned" (Isa. 50: 4) "As I hear I speak" said the greatest
Teacher of all. This dullness of hearing the apostle associates with stunted growth and in
Heb. 5: 12-14 he expands his meaning under six heads:
(1) It indicates lack of progress.
"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you."
(2) It indicates spiritual infancy.
"Ye have need of milk, and not of solid food."
(3) It indicates lack of experience.
"For every one that useth milk is without experience of the word of righteousness."
(4) It indicates the opposite of being perfect.
"But solid food belongeth to them that are perfect."
(5) It indicates a culpable neglect.
"Perfect, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised."
(6) It indicates lack of discernment.
"Senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
Let us take these six points and gather their lessons. Teachers are placed together with
those who can take solid food, have senses exercised and are perfect or mature. This
passage comes to us very solemnly and says that the qualification for teaching is
something more than head knowledge and ready speech. In the Sermon on the Mount,
breaking the commandments and doing them are associated with teaching men so, and
also with losing or gaining a position in the kingdom of heaven. James utters the
warning, "My brethren, be not many teachers, knowing that we shall receive a greater
judgment" (3: 1). Instead of progress there was retrogression.
"For even when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you
again certain rudiments of the beginning of the oracles of God" (Heb. 5: 12 not AV JP).
Ta stoicheia tes arches, "The rudiments of the beginning". Stoicheia
are the initial
steps in knowledge, and also the "elements" of the natural world. (See
Gal. 4: 3, 9;
Col. 2: 8, 20; II Pet. 3: 10, 12). The verb stoicheo comes in Acts 21:
24, "Walkest
orderly"; Rom. 4: 12, "Walk in the steps of the faith"; Gal. 5: 25,
"Walk by the
Spirit"; Gal. 6: 16; Phil. 3: 16, "Walk by rule".
These Hebrew believers had progressed no further than the initial steps of the faith,
and indeed needed teaching in these things all over again. An intellectual grasp of the
teaching of men on any subject may be sufficient, but a mere intellectual grasp of God's
truth is not sufficient. The doctrine and faith of the early church was rightly called
"The Way", for it involved walk as well as word, life as well as lip.
"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord" (Hosea 6: 3).