WHY DO CHRISTIANS STOP GROWING?
Hebrews 5:11–14
TEXT B4 TRADITION — Read First. Conclude Later.
1. When Growth Stops, We Become Concerned
When a baby is born, we expect it to grow.
We expect the child to become stronger, learn new things, and eventually move from milk to solid food.
If a child stops growing, we become concerned. Something is wrong, and we want to know why.
Shouldn't we be just as concerned when a Christian stops growing spiritually?
The writer of Hebrews was concerned about exactly that.
His readers had been Christians long enough that they should have been able to teach others. Instead, they still needed someone to teach them the basics.
What had happened?
Let's examine the passage.
2. Why Did the Writer Interrupt His Teaching?
Read Hebrews 5:10–11.
The writer had been explaining that Jesus is our great High Priest.
He had just introduced an important subject: Jesus is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
But suddenly he stops.
He says there is much more to explain, but his readers have become dull of hearing.
That does not mean they were unintelligent.
It means they had become slow to understand and respond to what they were hearing.
Notice the word become.
The writer describes a condition that had developed.
Their problem was not simply that they had never heard these things before. They were no longer responding to instruction as they should.
Their lack of spiritual growth was preventing them from learning more about Christ.
3. They Should Have Been Teachers
Read Hebrews 5:12.
The writer says that by this time they ought to have been teachers.
Instead, they needed someone to teach them the basic principles of God's Word again.
He does not necessarily mean that every Christian should hold a formal teaching position.
But Christians who have been learning God's Word should eventually be able to explain its basic truths to others.
Think of a child who has attended school for years but still cannot understand the first lessons.
We would want to know what had prevented that child from progressing.
The writer expresses similar concern for these Christians.
Time had passed, but spiritual maturity had not followed.
4. Milk and Solid Food
Read Hebrews 5:12–13.
The writer compares elementary instruction to milk and more advanced teaching to solid food.
Milk is exactly what a newborn needs.
There is nothing wrong with beginning with the basics of Christianity.
Every Christian must begin somewhere.
The problem arises when someone remains dependent on elementary instruction long after there has been opportunity to grow.
These readers still needed milk when they should have been ready for solid food.
And what was the solid food the writer wanted to give them?
The surrounding passage provides an important clue.
He wanted to explain more about Jesus' priesthood and its relationship to Melchizedek.
Later, in Hebrews 7, he returns to that subject.
Their spiritual immaturity was preventing them from understanding more fully what Christ had accomplished.
5. What Does It Mean to Be Mature?
Read Hebrews 5:14.
The writer says solid food belongs to the mature.
He then explains something important about maturity.
Mature Christians have developed their ability to distinguish good from evil through practice.
Spiritual maturity is not measured merely by how many Bible verses a person can quote.
Nor is it measured simply by how many years someone has attended church.
A person can hear Bible lessons for many years without learning to apply them.
Maturity involves learning what God's Word teaches and putting that understanding into practice.
We grow as we learn to recognize what is right and act accordingly.
6. Why Does Practice Matter?
Consider how people learn ordinary skills.
A person may read many books about swimming without learning to swim.
Eventually, that person must enter the water and practice.
The same principle applies to spiritual discernment.
We study Scripture to understand God's will.
Then we must use what we have learned.
As we repeatedly apply God's Word, we become better prepared to recognize the difference between good and evil.
The writer does not suggest that Christians become mature through experience alone.
Their discernment must be trained by God's instruction.
Knowledge matters. But knowledge must be put into practice.
7. Why Do Some Christians Stop Growing?
Hebrews identifies the central problem as becoming dull of hearing.
The writer does not list every possible reason this happens.
Sometimes people become comfortable with what they already know.
Sometimes other interests receive more attention than Scripture.
Sometimes people hear teaching without seriously considering how it applies to their lives.
These are possible explanations, but they are applications rather than reasons specifically identified in Hebrews 5.
The passage itself emphasizes two failures:
They had become slow to respond to instruction.
They had failed to develop discernment through practice.
That is enough to make us examine ourselves.
8. Does Spiritual Growth Ever End?
Paul provides a useful example.
Read Philippians 3:12–14.
Even Paul did not claim to have reached complete maturity.
He continued pressing forward.
That should encourage us.
Spiritual growth does not mean we eventually reach a point where there is nothing more to learn.
It means we continue learning, practicing, and becoming more like Christ.
And the longer we have been Christians, the more important it becomes to ask whether our understanding and conduct are continuing to develop.
9. Why Does the Church Need Mature Christians?
Mature Christians benefit more than themselves.
They can help others understand Scripture.
They can encourage those who are discouraged.
They can recognize teaching that does not agree with God's Word.
They can help newer Christians learn how to study and apply Scripture.
Read Ephesians 4:11–16.
Paul describes Christians growing toward maturity as each part of the body does its work.
Growth is not merely an individual concern.
It benefits the whole church.
10. What Does the Writer Want His Readers to Do?
The writer is not simply criticizing his readers.
He wants them to move forward.
That becomes clear in the very next verse.
Read Hebrews 6:1.
He urges them to leave behind repeated instruction in the elementary teachings about Christ and move on toward maturity.
He does not mean they should abandon the foundational truths of Christianity.
He means they should build upon them.
A child must first learn to walk.
But learning to walk is the beginning, not the end, of growth.
Likewise, Christians must learn the foundational truths of the gospel.
Then they must continue growing in understanding and obedience.
The answer to spiritual immaturity is not to remain where we are. It is to move forward.
One Final Question
Think about your own life.
Are you growing in your understanding of Scripture?
Are you better able to distinguish right from wrong?
Are you putting what you learn into practice?
Could you explain the basic teachings of Christ to someone who is just beginning to learn?
The writer of Hebrews expected Christians to grow.
And when that growth stopped, he became concerned.
A newborn needing milk is normal. A Christian who never grows beyond milk has a problem that needs attention.
The encouragement of Hebrews is clear:
Keep listening. Keep learning. Keep practicing. Keep growing.
Continue Exploring Scripture
Jesus, Our Merciful and Faithful High Priest — Hebrews 4:14–5:10
https://primrose-cone-2k9b.squarespace.com/hebrews-4-14-5-10
Coming Next: Can a Christian Fall Away? — Hebrews 6:1–12
The writer's warning becomes much more serious in the next passage. What does it mean to fall away? Who is being warned? And what does the passage actually say about returning to Christ?
TEXT B4 TRADITION — Helping readers learn HOW to study the Bible, not simply WHAT to think.
READ FIRST. CONCLUDE LATER.
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