Hebrews 5:13 - Warning against Drifting Away

For everyone who lives on milk
This phrase uses the metaphor of milk to represent basic teachings of the Christian faith. In the cultural context of the early church, milk was a common symbol for elementary instruction, as seen in 1 Corinthians 3:2 and 1 Peter 2:2. The audience of Hebrews, likely Jewish Christians, would understand this imagery as a call to move beyond the foundational teachings of Judaism and early Christian doctrine to deeper spiritual maturity.

is still an infant
The term "infant" signifies spiritual immaturity. In the Greco-Roman world, infancy was associated with a lack of understanding and experience. This metaphor highlights the need for growth in faith and knowledge, urging believers to progress beyond the initial stages of their spiritual journey. The writer of Hebrews is encouraging the audience to mature in their faith, similar to how Paul addresses the Corinthians about their spiritual infancy.

inexperienced in the message of righteousness
The "message of righteousness" refers to the deeper truths of the Christian faith, including the understanding of Christ's priesthood and the believer's sanctification. In the Jewish tradition, righteousness was closely tied to adherence to the Law. However, the New Testament redefines righteousness through faith in Christ, as seen in Romans 1:17. The audience is being challenged to deepen their comprehension of this new covenant righteousness, moving from a basic understanding to a more profound grasp of their identity and calling in Christ.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Author of Hebrews
Traditionally attributed to Paul, though the exact authorship is uncertain. The author writes to Jewish Christians, encouraging them to mature in their faith.

2. Jewish Christians
The primary audience of the letter, who were familiar with Jewish traditions and were being encouraged to deepen their understanding of Christ.

3. Infants in Faith
A metaphorical reference to believers who have not yet matured in their understanding and practice of Christian teachings.

4. Message of Righteousness
Refers to the deeper teachings of the Christian faith, which require spiritual maturity to fully comprehend and apply.

5. Milk
Symbolizes basic teachings of Christianity, suitable for new believers but insufficient for mature spiritual growth.

Teaching Points

Spiritual Maturity
Believers are called to grow beyond the basics of the faith and seek a deeper understanding of God's Word.

Discernment in Righteousness
Maturity involves being able to discern and apply the message of righteousness in daily life, which requires practice and experience.

The Role of Teaching
Mature believers should be able to teach others, helping them to grow in their faith and understanding.

The Danger of Stagnation
Remaining in a state of spiritual infancy can lead to vulnerability to false teachings and a lack of spiritual growth.

Pursuit of Solid Food
Believers should actively pursue deeper teachings and not be content with only the foundational elements of the faith.

Lists and Questions

Top 10 Lessons from Hebrews 5What is Spiritual Milk?In 1 Corinthians 3:2, how can believers be criticized for remaining on “milk” if spiritual maturity is often claimed yet rarely demonstrated in real-world behavior? What does "put away childish things" mean?What does "weak in the faith" mean?

(13) The change of expression from having need of milk to partaking of milk (that is, making it the solo food) is significant. Those who are addressed had lost interest in the deeper truths of Christianity, those truths which alone expressed and explained its proper nature. Their temptation apparently was towards mingling a rudimentary Christian doctrine with the teaching of the synagogue. Yielding to this they would lose all real Knowledge of the very elements of Christian truth, and with this all true knowledge of the Old Testament itself. The connection between this verse and the last may probably be, Ye have come to need milk, for--making it by choice your sole food--ye stand self-confessed as babes.

Unskilful.--Rather, without experience. The "word of righteousness" evidently must signify complete, properly-developed Christian teaching. The only question is, Why is this particular designation chosen? In the Epistle to the Romans such a description would be natural (see especially Romans 1:17; Romans 9:31); but "righteousness" is not the direct and manifest subject of this Epistle. Still, the expressions of which the writer makes use in Hebrews 10:38; Hebrews 11:7, together with the general similarity between his teaching and St. Paul's, go very far towards explaining his choice of this special expression as descriptive of the religion of Christ. In like manner another phrase, "law of liberty," is characteristic of St. James.

Verse 13. - For every one that partaketh of milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. Reason for saying that they are such as have need of milk; for milk is the nourishment of infants, and he that is an infant in respect of spiritual growth is ἄπειρος λόγου δικαιοσύνης: not of necessity unacquainted with it altogether, but still not versed in it; he is but a tyro. "Word of righteousness" may be taken as a general term to denote what we might call religious lore; referring here especially to the gospel, which is eminently the revelation of the "righteousness of God" (Romans 1:17; cf. 2 Corinthians 3:9, ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης: and 2 Cor 11:15, διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης); but not excluding a more general conception. There is no need to suppose an exclusive reference to the more perfect doctrine in opposition to the elements, since, of the whole subject of religious knowledge, the νήπιος may be said to be ἄπειρος in the sense of being without the matured skill that experience gives. Hence, too, we are certainly not justified in finding in the phrase a specific allusion to the Pauline doctrine of justification by faith only, which is not suggested by the context or by what follows. Still less may we (with Delitzsch) so ignore the notable significance of δικαιοσύνη as to reduce the expression to a synonym for "rightly framed, that is sound and orthodox discourse." Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

Everyone
πᾶς (pas)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

who
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

lives on
μετέχων (metechōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3348: From meta and echo; to share or participate; by implication, belong to, eat.

milk
γάλακτος (galaktos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 1051: Milk. Of uncertain affinity; milk.

is [still]
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

an infant,
νήπιος (nēpios)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3516: From an obsolete particle ne- and epos; not speaking, i.e. An infant; figuratively, a simple-minded person, an immature Christian.

inexperienced
ἄπειρος (apeiros)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 552: Inexperienced, unskillful, ignorant. Inexperienced, i.e. Ignorant.

in [the] message
λόγου (logou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

of righteousness.
δικαιοσύνης (dikaiosynēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1343: From dikaios; equity; specially justification.

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Hebrews 5:13 Catholic BibleNT Letters: Hebrews 5:13 For everyone who lives on milk (Heb. He. Hb)