Hebrews 5:11-12

Hebrews 5:11-12

[11] Of  whom  many things  to say,  and  hard  to be uttered,  seeing  ye are  dull  of hearing.  [12] For  when for  the time  ye ought  teachers,  ye have  need  that one teach  again  be the first  principles  of the oracles  of God;  and  are become such as  have  need  of milk,  and  not  of strong  meat. 

What does Hebrews 5:11-12 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

"Dull of hearing" ( Hebrews 5:11) and "sluggish" ( Hebrews 6:12, Gr. nothroi in both cases) form an inclusio that frames this pericope and sets it off as a distinct textual segment. This Greek word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The first two warnings in Hebrews were against drifting ( Hebrews 2:1-4) and disbelief ( Hebrews 3:7-19). All the warning passages in Hebrews involve actions in relation to the Word of God.
"It is commonly assumed on the basis of Hebrews 5:11 to Hebrews 6:3 that the community addressed had failed to mature in faith and understanding, and consequently required rudimentary instruction rather than the advanced exposition of Christ"s priesthood and sacrifice presented in Hebrews 7:1 to Hebrews 10:18. The problem with this reconstruction of the situation is that it is not supported by the detail of the text. The biblical interpretation and the presentation of christology in Hebrews 1:1 to Hebrews 5:10 presuppose advanced Christian instruction and a level of understanding that corresponds to the adult consumption of solid food and not to a diet of milk. In addition, the writer shows no inclination to review with his hearers the foundational elements of the Christian faith [1]. He clearly regarded the hearers as mature. He reminds them that they have ingested over a considerable period of time the instruction that qualified them to be the teachers of others ( Hebrews 5:12). Consequently, the portrayal of them as infants who have to be nurtured with milk is not an actual description of some or all of the members of the community. It is irony, calculated to shame them and to recall them to the stance of conviction and boldness consonant with their experience ( Hebrews 6:4-5; Hebrews 6:10) and hope ( Hebrews 6:9-12). The community has deviated from its earlier course (cf. Hebrews 10:32-34) by becoming sluggish in understanding ( Hebrews 5:12). Their regression to infancy must represent a quite recent development. It was apparently an attempt to sidestep their responsibility in a world that persecuted them and held them in contempt, but it threatened their integrity. The purpose of Hebrews 5:11 to Hebrews 6:12 is to preserve the community from such aberration by reminding them of what they have experienced and what they possess through the gospel ..." [2]
"If you keep in mind that the emphasis in this section is on making spiritual progress, you will steer safely through misinterpretations that could create problems." [3]