What is the meaning of Hebrews 5:11? We have much to say about this The writer has just named Jesus “a high priest in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:10). That theme opens rich truths about Christ’s eternal priesthood, covenant, and intercession—truths the author longs to unfold. • Like Jesus in John 16:12, the author recognizes that the listeners’ capacity limits the teaching he can deliver. • Paul faced the same tension with the Corinthians, giving them “milk, not solid food” until they matured (1 Corinthians 3:2). • Scripture is never at a loss for depth; the limitation lies with the audience, not the message. but it is hard to explain The difficulty is not in the doctrine itself—God’s word is clear (Psalm 19:7–8)—but in communicating profound realities to spiritually sluggish hearts. • Spiritual insight requires the Spirit’s illumination (1 Corinthians 2:14; Luke 24:45). • Complex truths about Melchizedek and Christ’s superior priesthood (unpacked in Hebrews 7) demand focused, teachable minds. • The writer’s pastoral heart feels the weight of presenting solid food to saints still living on milk, echoing Jesus’ words, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12). because you are dull of hearing The phrase points not to a physical problem but to a spiritual lethargy that stunts growth. • Isaiah’s lament, quoted by Jesus—“their ears are hard of hearing” (Matthew 13:15)—describes this condition. • Paul warns of those who gather teachers “to suit their own desires” and “turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3–4), illustrating how dullness resists truth while craving novelty. • Faith grows by hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17); neglecting that steady intake produces apathy and immaturity. • Hardened hearing grieves the Spirit, whereas receptive hearing, like the Bereans’ eagerness (Acts 17:11), invites deeper revelation. summary Hebrews 5:11 reveals a loving teacher ready to impart weighty doctrine about Christ’s priesthood yet restrained by his readers’ spiritual sluggishness. The wealth of biblical truth is never exhausted, but attentive, Spirit-softened ears are essential to receive and apply it. Dull hearing blocks understanding; diligent, receptive hearing opens the door to the solid food God desires for every believer. |
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