Spiritual Food

(Hebrews 5:11-14 – Spiritual Food)

One of the analogies often used in the New Testament is that of a child growing into an adult. For a child to grow they need good quality and quantities of food. And it is the same for Christians. To grow to maturity in Christ we need quality spiritual food.

In this section of scripture today it appears that the people to whom this letter was written were not growing. They had not reached maturity in Christ, even though the writer suggests that should have been the case.

He says that they need spiritual milk, which is the food of babes. They are not ready for the deeper teachings that he considers “solid food.” So, today we will look at different aspects of spiritual food and discuss this matter.

Spiritual Food Analogies

There are a number of scriptures that suggest there is a difference between the teachings given to new Christians, versus those who have been in Christ for some time. The types of spiritual food for new Christians is often referred to as milk.

Various writers in the New Testament indicate that certain people are lacking in understanding of the fullness of the gospel. And as such they are still like babes in Christ. The need milk rather than solid food. For example:

1 But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving like ordinary men? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

When the flesh is in control of a person, they are not yet mature. In such situations the spiritual food they need is the basic milk of the Gospel. It is the “milk” teachings of the New Covenant that show us what maturity in Christ is, and more importantly, how to get there.

The apostle Peter encourages new Christians in this way:

1 So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; 3 for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. (1 Peter 2:1-3)

Note the words of the first verse. It is when the passions of the flesh rise up that we need the “milk” spiritual food. It is the “milk” of Christianity that teaches us how to gain control of our passions.

The need to consume the spiritual food

The scripture above tells us to “long for the pure spiritual milk.” This milk is a good thing. It is the spiritual food that teaches us the very basics of how to walk with and in Christ. This is the reason why it is important to consume the spiritual food so that we can grow.

Consider a baby. They are small, vulnerable, know nothing and yet are a sponge to learn, and they learn quickly. And without the right food they will not grow. But they can’t eat just anything as their stomach and digestive systems are not capable or strong enough for solid foods. They initially live on milk until they have reached a stage of growth where they can digest solid foods and continue to grow.

When people come to Christ, they too cannot absorb the deep spiritual food. They need to be fed milk until they reach a level where they can absorb the deeper things. Consider these words of Jesus:

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. (John 6:51-56)

Here is a very difficult teaching about spiritual food. Jesus said that if we want eternal life, and if we want to abide in Him we need to eat His flesh and drink His blood.

Sounds a bit gruesome, doesn’t it? And it is clear that many Christians did not and do not still understand what it means. Some churches hold to a doctrine of “Transubstantiation” where they believe that the communion bread and wine/juice change in substance to become the flesh and blood of Jesus, but don’t change in appearance from the bread and wine/juice.

There is no truth or validity in this idea, and it is not what Jesus was taking about. Jesus offered Himself and in His words in this scripture tells us that to have life and abide in Him we must consume His flesh and blood. What He was teaching is that we need to consume His teachings to be transformed into His image. And we need to be baptised to die with Him in His death, and be raised with Him in His resurrection to new life. It was the shedding of His blood that redeemed us from the world so that we can live in Him and abide in Him by faith and through learning what He taught. God the Father said this during Jesus’ transfiguration:

7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only. (Mark 9:7-8)

Listen to Him. Listen to the teachings of Jesus for this is the spiritual food that will bring us to life.

Milk versus Solid Food

We see the distinctions between milk and solid spiritual food in various places. In the scriptures we are shown the difference in various ways. For example, we saw in the scripture quoted above in 1 Peter 2:1, ”So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander.”

When we exhibit the negative passions of the flesh, we need the spiritual milk to overcome. Paul also showed in the scripture above from 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 that it was by exhibiting human passions that the Corinthians were showing their immaturity and were still in need of the pure spiritual milk. Likewise in the scripture under review today in Hebrews 5, we see the same theme.

11 About this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need some one to teach you again the first principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food; 13 for every one who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14)

The writer here shows that those who are unskilled in the word of righteousness need milk. They are not able to handle the solid spiritual food.

What we also see is that the distinction between those who need milk and those on solid food is in their spiritual training. Those who are still under the power of the passions of the flesh need the milk teachings to overcome the flesh. They need the milk spiritual food because that is what will bring them to the understanding of the righteousness that comes from God. It will also teach them how to overcome the passions, lusts and desires of the flesh. In addition they gain understanding to identify right from wrong.

It is that last point that separates those on spiritual solid food from the milk drinkers. In the scripture above the writer shows that those who are mature and ready for “solid spiritual food,” are those who have had “…their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.” This suggest training over time to practice the milk teachings and gain control over the flesh. They also know through listening to Jesus, the difference between right and wrong.

Where are you at?

This then, is the crux of the matter. When it comes to the spiritual food, are you ready for solid food or do you still need milk?

Paul showed in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 that those people still needed milk because of what they were saying and doing. Again in Hebrews 5:11-14, the writer shows these people were not ready for the solid food and still needed milk. They did not have their passions under control and could not distinguish good from evil.

Anyone who is still bound by the passions of the flesh and believe they are under the power of sin is not ready for the solid spiritual food. They are not yet mature enough to consume it. They need the milk teachings that will lead them to understand the righteousness from God, how it works, and how it helps to overcome the passions of the flesh.

It is a constant journey to get to that place. It requires us to listing to Jesus and follow what He taught. We cannot be led astray by the false teachings and false doctrines brought into the church by men. We need to learn what the scriptures say because only then can we refute false teachings and find the truth.

So, what are the milk teachings? They are the foundational doctrines of Christianity and they will be the subject of the next post.

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