“Our Daily Bread”   

http://odb.org/2012/12/20/the-gift/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht

Hebrews 5:12…  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  (NKJV)

I was at a Bible study this morning, and we spent the better part of an hour discussing this opening scripture, and the 2 previous verses…  The Book of Hebrews was written to a group of Hebrews, by an unknown author… These Hebrew people had heard the gospel of Christ, but many were still spiritually immature…  The writer explains how Jesus Christ had become the Great High Priest, who had replaced the high priests they had gone to before; to ask for their sins to be forgiven through prayer and the sacrifices that were made under the Old Covenant… 

After explaining that Jesus Christ was the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9), the writer accuses them of being “dull of hearing” in…Hebrews 5:11… Our time this morning in our Bible study, centered on whether these Jews were Christians, or nonbelievers…  Some argued that the reference to needing only milk indicated that they were immature Christians, who needed to spend more time in the Word; digesting the “meat of the Word” that the more mature Christian feeds on, to grow spiritually (Hebrews 5:13-14)…

Two pieces of scripture that reference the “milk of the Word” are…1 Corinthians 3:2… I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; (NKJV)  …&…1 Peter 2:1-2… Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ² as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,  (NKJV)

With our Bible study consisting of about 12 men, most of us retired, and older…I don’t believe for a second that there was anyone there who is not a Christian…  The group consists of men, eager to come together in fellowship, to grow in their spiritual knowledge of God’s Word, as we learn from one another what God reveals in His inerrant Book, the Bible…

I have heard it said that there is only one truth God is trying to convey to us from His Word… I believe the discrepancy with our interpretation of God’s Word this morning, comes from mans translation of the Bible, and man’s interpretation of God’s Word…  Many of us have study Bibles with an author’s notes on what each scripture verse means…

My Bible was written by John MacArthur; and for the most part, I agree with his interpretation of God’s Word… John MacArthur says in his notes on the opening scripture verse 12, that every Christian is to be a teacher… And if these Hebrews had really obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ, and were Christians…they would have been sharing their faith with other people who needed to hear the truth that the gospel of Christ presents…

Another member of our Bible study had notes written by another author, who believed these were Christians, but they had not spent much time studying God’s Word, to mature in their spiritual wisdom and knowledge…

Here-in lies the point of my thoughts for today…  Different translations of the Bible, as well as man’s interpretation of God’s Word, will often be different…  Each Christian should do his own research into God’s Word, and ask the Holy Spirit to help him interpret the scripture for himself…  And once you have your understanding of what God reveals to you from His Word, I believe we should not be dogmatic at insisting our interpretation is the right and only true interpretation of God’s Word…

There are basics that all true believers should agree upon…  God’s grace (His free gift of salvation) is given to those who obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)…   Here is a link for this most important days writing about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes, through obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…     https://godsmanforever.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/gods-group-thoughts-for-10202012-gods-grace-through-obedience-to-the-gospel-of-christ/

Once a person becomes a Christian, all of us in the Bible study today agreed, that we MUST spend time in God’s Word (hopefully daily), in order to grow in the lifelong process of sanctification (becoming more “Christ like”); as we digest the meat of God’s Word…  There will always be differences of opinion on what certain passages from the Bible mean…  But we should all be open to discuss another’s point of view, and allow the Holy Spirit to help us find the nuggets of truth God has sometimes buried deep with-in His Word…

Heavenly Father, I am ever so thankful for Your Word, that we can come together to discuss…  Urge each of Your children to never stop yearning to learn more about You; and encourage all of Your children to join in the extra learning that Bible studies can and will produce…  I pray for this desire by all of Your children, to grow closer to You, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

written by bruce r mills