Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.
I spent much of my life pursuing after a career as a professional athlete. I began playing soccer at the age of six years old and found myself on a winning team from the get-go. I liked falling on the ground, kicking the ball as hard as I could, wearing a uniform, and I definitely liked winning. It was during this time in the mountains of Colorado that I began to learn the fundamentals of the sport. About a decade and a half later, I found myself back in those mountains as a college athlete, competing in a tournament. Almost every week from the time I was six years old until that full-circle moment as a college athlete, I worked on the fundamentals. Years later, I again found myself in Colorado, trying out for a professional team. Guess what I spent time working on all of those years… the fundamentals.
As an athlete, I never gave up my work on passing, dribbling, shooting, controlling the ball, etc. I worked at them with the hope of mastering them. I didn’t stay there, however. Over the years I expanded my skills and knowledge into strategy, styles of play, and psychological factors. This work beyond the fundamentals also made me a good captain and coach.
The writer of Hebrews expresses frustration at the end of Hebrews 5 at the immaturity that the church to whom he writes seems to be stuck in.* He tells them that while they should be able to teach others the ways of Christ, they still dabble in the fundamentals, never building upon them.*
Beginning in chapter six, the writer of Hebrews lists these fundamentals. Scholars pair them in this way:*
repentance from dead works and faith in God
teaching about washings and laying on of hands
resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment.
The “repentance from dead works” and “faith toward God” describe the steps necessary to initiate faith as a Christian.* The “teaching about washings and laying on of hands” also may refer to an initiation into the faith, but may also describe the ongoing sanctification process of the Christian life.* The “resurrection from the dead and eternal judgement” refer to the role of Christ as Great High Priest as well as the future promise for the church.*
These rudimentary elements of the Christian faith, like the fundamentals of sports, are not to be left behind in the sense that they are forgotten.* The leaving that the author of Hebrews refers to involves moving beyond the fundamentals into another space that looks like maturity.*
While the author of Hebrews is passionate about his point and desires to see the church move toward maturity, he includes himself in the need for growth by using the pronouns “us” and “we.”* Understanding that we all have room to grow and mature, even as a teacher, he does not leave himself out of the admonition.* Furthermore, unlike sport, one cannot force one’s way toward maturity, but the hand of God has a pivotal role in the process as seen by the words, “if God permits.”*
We cannot change ourselves, nor can we force others to change. We can desire it and we can come into agreement with truth and we can willingly partner with God, but at the end of the day, God has to work inside of us in ways that only He can.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to accept God’s invitation to move into a place of maturity in Him. Perhaps God has been inviting you to step into that place of maturity, and today He would have you say, “yes.” Maybe today God wants you to allow Him to grow you in ways that you cannot grow yourself. Perhaps today God wants you to lay down the burden of self-transformation. Maybe today God would have you step into leading others to Him.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
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*Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews (Heb 6:1-3). IVP Academic.
Grindheim, S. (2023). The Letter to the Hebrews (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 304–308). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2006). Hebrews. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, p. 81–82). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (p. 204–215). Zondervan Publishing House.