Here is my simple outline of the text for this Sunday’s sermon. I hope it will help you do your own study of the text and prayerfully prepare your heart to worship God and be shaped by His Spirit. So here goes.
There are four main thoughts in this paragraph. Notice how the word “for” (Greek gar) is an indicator that a reason is being offered to support the point that has just been made.
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain
since you have become dull of hearing
For
You need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God
though by this time you ought to be teachers
You need milk, not solid food.
For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child
But solid food is for the mature
For those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to discern good from evil
There are four main thoughts stated. The first main thought in verse 11 is the most important point of the paragraph, in my estimation. The word “for” at the beginning of verse 12, I think, tells us that the next three thoughts all support the main thought in verse 11.
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain
For
You need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God
You need milk, not solid food
But solid food is for the mature
Each of these thoughts is further explained by a supporting statement. What do these things tell us about the problem of not listening and remaining childlike? Can you connect these thoughts to other things the writer says elsewhere in the epistle? Hint: there’s a major problem coming up in the next few verses that the “dull of hearing” are going to run into. Chapter 11 tells many short stories of those who were not dull of hearing and the amazing ways they glorified God. How should this speak to us?
How does this text impact you? Please pray that these words will do God’s work in yourself, your family and in our entire church.
