Friday, March 02, 2018

The "Gospel-Centered" Everything?

Many talk about having a "gospel-centered" life, ministry, church.  But is that biblical?

Heb 5:11  Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
Heb 5:12  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 
Heb 5:13  For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
Heb 5:14  But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 
Heb 6:2  of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 
Heb 6:3  And this we will do, if God permits. 

It seems Scripture says that we are to move on from the "milk", "elementary teachings" and "elementary principles" about the Gospel and grow up into maturity by way of the meat of the Word.

The elementary teachings of:

repentance from dead works
faith toward God
instruction about baptism ("washings")
laying on of hands 
resurrection of the dead
eternal judgment

And in context as well:

Jesus as Messiah, high priest, God, Creator, Mediator, Savior, Sanctifier, Sacrifice for atonement; worship and glory of Christ the King, Victor over His enemies.

They had already heard these teachings, the foundation already having been laid:

Heb 4:2  For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 

Heb 5:12  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 
Heb 6:2  of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 

Milk and elementary teachings does not promote maturity, meat and deeper doctrines do (word of righteousness). Milk doesn't guard against deception nor promotes discernment between good and evil, but meat does. Those that "need" to stay in the milk and elementary, foundational teachings are showing themselves to be dull of hearing and in danger of being cursed because it appears they not only aren't growing in the faith, but haven't joined the teaching with faith.

Eph 4:13  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 
Eph 4:14  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 

Heb 5:13  For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 
Heb 5:14  But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. 

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