Not accustomed (552) (apeiros from a = without + peira = experience, trial related to peiro = perforate, pierce thru to test durability of things or simply to pass through) literally means without test or trial and thus without experience. Apeiros pertains to the lack of knowledge or capacity to do something - ignorant, unskillful, unacquainted with, inexperienced in. Apeiros is used in the Septuagint (LXX) translation of Numbers 14:23 (LXX) where it refers to “inexperienced youths” who have not yet learned good and evil. Here in Hebrews 5:13 (the only NT use) apeiros signifies ignorance of and/or inability to partake of the "deeper" Biblical doctrines because they did not have enough experience. They could not digest deeper truths, any more than a physical infant can digest a steak. Their spiritual system (analogous to the physical body) had failed to grow sufficiently to enable them to handle these teachings, specifically the profound teaching about the priesthood of Christ and how it related to that of Melchizedek. A child can get something out of looking at a picture book but nothing out of looking at a textbook. The writer is teaching solid food from the "textbook" of Melchizedek. Reality Messages has an interesting thought writing that a spiritual... babe lacks the ability to make sound decisions. Thus this person has no successful experience in the application of Scripture to problem solving in moral or personal situations. They have never thought or processed or acted biblically. There decisions are based on pragmatism not Biblicism. They are concerned with what is practical not holy. They look for what suits them not what honors God. So they remain in a place of spiritual infantilism. Their development arrested. Not for lack of ability, but integrity. Therefore, they need to be told what to do and how to do it (like a child), and coerced to follow through. But a mature Christian can make those decisions for his or herself and is accountable to the Word of God and the Spirit of God to follow through. Which are you? (Study Notes-Arrested Development) The word of righteousness - It should be noted that there is not a clear consensus on the meaning of this phrase. Some favor this to be the message about the righteousness of Christ which we receive by faith (1Co 1:30, 2Co 5:21; see Ro 3:21-note; Ro 3:22-note; Php 3:9-note Titus 3:5-note) (past tense salvation ~ justification by grace through faith. See Three Tenses of Salvation). Others say it refers to the righteousness we are now to live out by faith (present tense salvation ~ sanctification ~ becoming holy as He is holy [Lv 11:44, 20:7, 1Pe 1:15, 16-note], going from glory to glory [2Co 3:18], having our inner man renewed day by day [2Co 4:16], being transformed by the renewing of our mind [Ro 12:2-note, 2Co 4:16, Ep 4:23-note, Col 3:10-note], growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ [2Pe 3:18-note]). The word of righteousness is felt by some writers to be equivalent to the Gospel of salvation which is received by faith. The gospel is not only the good news about salvation (past tense), but is the good news about salvation present tense (sanctification, progressive sanctification, practical holiness). The gospel that saves us initially then enables us to live a life of righteousness (right behavior before God and before man) instead of unrighteousness (which was the only way we could live before we were saved). Believers so equipped have a responsibility to work out their salvation in fear and trembling (Php 2:12-note, Php 2:13-note). Paul explained that the Gospel (expounded on in the ENTIRE book of Romans, the "Christian's Constitution"!) is the source of revelation about God's righteousness writing that... in it (the Gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (Ro 1:17-note) Writing to Timothy Paul outlined how a believer is to grow in righteousness declaring that... All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2Ti 3:16, 17-note) Vincent writes The genitive of righteousness is combined in NT with way, God, gift, instruments, servants, law, ministration, fruit and fruits, ministers, hope, breastplate, crown, king, preacher. It is a mistake to attempt to give the phrase here a concrete meaning. It signifies simply a word of normally right character...Probably, however, in the foreground of the writer’s thought was the word spoken by the Son (Heb 1:2-note); the salvation which at first was spoken by the Lord (Heb 2:3-note) Ray Stedman explains it this way... They are not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. Commentators differ as to whether righteousness here refers to conduct or imputed worth. Hughes opts for the latter view, describing it as the teaching about righteousness which is fundamental to the Christian faith, namely, the insistence on Christ as our righteousness (1Co 1:30, 2Co 5:21) as opposed to self-righteousness or works-righteousness (1977:191). Ignorance of having a righteous position in God’s eyes already through faith in Christ has been the cause of much useless laboring to earn righteousness through the centuries. It invariably produces a form of legalism which tries to earn “brownie points” with God to gain his acceptance. The dullness which does not understand the divine program that leads to right conduct manifests its ignorance by being unable to “distinguish good from evil.” But those who, by persistent obedience to the truth (Ed: Made possible by the indwelling Spirit), are able to grasp such solid food will give evidence of it in wise and wholesome conduct. They will identify evil as evil, even when it looks good, and follow good because it is good, even when it looks evil. (Stedman, Ray: Hebrews IVP New Testament Commentary Series or Logos) Steven Cole writes that the word of righteousness refers to... the Scriptures, which are designed to produce God’s righteousness in those who believe and obey (Ed: This would be tantamount to present tense salvation = progressive sanctification as discussed above). The author may be referring to the doctrine of imputed righteousness (Ed: This would be tantamount to past tense salvation = justification = declaration of righteousness by faith), taught in Ge 15:6, and repeated by Paul in Romans 3 & 4. But also, those who are counted righteous by faith in Christ will also progress in practical righteousness, learning what is pleasing to the Lord (Ep 5:10-note). You may think that righteousness and good and evil are obvious, but that is not so. These things need to be learned through practice and training. (Sermon on He 5:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 6:1, 2, 3) Phil Newton has a well reasoned comment on the meaning of the word of righteousness... The phrase, "the word of righteousness," quite likely has a dual meaning. On one hand it implies the legal aspect of "righteousness," that is, the whole truth concerning our justification through faith in Jesus Christ. Most new believers do not understand the full range of implications concerning justification. It is as you grow in the Lord that you come to appreciate and glory in the richness of this truth. You grasp something of what Paul meant when he tells us to "put on the breastplate of righteousness" (Ep 6:14). For in this you realize that Christ is your righteousness; because this is true, then none of the adversary's arrows of condemnation can find a landing spot in your mind. But the "word of righteousness" also refers to the practice of the Christian life (Ed: Present tense salvation = progressive sanctification). It is the "impartation of righteousness" as William Gurnall expressed it. It is living out the moral and ethical dimensions of the Christian life. We face moral and ethical demands every day. We experience a range of choices, decisions, and options related to everything from what our eyes will see, what our ears will hear, where our feet will carry us, who we will be involved with, what our minds will dwell on, what kind of careers to pursue, how to spend our resources. When we have become dulled in hearing the Word, then our ability to exercise discernment in these things is dulled. There are obvious things that the Word spells out for us. We know that we are not to murder or steal. But to be able to practice righteousness in all of the other areas that are not clearly spelled out requires having our "senses trained to discern good and evil." That comes through regular nurture and application of the Word of God. If you are skimping on milk, then don't expect to handle solid food. And you might very well be unable to feast on solid food because you are not practicing the word of righteousness regarding what God has already taught you. (Leaving Milk for Meat) Guthrie also has a balanced note on word of righteousness... In the Greek there are no articles and the phrase must be taken to mean, not any specific body of doctrine, but the kind of word (logos) which has the character of righteousness. This would agree with the use of the same term (logos) in He 6:1 where it refers to doctrine. The writer may be thinking of the special use of righteousness (dikaiosune), which describes what is obtained by faith in Christ (Ed: Justification - past tense salvation), but could also refer to the more general idea of rightness. These two interpretations are in any case linked, for man can have no adequate idea of right except through the righteousness of Christ. Undoubtedly when men first believe they do not at once gain skill in appreciating this theme, but some such interpretation is an indispensable quest for anyone who desires to be mature. (Guthrie, D. Hebrews: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press) W E Vine feels that... the “solid food” is here called “the word of righteousness,” not only because of the fundamental character of the gospel which brings justification, but especially because it inculcates the truth of practical relationship to God as centered in Christ and carried out in a life expressive of that relationship and thus of the very character of Christ. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson or Logos) The KJV Bible Commentary explains the word of righteousness this way... They are unskillful (Greek apeiros), inexperienced in or unacquainted with the word that instructs them in how to live a life of righteousness (Ed: Present tense salvation - progressive sanctification). (Dobson, E G, Charles Feinberg, E Hindson, Woodrow Kroll, H L. Wilmington: KJV Bible Commentary: Nelson or Logos) Tom Constable feels that... The word of righteousness” (He 5:13) is the solid food that results in righteous behavior...The readers were in danger of not comprehending what the writer had to tell them because they had not put what they did understand into practice in their lives. Instead, they were thinking of departing from the truth. (Hebrews 5 Commentary) FOR HE IS AN INFANT: nepios gar estin (3SPAI): (Is 28:9; Mt 11:25; Mark 10:15; Ro 2:20; 1Co 13:11; 14:20; Ep 4:14; 1Pe 2:2) The writer has been very explicit as to who remains a spiritual infant… How do we know? Lets make this objective, not subjective…Those who integrate doctrine and duty are mature. Those who live what they learn. Christianity is not a philosophy to be merely learned, but a life to be lived. Unless it makes some difference in your behavior, you have probably never truly encountered Jesus...The ultimate test of Christian maturity/validity is obedience. To the degree that you obey Christ, is the degree to which you are spiritually mature. Not how much you do, how loud you sing, how high you raise your hands, what spiritual gifts you have…It is how well you obey Jesus (Study Notes -- Arrested Development) Phil Newton applies this section to each of us asking... Where is your spiritual progress? I'm not asking you to compare yourself to someone else. That can be rather unfair and arbitrary. But I am asking you as a believer, what kind of progress are you making in growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? The shocking reality among most congregations is that the level of living exposes the level of understanding of God's Word. When Christ is not evident in our lives it is likely that our hearing has grown dull for the Word of God. When there is no ongoing passion for Christ then it is because dullness has set in. When we can flounder around with the world and give in to its lure, then by default we admit that we have "come to need milk and not solid food." Such admission is that either our faith is weak and possibly faltering; or that our faith has never gotten off the ground in honestly trusting Jesus Christ as our Mediator before God. (Leaving Milk for Meat) Steven Cole notes that... If there is spiritual life, there will be spiritual growth of some sort, but growth rates vary. Some become Christians and instantly drop the sins that have plagued their lives for years and never fall back. Others struggle to get rid of those sins for decades. I have a pastor friend who got saved in his early forties. He was a night club entertainer, addicted to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. He instantly dropped all of those habits and began to follow Christ. But I know others who have struggled with those habits for years after making a profession of faith. They make a break from them, but then keep falling back into them. (Sermon) He is an infant - The writer is saying in Hebrews 5:11-14 that only solid food will effect the desired result of progressing beyond “first principles” (Heb 6:1, 2, 3 -note) toward spiritual maturity and moral discernment. You are young only once, but you can remain immature your entire life! Someone once said that the travesty of the church in America is that many if not most believers are betweeners -- they are between Egypt and the Promised Land—out of the place of danger, but not yet into the place of rest and rich inheritance. They are between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, saved by the blood but not yet enjoying newness of resurrection life. We all need to ask ourselves are we a betweener? Are we moving toward the "Promised Land" in our spiritual walk? How would one know they are making progress? Have you graduated from spiritual milk to meat? Have you become involved in more serious Bible studies, such as those that utilize the inductive technique (mentioned above)? I can personally attest to the transformative power of this type of study -- I disciple young men and have seen the greatest spiritual growth in those who have truly bought in to this method of Bible study. Unfortunately some of the men I disciple have failed to dig in for themselves and these men as you might expect have shown the least spiritual growth. Sadly as teachers and pastors, although we can "set the table" with the rich fare of God's Word, including deeper truths, we cannot force men and women to eat! Is (estin) is in the present tense which indicates that the person he describes is still in "spiritual diapers" and needs to have their "spiritual food" mashed up or pureed and fed to them by spoon! Radmacher says infant... is a description of the spiritually immature. Babies have little discernment or self-discipline. They must be constantly told “no.” Mature believers are able to know right from wrong and to control their sinful appetites. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. The Nelson Study Bible: NKJV. Nashville: Thomas Nelson) Infant (babe) (3516) (nepios from negative nê = no + epo = speak) means one not able to talk, a suckling. In context they are not able to chew "spiritual steak" because they are still on the bottle which limits their intake to "spiritual milk". Nepios does not necessarily indicate that they are "born again" like the "babe in Christ" (1Co 3:1, 2) where Paul was clearly describing immature, "carnal", "fleshly" believers. As alluded to earlier, you may have been genuinely saved and sitting in church for 40 years any yet still be able to only drink "spiritual milk" because of your lack of spiritual growth, in turn related to your failure to progress to the "solid food" of more serious Bible study! If you say that you are too busy for serious Bible study (eg, one that requires 4-5 hours of homework/week) then simply stated -- you are too busy! Now, if you have absolutely no appetite for the Word of God, no desire to read and study the Bible, then you need to seriously consider whether you are a genuine believer (see 2Co 13:5-note). Note that we are not talking about times when you are living in unconfessed sin which will kill the appetite of a genuine believer, but we are speaking to that person who says they have professed Christ and yet have never experienced a hunger or desire for the Word. Real physical newborn babies always desire milk. Plastic doll babies never desire milk. (see 1Pe 2:2-note) Nepios - 15x in 11v in NAS - Mt 11:25; 21:16; Luke 10:21; Rom 2:20; 1 Cor 3:1; 13:11; Gal 4:1, 3; Eph 4:14; 1 Thess 2:7; Heb 5:13. NAS = child(5), childish(1), children(2), immature(1), infant(1), infants(4). Paul uses nepios to exhort the believers at Ephesus ... As a result, we are no longer to be children (nepios), tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; (Ep 4:14-note) (Question: From this verse, what is the danger of spiritual immaturity? What is the antidote in Ep 4:11,12-note? What's the fruit of applying this antidote in Ep 4:13-note?) Paul does say that we are to be like infants or babes in one thing! Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be babes, but in your thinking be mature. (1Cor 14:20) (Question: In this context, can a "babe" be spiritually mature? And so we see the vital role that context plays in facilitating accurate Interpretation) J Vernon McGee notes in the present context the writer says his readers are infants because they do not... know the Word of God. I don’t want to step on your toes, my friend, but I’d love to be helpful to you. You cannot grow apart from the Word of God. I don’t care how active you are in the church. You may be an officer. You may be on every committee in the church. You may be a leading deacon or elder. I don’t care who you are, or what you are; if you are not studying the Word of God, and if you don’t know how to handle it, you are a little baby. It is tragic to occupy a church office when you are just a little baby. You ought to come on and grow up. It is tragic that there are people who have been members of the church and have been saved for years, and they are still going around saying, “Goo, goo, goo.” They have nothing to contribute but little baby talk. All they want is to be burped periodically! (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or Logos) (Or listen to his great "scratchy" voice as he gives this pithy warning -- Mp3 on Hebrews 5:12-14) Warren Wiersbe warns us that... Satan enjoys seeing Christians get a head-knowledge of victory without a heart-experience, because this lulls believers into a false security, and Satan finds them an easy prey. It is not the reading of truth, or even the enjoying of truth that brings the blessing. It’s the doing of truth. (The Strategy of Satan) John MacArthur... One of the marks of small children is lack of discernment. They have no way of telling what is good or bad for themselves. They judge only by feeling and whim. If something looks attractive, they may try to pick it up, even if it were a poisonous snake. If something looks remotely like food, they try to eat it. A child of three left to select his own diet would never live to four. He would either sweeten or poison himself to death. Some Christians, unfortunately, show little more discernment than this in the spiritual realm. They have been so little exposed to sound doctrine, or so long removed from it, that they judge entirely by appearance and feeling. Consequently, the church is filled with babes, who swallow almost any teaching that is put before them, as long as it is not blatant heresy and the teacher claims to be evangelical. As a body, and as individual Christians, we cannot be steadfast in Christ unless we are "constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine" (1Ti 4:6). As long as believers are immature, false doctrine is a major danger (cf. Ep 4:11-16). (MacArthur, J: Ephesians. Chicago: Moody Press or Logos or Wordsearch) Here is a simple illustration - A new Christian was reading through the Gospels. After she finished, she told a friend she wanted to read a book on church history. When her friend asked why, the woman replied, "I'm curious. I've been wondering when Christians started to become so unlike Christ." (Which of us is not convicted!) When you walk with Christ, you'll be out of step with the world. The world will try to pressure us To fit into its mold, But with God's help we can resist If to His truth we hold. --Sper The author assaults his friends with a somewhat silly image of adult babies who are still nursing. Put on your "sanctified imagination" for a moment. If this next Sunday service God were to dress each of those who attended in the garb that most nearly reflected their level of spiritual maturity, what would the assembly resemble? Perhaps we would not even need a separate nursery! Imagine the absurdity of full-grown men and women sitting in the pews in diapers sucking their thumbs and unable to eat solid food! That's the picture with which the writer of Hebrews is rebuking his dull (and in danger) readers! Remember that if your not growing in Christ-likeness and spiritual maturity, you are not simply maintaining the status quo. There is simply no such thing as a static Christian. We either move forward or fall back. We are either climbing or falling. We are either winning or losing. Static, status quo Christianity is a delusion, a perpetration of the Liar himself! Imagine yourself ("spiritually speaking") on a bicycle right now. Are you pedaling forward? Or are the pedals even moving? If they are not what is about to happen? If you are a cyclist and quit pedaling on a hill you are in trouble! And especially if you are clipped in! I'm an avid cyclist and some of my worst falls have been when I was either not moving forward or just barely moving! Now apply this analogy to your own spiritual life -- are the pedals moving? ><>><>><> Babies Need Weaning - I find few things more delectable than three or four of my wife's freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies, hot from the oven but cool enough to pick up and introduce to my longing taste buds. What really makes this treat complete is a large glass of ice-cold milk. That milk and those cookies are made for each other. Now, I'm not considered a baby because I still drink milk. But if that's all I took in for nourishment, you would ask, and rightly so, "What's wrong? Shouldn't you have been on solid foods long ago?" Transfer this scenario to our Christian lives, as the writer did in today's Scripture. There comes a point in our experience when we must move on from the basic salvation truths (Heb. 5:12)--not that we should ever lose our taste for them. Milk is always good and nourishing. We must never lose our appreciation for God's forgiveness and our new life in Christ. God wants us to learn the Word through study, prayer, meditation, obedience, and testing. We must know spiritual principles so that we can apply them, speak with confidence about our faith, and stand up under adversity. The milk of the Word will always taste good, but the Bible's solid food makes us strong. How's your diet? —Dennis J. De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) The Bible is a pantry Where I can always find The food I need from day to day For heart and soul and mind. --Anon. Spiritual growth requires the meat of God's Word. God's Word... has life, gives life and nourishes life. If you received physical nourishment with the same regularity that you receive spiritual nourishment from God's Word, what kind of shape would you be in? Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil (NASB: Lockman) Greek: teleion de estin (3SPAI) e sterea trophe, ton dia ten exin ta aistheteria gegumnasmena (RPPNPA) echonton (PAPMPG) pros diakrisin kalou te kai kakou. Amplified: But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ASV: But solid food is for fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. Barclay: For solid food is for those who have reached maturity, those who, through the development of the right kind of habit, have reached a stage when their perceptions are trained to distinguish between good and evil. (Westminster Press) ESV: But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (ESV) KJV: But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. NET: But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice for discerning both good and evil. (NET Bible) NIV: But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (NIV - IBS) NJB: Solid food is for adults with minds trained by practice to distinguish between good and bad. (NJB) NLT: Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right. (NLT - Tyndale House) TEV: Solid food, on the other hand, is for adults, who through practice are able to distinguish between good and evil. TLB: You will never be able to eat solid spiritual food and understand the deeper things of God's Word until you become better Christians and learn right from wrong by practicing doing right. Weymouth: Such persons are mere babes. But solid food is for adults—that is, for those who through constant practice have their spiritual faculties Wuest: But solid food belongs to those who are [spiritually] mature, to those who on account of long usage have their powers of perception exercised to the point where they are able to discriminate between both that which is good in character and that which is evil. (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: and of perfect men is the strong food, who because of the use are having the senses exercised, unto the discernment both of good and of evil. BUT SOLID FOOD IS FOR THE MATURE: he sterea trophe teleion de estin (3SPAI): (Matthew 5:48; 1Corinthians 2:6; Ephesians 4:13; Philippians 3:15; James 3:2) John MacArthur... The contrast here is simple. The one who continues to feed only on God's elementary revelations is not going to grow, not going to have any discernment. A small child will stick almost anything into his mouth, touch anything he can reach, go anywhere he can manage to crawl—with no concept of what is good for him and what is bad, what is helpful and what is dangerous. The mature adult, on the other hand, has developed considerable discernment. He is careful about what he eats, what he does, where he goes. The same principle operates in the spiritual realm. The mature believer has discernment about what is right and wrong, true and false, helpful and harmful, righteous and unrighteous. (MacArthur, John: Hebrews. Moody Press or Logos or Wordsearch) In His sermon on the mount, Jesus likewise exhorted His listeners to seek spiritual maturity declaring... Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt 5:48-note) Tom Constable... The writer’s point in these verses is not just that spiritual babies lack information, which they do, but that they lack experience. A person becomes a mature Christian not only by gaining information, though that is foundational, but by using that information to make decisions that are in harmony with God’s will. (Hebrews 5 Commentary) But - note the contrast and also note that mature is placed first in the Greek text for emphasis... and of perfect men is the strong food, who because of the use are having the senses exercised, unto the discernment both of good and of evil. (YLT) "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/hebrews_513-14.htm#not