Repentance from dead works, faith in God, instructions of baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection from the dead, eternal judgment, why are these called elementary teachings? And if these are the elementary teachings what are the mature teachings?
We are all called to repent from our dead works, works that cannot save us. Many go back to dead works after salvation believing that salvation is by grace alone but to live the Christian life requires that they do it by works. These are dead works. Works may be important but they neither save us or keep us in the faith.
So what about faith in God? Isn't the Christian life a life of faith day by day, hour by hour? Why do we need to leave this teaching? Once again we are asked to move on from a faith that saves to a faith that keeps. We are not to give up on faith in God but to allow that faith to grow. We are not just to have a faith that saves but to have a faith that keeps.
What about baptisms, laying on of hands, etc.? I will need to come back to these tomorrow.
1 comment:
So, we are to leave these elementary teachings and move on to maturity (6:1). What is maturity?
Since part of the elementary teachings are "repentance from dead works", perhaps maturity is works that come from faith.
Vs. 10 says that the better things (the things of salvation) are that God will not be so unjust as to overlook our work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints. For when this is done in earnestness, it brings assurance.
Perhaps this is the authors way of saying "less faith talk, more faith living."
Post a Comment