Maziwa dhidi ya Nyama

Waebrania 5:12 inatoa mwito mkali wa kuamka. Wanaoshughulikiwa ni wale ambao waliwahi kujua angalau kanuni za msingi, lakini bila kuhamia kwenye kanuni za juu, walipoteza hata hizi. Angalia inasema, "Mnahitaji mtu wa kuwafundisha tena kanuni za kwanza za maneno ya Mungu, na mmekuwa wahitaji wa maziwa." Hawa wanahitaji maziwa tena, kanuni za msingi, wakati wanapaswa kuwa wamepita muda mrefu uliopita.

Hebrews 5:12 presents a strong wake-up call. The ones addressed are those who once knew at least the basic principles, but not having moved on to higher principles, lost even these. Note it states, “You need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God, and have come to need milk.” These need the milk again, the basic principles, when they should have been long past this.

Mstari wa 13 unasema kwamba yeye anayekula tu maziwa, hana ujuzi wa haki, hivyo kuweka ujuzi na maisha ya haki juu ya kanuni hizi za msingi. Na katika mstari wa 14 tunaona kwamba Mkristo aliyeendelea zaidi, kula nyama kali, au chakula kigumu, ikilinganishwa na maziwa ya maji inachukuliwa kuwa mtu mzima zaidi kama ajuavyo na kuishi uadilifu, na anaitumia daima katika ufahamu, hekima na uthamini wa wote. ambayo ni kweli “haki” mbele za Mungu, hivyo kwa utayari “hutambua kati ya mema na mabaya,” na kuchagua tu jema.

Verse 13 states that he who partakes only of milk, is unskilled in righteousness, so placing the knowledge and living of righteousness well above these basic principles. And in verse 14 we find that the more advanced Christian, partaking of strong meat, or solid food, as compared to liquid milk is considered more mature as he knows and lives righteousness, and uses it always in the understanding, wisdom and appreciation of all that is truly “right” with God, thus he readily “discerns between good and evil,” and chooses only the good.

Katika Waebrania 6:1, 2 tunasoma juu ya “kuacha yale mafundisho ya awali (maziwa) na msiyaweke tena; yaani kuzitubia kazi zisizo na uhai, na imani kwa Mungu, na ubatizo, na kuwekewa mikono, na ufufuo wa wafu, na hukumu ya milele.” Haya yote ni ukweli, lakini ni mambo ya maarifa, mapokeo, historia na unabii lakini hayatusaidii kukomaa kama nakala za Kristo. Vidokezo vingine vingi vya "kiufundi"' vinaweza kuongezwa kwenye orodha. Afadhali tunahimizwa kuendelea kwenye ukamilifu, kutoka kwa maziwa hadi nyama kali.

In Hebrews 6:1, 2 we read of “leaving the elementary principles (the milk) and not laying them again; that is repentance from dead works, faith toward God, baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.” These are all truth, but they are things of knowledge, traditions, history and prophecy but do not help us mature as copies of Christ. Many other such “‘technical”’ points could be added to the list. We are urged rather to go on to perfection, from milk to strong meat.

Jambo kuu liko kwenye 5:14: “wale ambao akili zao kwa kutumiwa zimezoezwa kupambanua mema na mabaya pia.” Hitaji ni kusonga mbele zaidi ya kanuni za msingi za ukweli, kwenda kwenye “matumizi” ya kudumu ya ukweli ulio hai maishani mwetu ili tupate utambuzi na matumizi ya ujuzi wa mema na mabaya, na hivyo kujua na kuchagua mapenzi ya Mungu na kukataa mapenzi ya Shetani. . Hii tu ndio maisha ya kukomaa na ya uaminifu, na hii tu ndio nyama yenye nguvu. Kukubali kipaumbele kwa maarifa, mila, historia na unabii wa hata imani zetu wenyewe ni maziwa. Ni kweli, lakini ni maziwa (1Kor. 13:2). Na chochote tunachokubali kwa ulimwengu, Shetani, na kuwapendeza wengine ni kibaya zaidi!

The key point is in 5:14: “those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” The need is to move beyond the basic principles of truth, to the constant “use” of living truth in our lives so that we gain the discernment and the application of the knowledge of good and evil, thus knowing and choosing God’s will and refusing Satan’s. Only this is the mature and faithful life, and only this is strong meat. Conceding priority to knowledge, traditions, history and prophecy of even our own beliefs is all milk. It’s true, but it is milk (1 Cor. 13:2). And anything we concede to the world, Satan, and the pleasing of others is far worse!