Gospel for the Mature

I have titled this message as “Gospel for the Mature” with a premise that there is also a “Gospel for the immature.” In the light of Heb 5:9-6:2 and 1Co 2:6 we want to examine some questions: What gospel do I/you have? Is it a gospel for the mature or for the immature? What is the gospel for the mature?

First, the Gospel for the immature. The author of the epistle of Hebrews was frustrated by how some believers were not making progress in their spiritual life (Heb 5:11). They were certainly not recent converts and as per the author’s expectation, by then they should have grown up in the sense not only gain some higher level understanding about Christ but also should have had the confidence to teach those understanding to others (Heb 5:12). He went on to call them infants in need of spiritual milk because they were not moving on from the elementary teachings about Christ (Heb 5:12; 6:1).

Heb 5:9 … once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation …[10] and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. 11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. [12] In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! [13] Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. [14] But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

HEB 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, [2] instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

What then is the elementary teaching about Christ? The author of Hebrews lists six foundational Christian doctrines to be elementary teachings about Christ (Heb 6:1-2): 1. Repentance (running away from sin), 2. Faith (running toward God and connecting our life to Him through Christ Jesus), 3. Baptism (death of the old self and beginning of a new life in Christ by being united with Jesus in his death and resurrection), 4. Laying on of hands (Discovering God’s specific purpose on one’s life and giving oneself to it, also receiving spiritual gifts to fulfill that commissioning), 5. Resurrection (a Christian’s true hope is to look forward to living eternally with his/her glorious resurrected body a life that is free from sin, temptations, sickness and even death in the presence of Jesus and the Father) and 6. Eternal judgment (the final justice of God that will send not only unbelievers but also fallen Christians to second death and the fire of hell).

What?? These are the very foundations of Christian belief. We have understood them as the very gospel itself. So many theological battles have been fought over the nitty gritty of those issues. But to our great surprise, the author of Hebrews calls it THE ELEMENTARY TEACHING ABOUT CHRIST!! He also urges the readers to leave the elementary teachings which kept them immature and to go on to maturity (Heb 6:1) Yes the foundational teaching about Christ as listed above is the gospel, but it is an elementary gospel or an immature gospel. As it is, if you know/believe an immature gospel and remain there, you remain as an infant that should go on to maturing but it is not happening. So, thank God if you have the immature gospel clear to you by now, because it is the beginning of your salvation, but do not remain there. If you remain there, you remain as an infant. Pls go on to maturity. Pls leave the immature gospel and move on to a mature gospel for Christ’s sake and for your own sake! What then is the mature gospel?

Second, the mature gospel. One of the thing that the author of Hebrew mentioned as gospel for the mature was Jesus’ high priestly office in the heaven (Heb 5:10,11). Jesus became the source of eternal salvation and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek after he was made perfect. I think Jesus’ being “made perfect” is same as being “glorified” after his death and resurrection (Jn 7:39; 12:16,23; 13:32; Ac 3:13; 2Th 1:10; 1Pe 1:21). Just like things and events are associated with our lives progressively, so also there are events associated with Jesus’ life in progression. The glorification of Jesus is one such event, that happened after his resurrection and ascension. We understand very little about it because it happened not here on earth but in heaven. But the references mentioned above make it very clear that the Apostles were very confident about it.

As such we know quite a lot about Jesus from the gospel narrations. But we mostly know about his life and ministry on earth, things that happened already 2000 years before. But if we believe him to be alive with a resurrected body as fully man and fully God, what is he doing now. What is his appearance? What are his plans? What is he saying to me today on my own specific life situations and calling? In the Christmas time I received many people greet me saying, “May BABY Jesus be born into your heart this Christmas season and give you peace, joy, …” What?? How many times does Jesus need to be born? And why baby? Is he not  a man with flesh and bone and is 2000+ year old now. He is not a baby anymore! Frankly, I don’t need a “baby” Jesus when my Lord is sitting at the right hand of God in the throne room of heaven and looking after the affairs of the whole universe. I like celebrating His birthday. But for that He does not have to become a baby year after year. On my birthday, if someone greets me saying, “I love you baby Abraham“ I will be offended even if that was spoken with sincerity. These are such understanding about the Lord I call “immature gospel.” There is truth in it, but we need to move on to maturity!

Similarly, in 1Corinthians chapter 2, Apostle Paul talks about a message of wisdom for the mature (1Co 2:6). Many people make a big deal about Paul’s resolution to speak only about the cross of Jesus to the Corinthians (1Co 2:1-5). Paul did so because the Gentile Corinthians needed to meet Jesus as their personal Savior by receiving the forgiveness of sin that is available through Jesus’ paying the price of our sin on the cross. Though Jesus died as a powerless victim, in reality his death is the power of God. Though among many impressive stories of pagan gods, Jesus’ death on the cross looks foolishness, His death on the cross is the very wisdom of God. (1Co 1:23-25) Does this passage mean that we all like Apostle Paul must resolve to speak about the cross and nothing else?

Not so. Apostle Paul himself makes it clear that he spoke to them only the cross of Jesus because of their immaturity. His use of the word “however” at the beginning of the next paragraph indicates that neither it was his permanent resolution nor should it be ours (1Co 2:6-7). He spoke only about the cross of Christ to the Corinthians, not because he had nothing better to talk about Christ, but because he was mindful of the spiritual maturity and the need of his audience. He certainly had a message of wisdom for the mature, which spoke to the mature.

1CO 2:6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. [7] No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

Apostle Paul delivered/taught gospel messages. But he made distinction in the content of the gospel depending on the maturity level of his audience. He spoke elementary teachings about Christ, which I call “the gospel for the immature” when he was among the immature, but he spoke a message of wisdom or “the gospel for the mature” when he was among the mature. What according to Paul is the content of “the message of wisdom” or “the gospel for the mature” that he preached/taught to the mature? Paul makes it clear in the same verse that it was not about this age. It was also not about the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing. What then was it about? It was about the coming age. It was about the coming ruler. Jesus and the Apostles talked about the end of this present age and the coming of a new age, to the question of his disciples, “Tell us what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Mt 24:3)

The end of this age and the coming of the age is the gospel we all are waiting to be fulfilled. Who does not want this present evil age where Satan and his fallen angels control human activities on earth to be finished? Who does not want the devil to be defeated, captured and thrown into the lake of burning sulfur? Who does not want the kingdom of God (God’s direct ruling) to come on the earth as it is in heaven? Aren’t these promises we long to be fulfilled and even pray for? Isn’t it the GOSPEL? But it is a “mature gospel” for the mature believers. It is not surprising that the secular media, entertainment industry and even hindu religious groups are talking about end of this present age and beginning of the new age. Movies and books on the theme of "end of the world" are super-hit these days. I have been reading posters like “Yug parivartan ka sankhnaad” on public places, which translates to “Trumpet call of the end of the age.” The hindus believe in end of the present evil age (kali yug) and the beginning of the new golden age (satya yug) and they have started announcing it boldly. Where as we (Christians) who believe in the end of the age ushering in the new age through coming of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven are mostly unaware and uninterested. It’s because the gospel we have believed and are preaching is a “gospel of the immature.” We have not moved on from there to understand or believe “the gospel for the mature”.

Similarly we long for all the evil rulers of this age to be punished and brought into justice. We want Jesus who is both Savior and Lord to return to the earth as the King of kings and take the promised throne of David and rule for ever. Ultimately what is all about the revolution that started and spread to replace evil dictators in the Middle east? What is the fight for Lokpal in India? The Occupy Movement? These are all expression of one and the same issue: We are fed with evil rulers and evil systems and want a righteous ruler and a righteous world! Doesn’t the Bible talk about Jesus’ return to the earth to sit on David’s throne and rule the world as the righteous ruler with justice and peace? Isn’t it the gospel or the good news? Yes, it is. But this too is a “mature gospel” for the mature.

What if we remain in the elementary teaching about Christ, in the infant stage still drinking milk and not taking solid food, in the immature gospel and in our immaturity and not moving on to maturity? The author of Hebrews says that that then we are not aquainted with the teaching about righteousness (Heb 5:13). Then we are not living a righteous life that God has planned for us? Yes. Righteousness is not only about being free from moral sin and contaminations. Righteousness is about doing the right thing. It is not what I want to do though those things may be very nice things, though those things may look like godly, but it is about learning what God wants me to do in the present time through fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us to teach us what things are right in the sight of God and to help us to do those things. For example, He (the Holy Spirit) is not only teaching about the return of Jesus, but also how to prepare for the unique dynamics at the time of Jesus' return. He is teaching that Jesus is not only returning as the King of the Jews, but that Jesus loves the Jews and we too ought to love and pray for them even if they may not be so lovely at the moment! These are secretes in Jesus' heart today that the Holy Spirit is revealing to those who seek a mature gospel. Learning and obeying them is what the Apostles call being aquainted with the teaching about righteousness (Heb 5:13). I am reminded of the Jewish leaders of Jesus' time on earth in history. They had much truth about the Messiah from the OT scriptures, but they only had the elementary teaching about Him. Ignoring what the Messiah should be doing in his first coming, they were trying to fit every description about him that actually will be fulfilled in his second coming. As a result they crucified the Lord of glory. I am afraid that by remaining in the elementary knowledge about Jesus' Christ and not aware of His present and future plans, we may actually stand opposing Him when we see him doing things that we understand not. Then, though we may be sincere christians, though we may have given our whole life to Jesus and His work, we might end up opposing Him, just like the Jews rejected their Christ 2000 years ago!  

God planned this world before it came to exist. But he loves to keep his plans secret with His ultimate desire to reveal them progressively to those who can be entrusted with His secrets. Sometimes he reveals them directly through audible voice, dreams and visions. At other times he sends the Holy Spirit to illuminate truth that are in the Bible yet hidden to us so far, or have been partially or even sometimes misunderstood, to be understood clearly. The qualification to be entrusted with His secrets is our love for Jesus. If we love Jesus, he gives us the secrets of his hearts, the secrets of his plans, even about the end of the age and the new age to begin. We can choose for ourselves to remain in “gospel for the immature” or move on to “gospel for the mature.” We can choose to remain as an infant or become mature. We can choose to worship the historical baby Jesus of 2000 years back, or choose to seek what He is and what His present will and plan are for my life.

I can go on to talk about what maturity means and how we can be mature, which apostle Paul makes clear in this passage as being taught by the Holy Spirit (1Co 2:10,11,13,16), but due to lack of time and space I leave it for you to find for yourselves. After all we must make effort to mature! Don’t we?