The letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament is a book that we have some questions about. To begin with we don’t know who wrote it, the author does not state their name anywhere in the text. In addition, we do not know the location of the people that this letter was written to. However, one thing that is abundantly clear is that the writer of this letter is very knowledgeable and gives some weighty teaching in its pages. It is also clear that the author does not think the recipients of the letter are where they should be spiritually. In Hebrews 5:11 the author says that they “are slow to learn” (NIV 1984). In the next verse, Hebrews 5:12, the author goes on to say that they should be teachers by now but instead they need someone to teach them the elementary truths of the Word of God all over again (the word “elementary” (NIV) is used twice in the space of a few verses, in Hebrews 5:12 and Hebrews 6:1).

These two verses should give us pause because they touch on some very important issues. The first concerns teachers. We know from Scripture that there are some people who are specifically called to be teachers. In Ephesians 4 the apostle Paul lists a number of ministries that Jesus has placed in the church. He specifically mentions apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Eph. 4:11). This verse explicitly states that the Lord has placed teachers in the church. Other scriptures in the New Testament verify that the first century church had them. Acts 13:1 tells us that there were teachers in the church at Antioch. Paul referred to himself as a teacher (1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11). Paul also mentioned teachers when he wrote to the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 12:28). The church today also has teachers. Some of these teachers are pastors, or elders, and some are Sunday School teachers or home group leaders. Teachers are necessary for the health, growth, and care of the church.

The interesting thing about these verses in Hebrews is that the writer tells the recipients that they should be teachers by now. In context, the author is not addressing a particular group within the body of believers, but all of the recipients of the letter. Stated differently, the whole church, every believer, should be able to teach. Does this statement contradict other verses that say only certain people are teachers? Ephesians 4:11 says that only “some” will be teachers. The apostle James (Gal. 1:19), while writing to Christians, said that not many of them should become teachers (Jas. 3:1). I don’t believe there is a contradiction here. Why? Every believer is to be a disciple of Jesus Christ (Matt. 29:19). As such, every Christian should be able to convey basic scriptural truth to others. This includes presenting the gospel message to unbelievers and encouraging or instructing, fellow believers. The larger context in Hebrews, which extends into chapter six, indicates that the Christians addressed in this letter were lagging behind in basic or elementary Christian doctrine (see Heb. 5:11-6:3). Every Christian needs to be adequately equipped in the Word. The church in Jerusalem devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles (Acts 2:42). That is a good model for all churches to follow. It is the normal response for churches that believe the apostolic message is the Word of God (1 Thess. 2:13); as twenty-first century believers we need to be serious about the Word of God.

The other issue that this Hebrews text raises is, who is responsible for their deficient knowledge of God’s Word? Was is the leaders’ fault or the congregation’s fault? The author of Hebrews says that it is due to their slowness to learn (Heb. 5:11). In the text the word “you” is used. This word should be understood as being plural (referring to all of the recipients of the letter) and would thus place the blame for this deficiency on the hearers/readers of this letter. This being the case, “you” may also be applicable to their spiritual leaders who would also be exposed to the contents of the letter (though the writer speaks somewhat favorably of them in Hebrews 13:7 and 17). Whoever is being reprimanded here is being called on to change. The author of Hebrews expected better of them. This text shows us that it is right, and reasonable, to expect believers to grow in their knowledge of the Word of God over the course of time. If this was true in the first century, before a completed New Testament was in the hands of believers, how much more is it true now!

It is possible to have tremendous teachers but have students whose hearts are not in the place to receive what it being taught. It is also possible to have very zealous learners but have spiritual leaders who are not sufficiently equipped to convey the truth to others. The problem in this later case may be that the leader does not know their doctrine sufficiently, or that they cannot communicate it in such a way that people understand and learn.  

Regardless of who one is in the church, whether a leader or a lay person, none of us should feel comfortable with having the charge that was directed to the Hebrews applied to our lives. We all have a responsibility to know and grow in God’s truth, both for our own benefit and for the benefit of others. We need scriptural knowledge in order to instruct one another (Rom. 15:14) and we need the help of the scriptures in order to encourage one another (Rom. 15:4). We live in a day in which there are vanishing Sunday school programs, and vanishing Bible studies. Some churches are doing away with these ministries. In these places neither children nor adults are receiving much biblical instruction in the church apart from the Sunday morning sermon or children’s church. This is quite frankly not enough. Some people are diligent and educate themselves, they read the Bible, use extra study helps, and seek to grow on their own. However, not every church member is like that. This is most unfortunate because every Christian is supposed to be a disciple (Matt. 28:19; Acts 11:26). Pastors, seek to find ways to get more of God’s truth into the people under your care. May we all, both leaders and congregational members, apply ourselves diligently to the study of the Word of God, so no one can say what was said of the believers addressed in the book of Hebrews. As Pentecostals we are to be people of both the Word and the Spirit.

John P. Lathrop is a graduate of Zion Bible Institute and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is an ordained minister with the International Fellowship of Christian Assemblies. He has written articles and book reviews for a number of publications including: the Pneuma Review, the Africanus Journal of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Christian Trends Magazine, in India, and  Berita Mujizat and Jurnal Jaffray, both in Indonesia. He is also the author of four books.