In the New Testament books a situation is often mentioned when those to whom the speaker is addressing himself prove unable to hear him. Quite often the issue is Jesus, but sometimes other preachers too, as in the case of the author...
In the New Testament books a situation is often mentioned when those to whom the speaker is addressing himself prove unable to hear him. Quite often the issue is Jesus, but sometimes other preachers too, as in the case of the author of the Letter to the Hebrews. This author tells his listeners and readers that they have become "sluggish in hearing," which is exactly how the Greek text sounds literally. What is this: unwillingness to listen? Hardly.
Unwillingness presupposes that the listener has already managed to hear and understand something of what was said. And, having evaluated what was heard, decided that he does not want to hear it. Here both evaluation and attitude are present. The author of the letter, however, speaks of sluggishness. Of unwillingness not simply to hear, but to listen at all. Of slackness that excludes both evaluation and any definite attitude. Most often this happens when the listener or reader simply is not interested in what is before his ears or eyes. But in this case the issue is clearly not that. Evidently the addressees of the letter already know its author, and earlier they were interested in what he wanted to say to them.
The issue here is something else. It may, of course, be an ordinary reaction of rejection. This happens when what is said is categorically unacceptable to the listener. Then the listener may simply stop perceiving what he does not want to hear: a kind of internal psychic filter turns on, preventing him from hearing what he does not want to hear. But for such a filter to work, a certain inner activity is still needed, and rather high activity.
Rejection too can be active or passive. And since the author of the letter speaks of sluggishness, the passive variant is more fitting than the active one. This too happens. Especially in cases where a person values his emotional, for example religious, comfort too highly. In such a case the defensive mechanism may work somewhat differently: instead of an active psychic filter, a passive one is set up.
Perception is not blocked, but its threshold is lowered so much that, simply speaking, it is impossible to make oneself heard. Physically he hears the one addressing him, but psychologically he does not. He remains inside his matrix, into which nothing from outside penetrates. Of course, the person himself often does not realize what is happening. But this is not necessary: a certain spiritual state, a certain intention, is enough. For example, an intention directed toward preserving inner, spiritual, and psychological comfort at any cost. The psyche will do the rest by itself. For it obeys our will, and its functioning is determined by our choice.
5
5:11 Concerning whom - The apostle here begins an important digression, wherein he reproves, admonishes, and exhorts the Hebrews. We - Preachers of the gospel. Have many things to say, and hard to be explained - Though not so much from the subject - matter, as from your slothfulness in considering, and dulness in apprehending, the things of God.
5:12 Ye have need that one teach you again which are the first principles of religion. Accordingly these are enumerated in the first verse of the ensuing chapter.And have need of milk - The first and plainest doctrines.
5:13 Every one that useth milk - That neither desires, nor can digest, anything else: otherwise strong men use milk; but not milk chiefly, and much less that only. Is unexperienced in the word of righteousness - The sublimer truths of the gospel.Such are all who desire and can digest nothing but the doctrine of justification and imputed righteousness.
5:14 But strong meat - These sublimer truths relating to "perfection," Heb 6:1.Belong to them of full age, who by habit - Habit here signifies strength of spiritual understanding, arising from maturity of spiritual age. By, or in consequence of, this habit they exercise themselves in these things with ease, readiness, cheerfulness, and profit.
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6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ - That is, saying no more of them for the present. Let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works - From open sins, the very first thing to be insisted on. And faith in God - The very next point. So St. Paul in his very first sermon at Lystra, Act 14:15, "Turn from those vanities unto the living God."And when they believed, they were to be baptized with the baptism, not of the Jews, or of John, but of Christ. The next thing was, to lay hands upon them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: after which they were more fully instructed, touching the resurrection, and the general judgment; called eternal, because the sentence then pronounced is irreversible, and the effects of it remain for ever.
6:3 And this we will do - We will go on to perfection; and so much the more diligently, because,
6:4 It is impossible for those who were once enlightened - With the light of the glorious love of God in Christ. And have tasted the heavenly gift - Remission of sins, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. And been made partakers of the Holy Ghost - Of the witness and the fruit of he Spirit.
6:5 And have tasted the good word of God - Have had a relish for, and a delight in it. And the powers of the world to come - Which every one tastes, who has an hope full of immortality. Every child that is naturally born, first sees the light, then receives and tastes proper nourishment, and partakes of the things of this world. In like manner, the apostle, comparing spiritual with natural things, speaks of one born of the Spirit, as seeing the light, tasting the sweetness, and partaking of the things "of the world to come."
6:6 And have fallen away - Here is not a supposition, but a plain relation of fact. The apostle here describes the case of those who have cast away both the power and the form of godliness; who have lost both their faith, hope, and love, Heb 6:10, etc , and that wilfully, Heb 10:26.Of these wilful total apostates he declares, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. (though they were renewed once,) either to the foundation, or anything built thereon. Seeing they crucify the Son of God afresh - They use him with the utmost indignity. And put him to an open shame - Causing his glorious name to be blasphemed.
6:8 That which beareth thorns and briers - Only or chiefly. Is rejected - No more labour is bestowed upon it.Whose end is to be burned - As Jerusalem was shortly after.