The author of Hebrews writes to an audience of primarily Jewish background believers living when persecution against the church was escalating. They’ve been followers of Christ for some time, but rather than growing in spiritual maturity, some, at least, seemed to be drifting away (2:1). Some were losing sight of the true nature of Christ as infinitely greater than the angels or even Moses, a figure revered by their family and friends who were not Christians. With longing and eloquence, the author points them back to the truth, reminding them to stand together and encourage each other (e.g., 3:13; 10:25). Lone-ranger Christianity has never been a good idea.
This passage will be food for thought as we investigate adult education theory and practice. The author wrote to all the saints in the churches who would have read this letter, not just the leaders. All are told: “You’ve been disciples of Jesus long enough by now that you should be more like teachers than pupils who need the same basic instruction over and over.” Notice also the word “unskilled” in verse 13. Being unskilled is associated with a child-like ability to receive only the most basic of nourishment, unlike the “mature” who feast on solid food. And how did the mature get that way? They were “trained by constant practice.”
These first century believers may have drifted away because of a combination of peer pressure and Satan’s never-ending efforts to draw believers of all ages away from Jesus through complacency, fear, doubt, and sin of any kind. There’s a lot that can cause spiritual growth to stagnate. Christian educators should be among the most committed prayer warriors in our churches. We also find in the field of adult education a call to look closely at the programs we plan for fellow saints. What are the expectations of adult Bible teaching venues? Are they intentionally designed for growing maturity? Is it possible that we (maybe unconsciously) treat adults more like children than like people who function purposefully and independently in other areas of their life? Is our mindset that of equipping adult believers to be skilled enough in the Word to be teachers, or is our mindset to view them forever as those who need to be taught?
Comments are closed