Sunday, January 29, 2017

Defining Biblical "Milk" and "Meat"

(Transcript of lessons taught at Hope Bible Church, Locust Grove, GA, on January 15, 22, and 29, 2017; hopebiblechurchga.com.)

Texts: 1 Cor. 3:1-2; Heb. 5:11-6:3, 13:9; 1 Pt. 2:1-3

The scriptures use numerous metaphors or symbols to describe the word of God—e.g. light, water, fire, and sword—but also food metaphors like bread, honey, milk, and meat. The last two metaphors are the ones I’d like to consider in this study.

At the end of it, I hope that you’ll have a better understanding, not only of what constitutes milk and meat in both the kingdom and mystery programs, but of the importance of each and how to view them. 

Just as we need physical food to sustain and nurture us physically, we also need spiritual food to do the same spiritually; that food, of course, being the word of God. Since the scriptures appeared, beginning with Job and the law of Moses, we see this principle.

·         Job 23:12b, “…I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”

·         Deut. 8:3, “…that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD…”

The Bible not only describes the word of God as our spiritual food in general, but it also uses different foods in our physical diet as metaphors for different parts of the word of God. Some parts of the word of God are simple to understand, while others are quite difficult. The Lord kindly uses physical foods to illustrate this for us:

·         Milk is easily digested: it’s all babies live on for a time, until they’re able to take semisolid food, then solid in increasing complexity.
·         Meat, on the other extreme, is not easily digested, and it takes time for the child to grow to where he can stomach it.

Two apostles and the writer of Hebrews mention spiritual milk and meat. What arrested my attention and prompted this study was that milk and meat are discussed not only in the mystery program, but also in the kingdom program. Because these programs are different, there are differences in what constitutes milk and meat in them, but also similarities, both of which I’d like to address in this series. I’ll begin with the kingdom program, since it came first, and since Hebrews, which says more about milk and meat than any of the epistles, likely preceded 1 Corinthians.

KINGDOM PROGRAM
Three passages in the prophetic scriptures, all in the new testament, mention milk and/or meat.

1.      Heb. 5:11-6:3 (both)
2.      Heb. 13:9 (meat)
3.      1 Pt. 2:1-3 (milk)

Because of the dual application of these passages to the “little flock” in the Gospels-Acts period and to saints in the great tribulation, and because Paul mentions it in his epistles, milk and meat have been “on the table,” so to speak, for at least 2000 years. We’ll look at that more shortly, but let’s begin with definitions of milk and meat, both of which can be found in our first passage.

Heb. 5:11-6:3
This passage, which begins as a reproof and ends as an exhortation, follows a discussion of the priesthood of Melchizedek, a striking but mysterious figure in the kingdom scriptures (Paul never mentions him). He’s mentioned once by Moses in Genesis 14:18, once by David in Ps. 110:4, and nine times by the writer of Hebrews. So three witnesses vouch for him in different parts of the kingdom scriptures, especially the third witness. The discussion of Melchizedek spills into that of milk and meat, since the writer wanted to tell the Hebrews more about him but couldn’t, since they were “dull of hearing” (v. 11). In other words, their spiritual senses were dull and not fully developed, so they couldn’t handle any deeper discussion about Melchizedek. Remember Christ’s words to his followers en route to Gethsemane? In John 16:12, he tells the eleven that he has more to tell them about the future, but they weren’t ready for it yet. They weren’t mature enough at that point, but once the Spirit came upon them and indwelt them, they obtained the mature discernment that they lacked.

The next three verses provide us with definitions of milk and meat that will work, generally, for both the kingdom and mystery programs. I say generally since the specific constitution of milk and meat differ by program, but the principle behind the metaphor doesn’t.

Heb. 5:12, “need…the first principles of the oracles of God…need…milk
·         Heb. 6:1-2, “…the principles of the doctrine…the foundation…the doctrine…”

So milk is the first or foundational doctrinal truths in a program, be it kingdom or mystery. What about meat? Taking the passage as a whole, I think that scripture defines meat as this:

·         Doctrinal truths discerned by mature believers from their knowledge and use of truths more easily discerned.

The use of what they could discern gave them spiritual exercise, if you will, and enabled them to discern more deeply. Think about it: how do you become a black belt in karate? By learning the first principles of karate as a white belt, using them, learning the principles of the second belt color, using them, and so on. Black belts are using the principles they learned at each level in aggregate, giving them a bigger picture. The same goes for mature believers. They’re able to discern more and more broadly, since they’ve learned and applied more truth.

These two definitions lead into the exhortation in 6:1-3. Kingdom believers are urged to leave “the principles of the doctrine of Christ” and “go on unto perfection” where they can handle the meat of the word. So vv. 1b-2 actually provide examples of “milk” under the kingdom program.

·         Repentance from dead works
·         Faith toward God
·         Baptisms
·         Laying on of hands
·         Resurrection of the dead
·         Eternal judgment

These are all basics, because they’re all connected with the gospel of the kingdom, the beginning of their kingdom faith. In Mt. 3:1-12, John the Baptist come preaching this gospel, and notice how five of these six things are present:

·         Repentance from dead works (vv. 2, 8)
·         Faith toward God (cf. Mk. 1:15)
·         Baptisms (vv. 1, 6-7, 11)
·         Resurrection of the dead (v. 9)
·         Eternal judgment (vv. 7, 10-12; “unquenchable fire”)

“Laying on of hands” associated with receiving the Holy Ghost, either at salvation, as with the Samaritans (Acts 8:14) or for empowered service, as with the seven ministers supporting the twelve (Acts 6:6-8; Stephen already full of the Holy Ghost personally, per v. 5, but the laying on of hands empowered him further, I believe)

So those are the milky subjects which the writer said that his audience needed brushing up on before they went on to perfection, the ultimate goal, as it is for this age (2 Cor. 13:9, Col. 4:12).

But what about the meat? Was any example given of that? Yes, and that example prompted the digression to begin with. The writer had been discussing Aaron and Melchisedec’s priesthoods as types of Christ’s, and it seems that the writer wanted to expound this more deeply, but knowing his audience, felt like he could not. I think he sensed that they needed more grounding in the truth right in front of them (Peter calls it “the present truth” in 2 Pt. 1:12) before they delved into deeper pictures of it in the past. They couldn’t digest the meat about Melchizedec before they digest the milk about Christ (6:1).

I think that’s a good principle for us in teaching: introduce new converts to the Lord himself first before trying to explain how others in the Bible are figures of him. They need a good foundation in who he is himself before they can connect others to him, just like a child learns to relate to other adults by first relating to his parents.

Heb. 13:9
Only meat is mentioned in this passage, and the dangers thereof, but there’s an implicit reference to milk which I’d like to point out as well. Tying v. 9 back to 5:11-6:3, we see that a kingdom saint needs to go on to perfection through the meat of the word, but not get off balance with advanced truth. Occupation with “meats” can lead to being “carried about with divers and strange doctrines,” indicating that some meats are that. Nothing wrong with meats, but they need to be kept in their proper place and not abused.

What’s the key to maintaining balance with them? The middle of v. 9: “for it is a good thing for the heart to be established with grace.” Chasing strange doctrines is evidence of heart trouble, a temptation that even those mature in the word have to resist. But if your heart is established like it should be, with a foundation of grace, you’ll be balanced and know how to use the word properly, like we read in 5:13-14. A key word in the last phrase is “occupied”: meats are profitable, but we don’t need to be unduly occupied in them, lest we lose our balance and begin chasing strangeness. A balanced spiritual diet might look something like this:

·         Milk: foundational truth (strong bones for life; muscles are useless without strong bones)
·         Bread: core doctrines about Christ (daily energy/power)
·         Meat: advanced truth that adds to spiritual strength (muscles)

Note two important things that precede v. 9: the figures in vv. 7-8.

A proper relationship with the Lord and your elders will help you avoid the pitfall of v. 9. You need to be occupied with your faithful, unchangeable Lord as a person, not with just learning “some new thing.” Your elders are given to you as examples of balance in this respect and to warn you when you’re getting off track. Not accepting pastoral correction, where it’s based on scripture, is a sure sign of stupidity.

Did you know that rebuke is a means of grace? 2 Tim. 3:16 mentions four benefits of scripture: doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. So you can’t get the maximum benefit from scripture by refusing reproof and correction, as well as doctrinal teaching and instruction in righteous living. Bottom line is, if you get off track, your walk with the Lord and relationship with your elders in the Lord isn’t what it ought to be. I see renegade preachers as men who will not submit to the authority of others in the body more mature than them. I think that Terry McLean and Richard Jordan are a good example of this scenario. Bro. Jordan isn’t perfect, but he’s a very mature and meek man, who’s taught the things McLean objects to in the right spirit, with scriptural support. IMO, McLean should submit to that, but he won’t, and he’s the loser, not Jordan.

To wrap this section up, it’s a shame for believers to stay on milk too long, but it’s also a shame for believers on meat to lose their moorings to grace and get occupied with the novel and strange. Grow up and stay balanced, and that will make you a profitable to the most, like Paul was (1 Cor. 10:33).

1 Peter 2:1-3
Remember that this is addressed to kingdom saints and not to members of the body of Christ. I used to point out that this was a command and not saying that newborn babes will automatically desire the word. For the believer in this age, I think that both are true. Your new nature will draw you to the word, but you must yield to it.

·         But the kingdom saints also need this exhortation, which closely resembles James’ in Jas. 1:21, “Wherefore laying apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, receive with meekness the engrafted word…” Saints in all ages separate unto the word and the word separates them (John 17:17; Eph. 5:26).

·         Context of milk here: 1:23-25, which deals with the gospel of the kingdom, and 2:4-10, which continues the kingdom/covenant context (vv. 5, 9-10).

·         “Grow thereby”: in grace and knowledge (2 Pt. 3:18). Now it’s a different grace than ours; their grace was prophesied (1:10) and connected with the second coming; in light of 1:13, I think that it’s persevering grace: the better they know the word, the more likely they’ll be able to endure to the end and be saved.

·         For us, the better we know the word, the more we’ll understand the salvation we already have (2 Tim. 3:14-17) and work it out. See how the growth is reversed between the programs? A good cross reference for 2 Pt. 3:18 is 2 Pt. 1:4-10. This describes the desired growth of a kingdom saint: he grows in virtue to bear fruit and enter the kingdom (v. 9), not because he’s already entered it like we have (Col. 1:13).


MYSTERY PROGRAM
Only one passage in Paul’s epistles deals with spiritual milk and meat, but it’s descriptive enough to shed light on what they constitute and who they’re for. The passage also provides a superb example of something that can be milk at one level, but meat at another. I think that’s true for Paul’s doctrine in general. It can be understood at a basic level, but with spiritual growth, at ever deepening levels also.

1 Cor. 2:6-3:4
Most of 1 Cor. is practical, not doctrinal, since these carnal believers weren't ready for advanced light.  When Paul finally does come to a doctrinal discussion in 1 Cor. 15, it’s on a basic doctrine, the resurrection, and still prompted by errors in the church’s thinking. So one could almost say that the entire epistle is corrective.

Milk and meat are mentioned at the beginning of chapter 3, but these verses are connected to most of the material in chapter 2, especially v. 6ff. In the larger passage, 2:6-3:4, we learn about three levels of spiritual life in this age (nature, carnality, and spirituality). The categories in 1 Cor. 10:32 (“Jews,” “Gentiles,” and “the church of God”) are ethnic and emphasize that ethnic differences are lost in Christ, as far as our standing before God goes. It’s important to understand the three levels of spiritual life to make sense of Paul’s metaphorical use of “milk” and “meat.”

·         Natural: does not have the Holy Spirit; hence no supernatural discernment (beyond conscience, which he’s born with) and dominated by flesh
·         Carnal: indwelt by Holy Spirit but dominated by flesh
·         Spiritual: indwelt and dominated by Holy Spirit

Per verse 14, the natural man cannot discern milk or meat, since he lacks the spiritual capacity for it, being devoid of the Holy Spirit. The carnal man, however, does possess the Holy Spirit and hence has some spiritual discernment, but it is limited by his frequent yielding to the flesh, hence “ye were not able to bear it” (3:2), i.e. meat. The spiritual man, however, has developed discernment (“judgeth all things”) through yielding to the Spirit and obeying the word of God (v. 13), and hence is able take on a spiritual diet of increasing complexity. This matches Heb. 5:14, “But strong meat belongeth unto them of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.” Both sets of saints have the indwelling Spirit, which gives them spiritual understanding (Job 32:8); the difference is that the Spirit in this age baptizes us into Christ and consequently indwells us forever. Neither is true of the kingdom saint.

The “spiritual” man is the one referred to in v. 7, “them that are perfect” or mature. That type of man can discern deeper truths about the cross, as touched on in vv. 8-9, and elsewhere, which we’ll see.  Babes, however, cannot, and they must be taught the “first principles” again, just like the kingdom saints; hence Paul mainly covers the basics of the gospel in 1 Cor. 15, not deeper things about it.

But not with every church. In Ephesians and Colossians, for example, he’s writing to mature believers and unfolds deeper aspects of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, which are hardly mentioned in Paul’s other epistles. Let’s look at a few examples:

·         Eph. 2:11-22: union of Jew and Gentile in one body made possible at Calvary
·         Col. 1:20-23: reconciliation of things in heaven and earth

It’s ironic that though the Corinthians had “superpowers,” they were immature. Superpower in this age is charity, not miraculous deeds.

Compare kingdom milk to mystery milk:
·         Resurrection milk in kingdom age too (Heb. 6)
·         Baptism (1 Cor. 1:14-17)
·         Signs & wonders (laying on of hands); milk! not meat
·         Repentance from dead works (putting away old man)
·         Faith (trusting God)
·         Eternal judgment (hell is milk)
So Calvary is milk in one sense (Christ died for our sins; 15:3-4); meat in another (all that was achieved there gets deeper and deeper; 2:10).

Meat is not just what Christ did for us, but what Christ did in us (Eph. 1:19, 3:20; Col. 1:27; etc.) and what he made us in him. Babe doesn’t really understand this (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19-20), because he’s more in touch with his flesh than the Holy Spirit. But when he begins to hearken and yield to the Spirit more and more, by means of the Spirit’s words (2:13), the flesh is put down and his discernment continually grows.


CONCLUSION
That’s what God has for you, brethren, if you’re willing to reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:11). God can’t and won’t make you grow; that’s up to you. Our salvation is unto a relationship, and just like any other one, it must be cultivated for there to be growth. God has done his part to create this relationship and foster it, so the ball is in our court. We have as much of God as we want, and for many of us, we’ve settled for far too less than we should.

With prospects like scripture describes, like having the mind of Christ practically, who wouldn’t want to “go on to perfection”? Only those, I suppose, who have other priorities, ones they’ll wish they hadn’t when all is said and done. “Let us go on”!!




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