Hebrews 6:1-3 | What's a lesson for the original audience?

I remember a moment where I was pacing back and forth, fuming due to a conversation I had just had. One of my buddies that was with me paid me what I recall as a snide remark, "You just don't know how to quit." I was in a debate with someone who simply didn't know how to accept reason. The conversation was not supposed to be a complicated one. It was a very simple subject that should have been easy to follow, but the person I was debating did not have basic critical thinking skills. I don't say this as an insult to other individual, but the reality of it was there. Rather than recognizing that being right was not the most important thing in the world, I drove my point home until it resulted in insults. The other person was offended and left. It marred any future interaction with him. The fact is that I struggled to leave the discussion when I needed to.

This is a problem that we see through the Gospels that many of the Jews had. They loved debating useless things. They loved debating useful things. Regardless of the subject, they were eager to debate it. And debate they did. The command to not debate certain subjects and to leave discussions is found throughout many of Paul's epistles. It is also modeled in Jesus' behavior. He knew when to engage in a discussion and He knew when to leave one. It is an art to leave a discussion, especially when it is heated. We like resolution. So did they. We like being right. So did they. Often we will debate like a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu match. We push until the other person taps out. That is unhealthy for a church body. The problem that seems to have occurred here with the Hebrews is one that I see happen in many marriages. The conversation becomes cyclical. There is no progression to the conversation. That leads people to be stuck on whatever the subject is.

Given the amount that Paul had to address these elementary principles, we have a lot of evidence to suggest that these were frequently discussed and mishandled subjects. It was needed to have input and clarity on it. Given the teachings that surrounded it for these Jewish readers, the author of Hebrews considered these something that should be moved from. Leave the discussion and press on to perfection. We may see discussions like these as beneficial. There are times when it is. But remember, the audience should already be teachers. They should know these things and not have to continue to debate it. They have the skillset. What the author is speaking to them is a simple lesson. They need to stop with the milk, move on to solid food, leave the discussion, and press on to perfection. In short, they need to grow up in their faith.

What lesson are you seeing for the original audience?