For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness.
Parallel translations
- WEB For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby.
- KJV For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
- NKJV For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
- NASB For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
- NLT For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Anyone living only on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness and remains spiritually an infant. Lack of growth leaves believers immature and undiscerning.
Overview
The writer uses the image of an infant to describe Christians who never advance beyond basic teaching. Such immaturity leaves them unable to handle the deeper 'word of righteousness.' The point urges progress in understanding and practical godliness, not contentment with spiritual infancy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 1 Pet 2:2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
- 1 Cor 14:20Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
- 2 Tim 3:16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
- Eph 4:14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
- Isa 28:9Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast?
- 1 Cor 3:1Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.
- 1 Cor 13:11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.
- 2 Cor 3:9For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!
- Ps 119:123My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, and for Your righteous promise.
- Matt 11:25At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
- Rom 10:5–6For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”
- Rom 1:17–18For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
- Mark 10:15Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
- Rom 2:20an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.
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Original language
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