Meat of the Word

Post by **_Hunnicutt** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:56 am

Just throwing out a question -- looking for friendly, informative feedback.

What is your understanding of the phrase, "meat of the Word?"

Post by **_anothersteve** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:06 am

Hunnicutt, thanks for throwing out the question. One thing I've noticed is when the word “food/meat” is used it seems to indicate that the person is doing/practicing God’s word. The word “milk” seems to be used when a person is not doing the Word or hearing it for the first time (early stages of learning). Just my thoughts.

Heb 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,
Heb 5:13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.
Heb 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

The Corinthians were not practicing God's word.

1Co 3:1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
1Co 3:2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,
1Co 3:3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

The following Christians were hearing the word for the first time. They did not have the opportunity of extended practice yet.

1Pe 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation--

Also....

Joh 4:34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Post by **_Mort_Coyle** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:06 pm

What is your understanding of the phrase, "meat of the Word?"

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us."

Post by **_Hunnicutt** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 1:45 am

Thanks for the replies.

I have found that the toughest thing for me to do is to obey the Great Commandment (to love God with all my heart, mind, and spirit) and the commandment that is like it (to love others as I love myself). Religious activities (like studying Scripture, attending church services, defending doctrines, ) are, for me, the easier part of Christianity. But genuinely loving God and my fellow man is the harder part - by far.

I am realizing that the tough/meaty parts of the Word seem to deal with having a right relationship with God and man. When I consider that, I feel a dagger thrusting into the gnostic/pharisitical pride that so easily besets me. As my desire to love Christ and my neighbors grows, my desire to engage in prideful debate declines.

I don't think I have to be a learned theologian to understand the "deep things" of God. I think I just need to have right relationships. Perhaps this is the meat of the Word.

More thoughts, anyone?

Post by **_STEVE7150** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 8:42 am

I don't think I have to be a learned theologian to understand the "deep things" of God. I think I just need to have right relationships. Perhaps this is the meat of the Word.

Right relationships is a big part, and one thing that's helped me to have a more forgiving attitude toward unbelievers is to remember that they are in the kingdom of darkness and are groping around on their own and that they are blinded by the devil.
Not that they are not accountable for their actions but we have to make sure we are good examples because that's a big part of proclaiming the gospel.

Post by **_Hunnicutt** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 11:56 pm

Steve7150,

I agree. And I have also found that it is hard to be forgiving toward fellow Christians who offend me, and gracious toward those who disagree with me. Sometimes family members treat one another worse than they treat those outside the family. (Why do we hurt the ones we love?)

Because of my pride, I tend to want to hold grudges. It is a shortcoming I am getting good victory over in the past few years, which is why I love (and have benefited from) Leviticus 19:18 -- "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord."

That is meat, and the reason it's meat is that it's tough to do! It runs contrary to the proudful old man in me. Sometimes I think I would rather study many years at a seminary rather than respond with genuine kindness and respect to a contrary brother/sister.

Grudges are like the weights and chains that Marley had forged in his life and was forced to carry about. Unless I become more Christlike because of the Word, then I am only a grudgeful pharisee with a head full of intricate knowledge, and a belly full of milk and cookies -- not living waters.

Hunnicutt

Post by **_STEVE7150** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:31 pm

Grudges are like the weights and chains that Marley had forged in his life and was forced to carry about. Unless I become more Christlike because of the Word, then I am only a grudgeful pharisee with a head full of intricate knowledge, and a belly full of milk and cookies -- not living waters.

Right Hunnicutt, there's no risk just having head knowledge. But Jesus said we must forgive others or our Father in heaven will not forgive us. And it feels like a cleansing to forgive and to literally live life one day at a time like Jesus said in Matt 6.

Post by **_MLH** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 10:23 pm

Personally, I do not want to be handed over to the "tormenters"
whoever they are! So, forgiveness is a choice...Kinda like giving God thanks IN everything but maybe not FOR everything?

Post by **_Hunnicutt** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:53 pm

Thanks for the insightful feedback, friends.

Much of the Bible deals with how we ought to live -- how we ought to conduct ourselves. (The KJV often uses the word "conversation" for conduct). And it seems to me it boils down to one word -- love. The more I read God's Word, the more I am struck with the amount of information and the number of urgings there are about Spirit-led interpersonal relationships.

Loving others requires me to come out of my comfortable, selfish shell and to consider the needs and lives of others, who are all, of course, just as special to God as I am. And as I keep repeating, that's tough! (like meat). It's much tougher than studying and laboring to be denominationally correct.

Unfortunately, denominational distinctives too often serve as barriers that hinder Christians from loving fellow believers who hold different views on peripheral issues. Perhaps God allows all these denominational differences so that we will all get plenty of exercise in loving one another in spite of our particular distinctives.

Hunnicutt