Milk Comes First 循序渐进

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Dexu Xia

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May 2, 2021, 11:47:59 PM5/2/21

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Solid food is for the mature. Hebrews 5:14

In the seventh century, what is now called the United Kingdom was many kingdoms often at war. When one king, Oswald of Northumbria, became a believer in Jesus, he called for a missionary to bring the gospel to his region. A man named Corman was sent, but things didn’t go well. Finding the English “stubborn,” “barbarous,” and uninterested in his preaching, he returned home frustrated.

“I am of the opinion,” a monk named Aidan told Corman, “that you were more severe to your unlearned hearers than you ought to have been.” Instead of giving the Northumbrians “the milk of more easy doctrine,” Corman had given them teaching they couldn’t yet grasp. Aidan went to Northumbria, adapted his preaching to the people’s understanding, and thousands became believers in Jesus.

Aidan got this sensitive approach to mission from Scripture. “I gave you milk, not solid food,” Paul told the Corinthians, “for you were not yet ready for it” (1 Corinthians 3:2). Before right living can be expected from people, Hebrews says, basic teaching about Jesus, repentance, and baptism must be grasped (Hebrews 5:13–6:2). While maturity should follow (5:14), let’s not miss the order. Milk comes before meat. People can’t obey teaching they don’t understand.

The faith of the Northumbrians ultimately spread to the rest of the country and beyond. Like Aidan, when sharing the gospel with others, we meet people where they are.

In simple terms, how would you explain the gospel? How can you avoid expecting people who aren’t believers in Jesus to think or behave as you do?

Jesus, thank You for reaching me in ways I could understand.

惟独长大成人的，才能吃干粮。—希伯来书5章14节

在七世纪时，现在的英国是由多个王国组成，各国间常有争战。其中诺桑比亚王国的奥斯华国王成为基督徒时，便邀请宣教士到他的国家传福音。有位宣教士科曼被派去传道但结果并不顺利。他发觉英国人固执、野蛮，而且对他的讲道不感兴趣，于是他沮丧地回家了。

有位修士艾登对科曼说：“我认为你对这些未曾听闻福音的人要求过于严苛，他们需要的是牛奶，易于消化理解的教义。”他认为科曼用过于深奥的道理向诺桑比亚人传讲福音，是他们无法理解的。后来，艾登来到诺桑比亚，以当地人可以理解的方式传讲福音，结果有成千上万人成为基督徒。

艾登从圣经学到传福音要因人制宜，如使徒保罗对哥林多人说：“我是用奶喂你们，没有用饭喂你们。那时你们不能吃”（哥林多前书3章2节）。希伯来书告诉我们，在期望人们按照真理而行之前，要先让他们明白基要真理，包括对耶稣的认识、了解悔改和洗礼（希伯来书5章13节-6章2节）。虽然我们的灵命理当要有所成长（5章14节），但应循序渐进，先喝奶才吃干粮。毕竟，人若不明白真理，如何去遵行呢？

诺桑比亚人的信仰最终传遍该国也传到其他地区。让我们像艾登一样，与人分享福音时，也能因人制宜，按着对方的需要灵活变通。

你如何以浅显易懂的方式向人阐释福音？
你如何避免期望非信徒能和你有相同的思想及行为呢？