Matthew Poole and continuators on Hebrews 5:12

12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers , ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God , and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat .

The Conviction of this fault in their Understanding and Will, is by the Spirit demonstrated; for their dullness proceeded from their neglect of God's means of Knowledge, and so were inexcusable; they had time and means enough of improving in the knowledg of this Gospel-Doctrine of Christ's Priesthood, and to have gained in them the abilities of Teachers of their Families, fellow Christians and Neighbours both from the Law of Moses, and the other Scriptures, and by the Teaching of Christ and his Apostles.

Yet such was their negligence and idleness, that their Knowledge was diminished and lost, and they faln off to the Old Mosaical Oeconomy of Priesthood, Ceremonies and Services, so as they had need again to be taught and instructed by others, which are the [non-Latin text not transcribed] of God's Oracles in the Scriptures. Such things as are the first in order, and first to be taught and learnt, the very Fundamental Principles of Christianity, without the knowledg of which none can be saved, and on which all others do depend. They are so stiled by a Metaphor, signifying such a state of this in the Scripture, as the Elements have in natural bodies which they compound; or, like Elements of Speech, which must be first attained before there can be either an Understanding, Speaking or Writing of a Language; they are the foundation upon which a System of the Christian Religion is raised, see chap. 6.1. which Principles lie dispersed in the New-Testament, and are summed up in those Antient Creeds which are agreeable to our Saviour's Words.

[non-Latin text not transcribed], such Oracles or Revelations of God's Mind about the way of our Salvation, which he hath made to us by his Son our High-Priest, and which he brought from Heaven with him, and taught himself, as ch. 1.1, 2. and hath by the Inspiration of his Spirit of Persons, chosen on purpose by him, penned them eminently in the Scriptures of the New-Testament, not excluding those of the Old-Testament which are unvailed, opened and made glorious in them, Rom. 3.2.

These Hebrews had so greatly forgotten these first Principles, that they were become meer Babes and Infants in Knowledg, they needed the first and weakest Spiritual Food, metaphorically stiled Milk, the most plain and easy Truths of the Gospel, such as they may understand, and give light to others; not the Beggarly Elements of Iudaism, as they are stiled, Gal. 4.3, 9. and Col. 2.8, 20. which would keep them ignorant Babes in the Word of Righteousness, and unfit them for the understanding and digesting the stronger Food of the higher and more excellent Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Christ's Priesthood; such a Babe was Nicodemus, though a Master in Israel, Iohn 3.10, 12.

Marginal references: 1 Cor. 3.1, 2, 3.