“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity.” – Hebrews 6:1
While Paul is telling us to move beyond the basics, he didn’t want his readers to think they are no longer relevant.
The Apostle Paul was a tireless church planter, setting up leadership, structures, and teachings in community after community. Yet, if you spend time in his letters, one theme becomes strikingly clear: he was constantly correcting them.
Time and time again, Paul would receive news that believers had been infiltrated by different teachings—ideas that contradicted the very foundation Christ had laid. His letters are often filled with frustration, having to rebuke, correct, and redirect these churches back to the basics he delivered when he first arrived.
The Cracks in the Structure
Sadly, not much has changed in the church today. We still see many people moving away from foundational teachings, which is necessary for growth, but they’re not just growing—they are often venturing onto different paths that completely contradict those teachings.
While the writer of Hebrews encourages us to grow and mature, we were never meant to forget those fundamental truths. Foundational teachings are the things that solidify and strengthen every other teaching that follows.
You can easily compare it to the foundation of a building. If the foundation is flawed, the building will reveal its problems with visible cracks. Or, think of a compass: if you venture even one degree off of the correct direction, you will eventually find yourself in a completely different place from your intended destination.
The Teachings We Cannot Skip
To make our spiritual growth stable, we must keep those core truths intact. While there are so many important core truths one could mention, what are some examples of foundational teachings we often neglect today?
- The Dignity of Work: Many Christians become so focused on “ministry” and “heavenly” pursuits that they believe they don’t need to work diligently. Yet, the Word of God is clear that diligent work forms a part of our foundation and a vital part of our Christian testimony on earth. Neglecting this foundation is damaging to our witness.
- The Reality of the Cross: Countless Christians have embraced a half gospel, merely focusing on the prosperity aspect of the gospel, promising comfort and earthly reward. They have entirely forgotten the fact that the Word of God explicitly tells us we will face trials and that we are commanded to take up our cross—a concept that is anything but comfortable. One has to wonder if ever there was an altar-call on a given Sunday, calling for unbelievers to take on the sufferings Christ told us about, how many would still sign up and willingly walk the journey wholeheartedly.
When these foundations are removed, we are easily swayed.
When “Clever” Replaces “Grounded”
So much of the modern church has become preoccupied with being “clever” and led by new, innovative ideas—so much so that these pursuits have inadvertently destroyed the foundational stability that supports real growth and maturity. It’s no wonder we often hear the call to “come back to the basics again.”
I recently listened to a vlog where the leader who discussed a growing trend noted how the church in general started looking more and more like the world to become attractive to unbelievers. From motorcycle rides on stages to elaborate displays, he noted that these efforts were effective for a time in church history. He continues that many of these same techniques no longer hold the same effectiveness and are in some ways actually taking away from the foundational aspects of setting up men and women to be grounded in the faith. Many are increasingly looking for the original and authentic gospel message that establishes them as solid believers in Christ Jesus.
These warped ideas often manifest in a worldly, celebrity-driven character. At times, some leaders and churches may be tempted to chase popularity or comfort, echoing the celebrity culture of our world. This goes completely against the nature, teachings, and fundamentals of God’s word.
Many believers place a heavy emphasis on the “spiritual” things—like gifts, experiences, or miraculous promises—while entirely forgetting the foundational, practical things (like honesty, hard work, humility, and enduring trials) that have a direct impact on the spiritual well-being and testimony of God’s people.
God isn’t going to tear out the foundational roots of faith just to give us something brand new. Instead, the deeper teachings and more complex ways of His word will always find their way back to the foundations He set in place.
Conclusion and Reflection
Perhaps a question to reflect on today is this: Do the ways I am living out my faith find themselves embedded in the foundational teachings of God’s word (like the dignity of work and the necessity of the cross), or have I taken hold of teachings that feel comfortable or clever while, in reality, they’re missing the mark?