All these doctrines gain full meaning with the coming of Christ. The point of the text is that all of these are simply foundational. These are the elementary issues. This is a sobering word to Presbyterians who put so much stress on learning. For those of us who love to study and learn more, we need to hear this perspective.
Doctrines are the milk, knowing right from wrong is the meat.
The desired outcome that is given for all this learning is the ability to discern right from wrong . So maturity has to do with right and moral behavior. The first mark of maturity is character. Someone once defined character as the things we do when no one is watching. Character is tested by actions that are determined by our own values, not just to impress the crowd.