Christian’s Expositor Journal
Vol. 7. Issue 4, Dec. 1993
Teaching the people of God the will of God is one of the most important tasks assigned to the leaders of God’s people. The degree of responsibility entailed in this work is daunting, for eternity is always in view of God’s teacher, and how and what he teaches will determine not only his own destiny but also that of his hearers. Yet, on the other hand, it is of paramount importance that God’s people be instructed correctly as to God’s will for their lives. The men in our churches who faithfully and honorably perform this task are to be commended heartily for their noble labors. No man can so exalt the people of God as that brother who faithfully instructs, exhorts, corrects and admonishes them in their efforts to attain a home in heaven.
Teaching men the will of God has been enjoined upon the leaders of God’s people in every age and the Word of God is richly infused with exhortations and commands detailing this grave responsibility. In Deuteronomy 4:9-10 (NKJV) Moses sternly admonished the Israelites:
“Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’ ”
In Deuteronomy 6:1-9, parents are commanded to diligently and constantly rehearse before their children the commands of God:
“Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His command-ments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Again in Deuteronomy 11:18-20 Moses gives the same command:
“Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth.” (Deuteronomy 11:18-20)
The children of Israel were to reinforce these commands in their own minds by repeating them over and over again to their children. At the same time they were imprinting the will of God indelibly upon the minds of their children and grandchildren. There is no surer way to remain strong in the Lord and at the same time to protect succeeding generations from apostasy than the process Moses commands.
In the time of the prophets, Ezra was instructed to “prepare his heart, to seek the law of the Lord and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (Ezra 7:10). In verse 25 of the same chapter he is commanded:
“And you, Ezra, according to your God-given wisdom, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are in the region beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach those who do not know them.”
Later in describing the future glory of Zion (i.e., the church— AWB) Isaiah said, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children.” (Isaiah 54:13).
During the personal ministry of Jesus, teaching the people of “the new and living way” was among His greatest works. The stupendous miracles He performed were only the bell tolled to bring the people together to hear His instruction. Matthew introduces his record of what may have been the greatest sermon of all time with these words:
“And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven...’ ” (Matthew 5:1-3).
In Matthew 7:28-29 Matthew appends this concluding note to the sermon on the Mount:
“And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
In His sermon on the Bread of Life in John 6:45, Jesus quotes the passage from Isaiah mentioned above and makes this application, “ ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” Finally, in his address of the Acts of the Apostles to Theophilus, Luke refers to his previous treatise, the Gospel of Luke, as the report of “all that Jesus began both to do and to teach.”
Not surprisingly, the teaching of God’s Word to God’s people continued to be one of the hallmarks of the church after the resurrection and ascension, of Jesus. In fact, Jesus’ parting refrain to His apostles was the instruction:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you ...” (Matthew 28:19-20).
The apostles faithfully took him at His word; for they were “daily in the temple and in every house,” and while they were there “they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” (Acts 5:42). When Paul and Barnabus returned from the council in Jerusalem they “continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also” (Acts 15:35).
In view of such continued exhortation, and so many varied examples, it is expected that the systematic teaching of God’s Word would be provided for in the Christian economy. Accordingly, Acts 13:1 refers to teachers as leaders in the congregation at Antioch, “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers.” .“ In Romans 12:4-8 we read again of teachers and this time of the office or function of teaching:
“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
In 1 Corinthians 12:28-29 again this work or function is addressed —the office of the teacher:
“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?”
In Ephesians 4:11-12 Paul says that among the gifts Jesus gave to men were those which enabled them to function in these offices: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
In 2 Timothy 2:2 we discover that this great work was to be passed on from one generation to the next. Paul instructs Timothy, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Finally, in Hebrews 5:12-14, the writer rebukes his readers for failing to mature and develop in the ministry of teaching the Word of God to the congregation.
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10).
Ezra was first required to prepare his heart to seek the law of the Lord. In other words, he was to schedule his time so that he had plenty of opportunity to learn what the Lord’s will entailed. The teacher of God’s people should always be developing a deeper and more thorough knowledge of the law of the Lord. He must study. He must become conversant with all of God’s Word. His study should include a general, ever-expanding knowledge of God’s Word as well as a more specific knowledge relative to the passages he is assigned to clarify on the subjects he is to expand upon.
Next, Ezra was “to do it.” He was to adopt into his own life those divine principles he learned from God’s law. Obedience must be the benchmark of a teacher of God’s people. No man can successfully instruct, or correct, or protect the church who does not practice what he teaches. Of course, there will be times where he fails to walk in the way of the Lord; however, when such is the case the teacher should evidence his humility before God by correcting his behavior. At all times, obedience should characterize the general tenor of his life.
Finally, Ezra was to teach the people. He was to faithfully instruct them with the sound doctrine he had learned from the Scriptures. “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2) In this passage we discover that the teacher is to be a brother in Christ who has demonstrated by his life that he is a faithful, dependable, trustworthy man. Furthermore, he is a man who is capable of instructing others in the doctrine of God’s Word. Nehemiah 8:8 gives us a clue here about the responsibility this passage demands: “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.”
These three steps are required of all men who would be “able to teach others also.” The congregation must have a distinct understanding of what the Bible says. Then the teacher must clearly convey to their minds the sense of what is written. Finally, he must persuade the brethren to act upon this truth in obedience. Unfortunately, not all brethren who understand the doctrine are capable of teaching it to others. Consequently, one’s ability to communicate effectively should be measured carefully. On the other hand, not all who are capable of teaching the doctrine to others are dependable and trustworthy men. Paul indicates that both qualities are essential. “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).
The aim of evangelists, pastors and teachers must be the full development of the church. Teachers are to use their communication skills, supported by their consecrated lives to equip the church for the work and battle of the Christian life.
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14).
In the passage, Paul rebukes the Hebrew brethren for not having developed as they should have. Consequently, the passage emphasizes the failings of these brethren. However, if we look at the characteristics which these brethren should have had by this time in their spiritual lives, then we will learn a great deal about God’s expectations of His teachers.
According to this passage mature teachers are men who are thoroughly conversant with the fundamental truths of the gospel. They have grown beyond the dependence immature or newborn Christians have upon basic, simple teachings. The first principles of Christianity have become so ingrained in him that they have become automatic. In fact, mature teachers are men who desire the strong meat or difficult teachings of God’s Word. They are brethren who have become skillful or experienced in handling the word of righteousness correctly. Sound doctrine is a description that their teaching wears well. They are neither newborn babes nor slow learning children; to the contrary, they are full age and their senses have become well-trained by constant practice in distinguishing good from evil. Teachers like these can read and understand the Scriptures.
They can also examine the trends of this world and rightly apply the knowledge they have gleaned from God’s Word to those trends. In other words, these men are wise men. The word rendered “having been exercised” is one used for the training an athlete undergoes, and suggests the self-discipline an athlete must exhibit in order to strengthen his muscles. Just as the athlete practices in order to develop his skill the teacher avidly pursues spiritual exercise. He is neither dull nor sluggish. His training by habit is rigorous.
“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!”(James 3:1-5).
The work of teaching is not for everyone. We have among us many good speakers who are not yet mature enough to fill these qualifications of a teacher. We need them and they should be encouraged to develop into the mature leaders the inspired writers have described. Foremost among the qualities a good teacher possesses is a determined sense of the responsibility of his task. Becoming a teacher in the New Testament sense of the word, requires more than simply “making a talk” once a month. People can so easily be led astray or offended, that it is of utmost importance that our teachers develop these qualifications and continue to mature in the work they have set themselves to accomplish.
The responsibility of God’s teacher is daunting, but his work is a great one and vital to the church. Rather than shrinking from such a task we must set ourselves to develop the characteristics these passages require of teachers. Those brethren who labor in this work are to be held in high honor and esteem as long as they perform their duty according to God’s will.
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