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What the Bible Says About Teaching
By Larry Richards
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In Paul's first
letter to Timothy, he gave him quite a list of subjects to teach,
including: exposure of false doctrines, myths and genealogies; law;
sound doctrine; the glorious Gospel; mercy; truth; dedication; prayer;
harmony; women's dress and appearance; marriage and dietary practices;
qualifications for leaders; conduct; sayings, truths of the faith; the
practice of religion; relationships with fellow Christians; treatment
of widows; ways to select elders; contentment; righteousness; faith;
love; endurance; hope in God; and doing good.
In
looking over even this incomplete list, someone may argue, "But this
isn't about teaching!"
That argument, of course, presupposes the narrow
view that teaching involves only the verbal communication of facts, concepts and beliefs.
But
this is the whole point. Paul was concerned with communicating
doctrine, mercy, commitment, and conduct truths plus a whole new way of
life. Christian communication is to touch the entire person; to shape
beliefs, attitudes, values, and behavior.
To
teach the whole person, instruction must go beyond processing
information. Even true information. As we look at 1 Timothy we realize
that biblical teaching does involve verbal instruction. But it also
involves urging, pointing out, commanding, setting an example, giving
instructions.
Christian teaching calls for a personal involvement that
touches every aspect of the learner's life.
If
we study the pastoral epistles carefully, we see that Paul's stress on
instruction typically focused more on shaping lifestyle than passing on
truth! These second-generation Christians knew and accepted the basic
doctrines of our faith. What they needed most was to learn how to live
lives that were in harmony with the truths they knew! We might
summarize Paul's view of teaching by using his own words: teaching is
helping the people of God learn how to conduct themselves in God's household (1 Timothy 3:15).
A key chapter, Titus 2 can help us understand what is involved in this kind of teaching.
Titus 2
You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. 3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5
to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to
be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of
God. 6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8
and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who
oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about
us. 9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and
not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so
that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior
attractive. 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify
for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
Let's look at each of the higlighted words and see what they mean. "Teach" sound doctrine is laleo, to speak, assert, proclaim.
What is to be the subject of this vocal instruction? Not sound doctrine
itself, but a lifestyle that is in harmony with the revealed truths
that shape our understanding of God, and of the meaning of life in this
world.
"Teach"
(v. 2) is not in the original text. The Greek, however, does have a
common grammatical construction that implies an imperative, urgent
communication. What is to be given such urgent attention? Why, a way of
life which is temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.
Teach what is good is kalodidaskalous, used only here in the New Testament. The older women are responsible themselves to be admirable persons, and then to instruct the younger women.
"Train" here is sophrontizo. It means to encourage, advise, urge.
In New Testament times the word focused on teaching morality and good
judgment. In essence the older women were to show concern for the moral
development and improvement of the younger women.
"Encourage" is parakaleo, which means to encourage or exhort. It suggests a close relationship; a closeness allowing the individual to correct a younger man.
"Example" is typon. This word means more than a visible impression.
It suggests a pattern or an example to follow. We teach others God's
ways by showing them by our way of life what those ways are.
"Teaching" in verse 7 is didaskalia, the act of [typically verbal] instruction.
"Teaches" (v. 12) is paideuousa. The word suggests giving parentlike guidance and daily correction, as to a child.
"Teach" is again laleo, to speak.
"Encourage" is again parakaleo. Finally, "reprove" in verse 15 is elencho, which means to bring to light, expose. In context it means to convince, to reprove if necessary in order to convict.
When we integrate all these terms and concepts into our notion of teaching, what do we discover? First, the teaching ministry is one of shaping lives, not simply one of passing on even true information. Second, Christian teaching deals with every aspect of our lives.
The tensions of daily life, relationships with others-all these are the
concerns on which Christian teaching is focused. Third, we would
conclude that "teaching" is a very broad term. It simply means bringing
the insights of Scripture to bear on the daily lives of learners by
modeling, instructing, encouraging, advising, urging, exhorting,
guiding, exposing, and convicting.
On Guard
Paul's
balanced approach to teaching was intended to help the early Church,
and you and me today, to avoid tragic errors. On the one hand,
Christians cannot neglect doctrine if we are to know reality. On the
other hand, if believers think that only orthodox doctrine is
important, we can end up with debates, antagonisms, and finally,
sterility of life. We can take pride in being right-but cut ourselves
off from others who may differ from us. And with all our knowledge we
can fail to experience the warmth and vitality of a growing
relationship with God, and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The
kind of teaching that stresses only knowledge (the Greek mindset) is
all too likely to produce sterile Christian experience. When we teach
our children by stressing mastery of stories, of information, of
doctrines, we may produce youth who have the right answers but who do not know the loving touch of Jesus.
Paul urged us to guard against this pitfall by communicating the full
Gospel: the Good News that faith involves both adherence to truth and commitment to a truly Christian lifestyle.
From The Teacher's Commentary. Richards, L. 1987. Includes index. (1 Timothy 1:1). Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
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