A SPECIFIC WORD FOR TEACHING
1)
If we look at New Testament book we call Romans we find
something that is pretty unusual.
2)
Paul wrote to Christians in
3)
Latin was the principal language in this culture, but
Paul wrote to these Christians in Greek.
4)
We may not know all the reasons for this choice, but
one reason seems easy to identify.
a)
The Greek language used by the apostles was very
precise.
b)
No language before or since that time has ever been at
expressing information.
c)
One illustration of the precision involved with this
language is found in the subject of teacing.
5)
There are at least five different words in the NT used
to describe teaching.
6)
In English we have a limited number of choices to
discuss this subject.
7)
We may use the word “teach,” “instruct” or “tell.”
8)
In the language of the New Testament we find multiple
words with varying shades of meaning.
9)
Tonight we want to look at one of the special words for
teaching.
10) This
term occurs many times in the New Testament – it is extremely common.
11) This
word also occurs in various forms (a noun, verb, an adjective, etc.
12) As
we look at this word we find some important points for teachers, including what
teachers teach.
a)
The word “doctrine” is the basic idea behind the word
we will examine tonight.
b)
When New Testament writers speak about God’s “doctrine”
this word is singular.
c)
Tit. 2:10 says “adorn the doctrine of God.”
d)
When “doctrine” (what teachers teach) describes
something else, it is plural.
e)
This is a small but important point.
13) In Mt. 15:9 Jesus spoke of the
religious teachings created by people and He used this word in its plural form.
14) He
commented on the “doctrines” of men.
15) This
is not only a relevant point for teachers, it is important.
a)
When we instruct people we are to teach the “doctrine
of God” (singular).
b)
There is a single body of truth we are trying to impart
to people.
c)
There is not the “doctrine of the Holy Spirit, the
doctrine of music, and the Lord’s doctrine.”
d)
God wraps up all His doctrine under one heading: Truth.
e)
Other descriptions for God’s doctrine would be the word
of God, the scriptures, the Bible, etc.
16) In
the denominational world people think and speak differently than what we find
the Bible.
a)
Someone may say they just learned about “the doctrine
of the church.”
b)
Another may say they are “learning the doctrine of
justification.”
c)
God and God’s people do not use this type of language
because it is not the way the Bible reads.
d)
There is only one doctrine (body of truth) and that is
what faithful teachers teach.
17) The
word group that we are studying tonight leaves Bible students with some key
points.
18) Here
is another small but useful tidbit.
a)
This word we are looking at tonight occurs in its
adjective form in 1 Tim. 3:2.
b)
Here Paul spoke of those who serve as elders.
c)
Paul used this word to say an elder is to be “skilled”
in teaching.
d)
He must be apt to “teach” (instruct in doctrine).
1)
Paul did specific if a man must have this ability in
public, in private, or both.
2)
He also did not comment on a teacher’s “style” of
teaching.
3)
Paul simply said an elder must have some abilities when
it comes to teaching God’s doctrine.
4)
We can understand why this statement is made.
5)
Elders are involved in a work that will at times
require them to teach people something.
6)
Thus, Paul said this is a quality that elders (bishops,
shepherds, pastors) need to possess.
7)
Some have thought this verse means an elder must be
able to teach a Sunday morning Bible class.
a)
Teaching a Sunday morning Bible class is a very worthy
work.
b)
We do not have any evidence that first century elders
taught a first century Bible class.
c)
Paul was not specific on how elders teach and we cannot
bind where God has not bound.
d)
God has simply said that an elder must be able to teach
and this is what we bind today.
e)
This is a necessary qualification for elders.
8)
If we are a Bible class teacher, what is said in 1 Tim.
3:2 gives us something to consider.
a)
One or more of the students in our Bible class may be a
future elder.
b)
In our classes we may be training some prospective
leaders for the Lord’s church.
c)
Some of the students may not only be future elders,
they may be future preachers.
d)
Whatever we can do to help them in the early years can
benefit them for a lifetime.
e)
This point is true for males.
9)
With girls, we need to keep in mind that they may one
get married.
10) They
may be the future wife of a deacon, preacher or elder.
11) Everything
we can do to strengthen and benefit them in class may have a huge impact later
in life.
12) We
often think about teaching from the standpoint of its week to week schedule.
13) Teachers
should also realize they are sowing the seeds of the future.
14) They
help build the church of tomorrow and future decades.
15) What
we do in our classes often has consequences for years to come.
16) We,
therefore, want students to be prepared as possible for whatever their future
holds.
17) The
adjective form of the word we are studying tonight occurs just twice in the New
Testament.
18) It
is found in the verse I just gave (1 Tim. 3:2), and it also occurs in 2 Tim. 2:24.
19) What
this verse may seem so obvious we do not need to even cite it.
20) Paul
spoke of the “Lord’s servant” when writing to Timothy.
a)
Based on the context this passage seems to describe a
preacher.
b)
Timothy was warned that preachers must not be
quarrelsome people.
c)
There are folks in life who always seem to be itching
for a battle.
d)
Most of us deal with someone who is very difficult at
one time or another.
e)
A person may have a bad spirit about them or be wrong
and unwilling to recognize his error.
f)
For these reasons Paul said a preacher was to be “apt
to teach.”
g)
Preachers must be able to instruction.
21) A
preacher’s ability to teach will likely vary, just like that of an elder.
22) We
often think of a preacher and pulpit work, but there are many other ways to
teach.
23) I
know a preacher who is very sick and he teaches from a bedridden state.
24) Others
teach via the Internet. Some send out
correspondence courses by mail.
25) We
want people to know as much as possible and be as prepared as possible.
26) Another
form of the word we are looking at tonight is found in Jn. 6:45 and 1 Cor.
2:13.
a)
Of these two verses we will limit our examination to
Jn. 6:45.
b)
John recorded how Jesus said, “they shall all be taught of God.”
c)
Jesus not only spoke these words, He said they were
part of prophecy.
27) He
said the Old Testament prophets claimed the New Testament would involve
“teaching” people.
28) Christianity
is a “taught” religion.
a)
The gospel is unlike some of the other things in life because
other things are sometimes automatic.
b)
When we reach a certain age there are some things which
we automatically receive.
c)
The government says at a certain age we may legally
drink, vote, get a driver’s license, etc.
d)
Christianity does not operate in this manner.
e)
The other day I saw that the old person in the world
died at the age of 115.
f)
115 is a long time to life.
g)
If live that long, or if we lived 500 years,
Christianity would not occur
automatically in our life.
h)
We must be “taught.”
i)
Since this is the way Christianity works we may ask a
question.
29) When should we try to teach people? This question is easy to answer.
30) The
earlier the better. This is one of the
reasons why we have Bible classes.
31) Over
the years I have listened to a lot of people say a lot of things.
32) One
of the items I have found time and time again is how people view change.
33) Younger
people often like chance. Often young
people see change as an improvement.
34) Young
people are often quick to adapt to change.
They accept it and they keep right on going.
35) In
the later years people often do not like change all that well.
36) They
have a comfortable routine and they want to keep their life as it is.
a)
This is the way that a lot of people are; it is a fact
of life.
b)
This fact has application to the gospel of Christ.
c)
God’s word calls people to change.
d)
The older people get the harder it is for them to
change (and this includes conversion).
e)
The prophets said the faith of the New Testament needs
to be taught.
37) This
is absolutely right, but it reminds us that we want to teach people as early as
possible.
38) This
means we want to have our Bible classes full of children.
39) If
children are not in a Bible class on Sunday and Wednesday, they are somewhere
else.
40) If
they are not being taught the scriptures, they are learning something else
during this time.
41) What
is more important than their receiving public instruction at least twice a week
in God’s word?
42) We
have looked at two adjectives; now I want to introduce a noun.
43) This
noun is from the same word family we are looking at tonight.
a)
This is the final term for tonight and it occurs in
places like Rom. 15:4.
b)
Paul said the Old Testament was written for our
“learning” (teaching/instruction).
c)
The Old Testament “teaches us” some things.
d)
It does not teach us to build a temple in Jerusalem and
start sacrificing animals.
e)
It teaches that some people did that, but this is not
what God wants us to do.
44) The
Old Testament teaches us by example; it shows that God is a God to be
worshipped.
45) It
shows us that God had a specific plan for worship, just as He does today.
46) We
see from the Old Testament sacrifices that God is a God that requires
sacrifice.
47) Throughout the pages of the
Old Testament we learn that obedience is blessed and disobedience is punished.
a)
In our teaching we want to use the Old Testament.
b)
We can go back and examine some of the prophecies such
as the one in Jn. 6:45.
c)
Preachers may preach from the Old Testament.
d)
Bible class teachers can certainly draw from the Old
Testament.
e)
We want to teach people in such a way where they really
know God’s word.
f)
One reason for this is found in Eph. 4:14.
48) This
passage also has the final term we are looking at.
49) Paul
spoke of Christians who were being “carried about with ever wind of false doctrine.”
a)
The word “doctrine” is also this final term for
tonight’s study.
b)
Not long ago we saw a lot of leaves blowing back and
forth.
c)
Perhaps we have seen a huge gust of wind pick up a
large pile of leaves and blow it down the street.
d)
God says this type of thing can happen to people and
even His people.
50) If
individuals are not well taught, they will not know what they believe.
51) One
day they are like leaves that blow this direction and the next day they blow in
a different direction.
52) As
parents, grandparents and teachers, we are trying to cement people in God’s
word.
53) We
want them to know the “doctrine of God” (singular) and abide in it.
54) If
we are not standing in the truth we are standing in error.
55) 1
Tim. 1:10 uses this same word to say Christians want to avoid anything contrary
to sound doctrine.”
a)
There is unsound (unhealthy) teaching in our world.
b)
Just as we want people to physically healthy, we want
them to be spiritually healthy.
c)
We do this by teaching people the truth and only the
truth.
d)
If we do not do this, others will step in and do the
job for us.
56) 1
Tim. 4:1 uses our final word to describe the “doctrines of demons.”
57) If
we will not fill people’s heads with the truth, Satan will step in and fill
them with a lie.
58) If
we will not feed our child the spiritual information that is right, Satan will
take over as the parent.
59) The
devil wants to start as early as possible with his teaching program.
60) If
there is nothing else to motive us in this area, this fact should.
61) Satan
wants to fill the world with what is false; God tells us to fill people with
what is right.
62) What
have we been filled with and are we trying to fill others with the truth?
63) These
are serious and important questions because they help determine where we will
spend eternity.