An important lesson for Bible teachers is found in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” I know some believers feel that as long as a person is a genuine Christian, he should be free to go about promoting himself as a preacher or teacher, if that’s what he wants to do. Moreover, some argue that no one else should judge as to whether a person is qualified to preach or teach the Word of God.
Ok, I hear that argument loudly and clearly, but I do not believe that such a mindset is in the best interest of the gospel. In fact, I believe that one of the reasons why many Christians today are confused about what they believe the Bible teaches on key Christian doctrines is that we have too many self-proclaimed preachers and teachers of the Bible out there who have failed to heed the advice found in 2 Timothy 2:15.
As preachers and teachers of the Word of God, many temptations to misrepresent the Scriptures can present themselves. Let me just give you a few examples:
• Reading a desired meaning into the Scriptures, as opposed to drawing the legitimate meaning from the Scriptures
• Using the Scriptures to exploit God’s people for the sake of monetary gain
• Teaching stuff counter to the Scriptures in the name of so-called “revelation knowledge” we claim to have received directly from heaven to us
The Bible is clear that “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Hence, whatever He is doing in our world today and whatever He is revealing to us through His Spirit is always consistent with the written Word of God, known as the Bible.
Okay, so back to 2 Timothy 2:15. There are two interrelated parts to complying with this verse. The first has to do with being proactive to present oneself to God as an approved worker. The second has to do with becoming able to correctly handle the Word of truth.
Obedience to this verse requires more than a subjective evaluation. Even a new convert may feel he or she is ready to engage in a preaching or teaching ministry, but that does not make it so. Godly men and women who have been in the faith for some duration of time are far more qualified to make an objective assessment.
So are you or do you want to be a Bible teacher or preacher? Your heeding the advice for Bible teachers and preachers found in 2 Timothy 2:15 will serve you well.
Copyright © 2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.
Ok, I hear that argument loudly and clearly, but I do not believe that such a mindset is in the best interest of the gospel. In fact, I believe that one of the reasons why many Christians today are confused about what they believe the Bible teaches on key Christian doctrines is that we have too many self-proclaimed preachers and teachers of the Bible out there who have failed to heed the advice found in 2 Timothy 2:15.
As preachers and teachers of the Word of God, many temptations to misrepresent the Scriptures can present themselves. Let me just give you a few examples:
• Reading a desired meaning into the Scriptures, as opposed to drawing the legitimate meaning from the Scriptures
• Using the Scriptures to exploit God’s people for the sake of monetary gain
• Teaching stuff counter to the Scriptures in the name of so-called “revelation knowledge” we claim to have received directly from heaven to us
The Bible is clear that “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Hence, whatever He is doing in our world today and whatever He is revealing to us through His Spirit is always consistent with the written Word of God, known as the Bible.
Okay, so back to 2 Timothy 2:15. There are two interrelated parts to complying with this verse. The first has to do with being proactive to present oneself to God as an approved worker. The second has to do with becoming able to correctly handle the Word of truth.
Obedience to this verse requires more than a subjective evaluation. Even a new convert may feel he or she is ready to engage in a preaching or teaching ministry, but that does not make it so. Godly men and women who have been in the faith for some duration of time are far more qualified to make an objective assessment.
So are you or do you want to be a Bible teacher or preacher? Your heeding the advice for Bible teachers and preachers found in 2 Timothy 2:15 will serve you well.
Copyright © 2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.
4 comments:
Fantastic point Frank. I couldn't agree more. In fact what you say here harmonises with James 3:1, which says:
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.
New American Standard Bible
But, at the same time, the onus is on believers to search the scriptures for themselves and not abdicate the responsibility for truth seeking to religious so called 'experts'.
There are many warnings, which I think are summarised well by Paul when he wrote:
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
(Philippians 2:12)
New American Standard Bible
At the end of the day, God is not mocked, and I think if christians really believed this, then they would not do some of the things they have done or are doing. Nice Post.
Thanks for commenting. You are right that both those who teach and those who listen to them have responsibility in this process. But as you mentioned in James' epistle, the greater responsibility rests upon those who teach because they have the larger sphere of influence and, hence, have the power to do the greater amount of damage when they teach errant doctrine.
It is an honor to be able to minister to the people of God out of the Word of God, but with that honor comes great responsiblity to teach truth and not error.
I agree that today we have too many self-proclaimed teachers of the Book and i think it is better to study it by yourself then with the help of someone who understands it wrong
THanks for commenting. Your point is well taken. Sad but true, we have some lazy churchgoers who prefer to live off what the preacher says, and will not pick up their own Bible. As you have stated, that is a bad thing when the teacher has not been properly prepared to be a teacher.
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