 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
|
Teacher-Servant Today’s Treasure: “And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (Second Timothy 2:24-26). The Greek word for preach is euaggelizo, which specifically means “to proclaim the good news.” To preach is “to evangelize.” Clearly, the emphasis of preaching is most often the lost, and the emphasis of teaching is most often the saved. Both are absolute necessities in the New Testament church. The body of Christ is in desperate need of sound teaching—teaching that matures us in Christ. Scripture instructs us to continually grow in our knowledge of God’s Word. Philippians 1:9-11 says, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Second Timothy 2:15 adds, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Finally, Hebrews 6:1 tells us to “leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God.” These are only a few of the many exhortations in Scripture that emphasize our need to mature in our teaching and learning. We need teachers who correctly deal with the Word of God and use their wisdom to help us apply it to our daily lives. What kind of teacher is God looking for? Second Timothy 2:24-26 says, “And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” God seeks servants who are able to teach. He does not need egomaniacs who revel in the power. In fact, nothing in the actual position of teaching invites boasting at all! First Timothy 4:1 tells us that demons are teachers! God is searching for servant-teachers. The Greek word for servant is doulos and it means “a slave, one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other…one bound to serve”* This definition is the perfect introduction to another command of God in regard to teaching. God not only commands that His people be taught, He also has specific requirements as to what they should be taught. The term teacher occurs 58 times in the New Testament. Forty-one of these refer to Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate teacher: the teacher’s Teacher. We are to teach as He taught. Consider John 8:28-29: “So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.’” We can glean from these passages a very important rule of thumb for teachers: God’s teachers cannot simply teach what they please. Even Christ taught only from the Words of His Father! Remember the meaning of the word servant? The teacher-servant is consumed by the will of the other! Teachers must refrain from using the podium as a platform for their personal opinions and crusades. I am not at all sure our opinions matter in the least. God’s teachers are bound to God’s opinion, the only one which truly matters. Like Christ, we may teach God’s Word in many ways, including modern-day parables, testimonies, and current applications. However, for three very important reasons, the basic text should be God’s Word. Only God’s Word is the absolute truth, only God’s Word can sanctify believers, and He is the only One in existence who can be taken at His Word. (See John 17:17.) Even teaching materials from the most excellent expositors of our time fail to reach the same high standard as the Word of God. Unfortunately, many contemporary “teachers” focus on man’s experiences and then apply God’s Word as an afterthought! Student, beware! Many times I’ve warned those who listen to me teach never to take me at my word, but always measure my words against His! If it doesn’t match, don’t accept it! Conclude today’s devotion by reading the familiar words of John 13:1-17. I don’t know many lessons stronger than the one Christ taught from His knees. We are all called to teach in one form or another—as a witness, as a living testimony, as a mother, as a neighbor. As we do, may we remember how God’s Word is best served—with a pitcher and a towel. Lord, I love Your Word. Please give me a passion to know it better than I do. Equip me to teach it to others in any way You lead. Please give me the mind and humility of Christ and make me a servant-teacher. I pray these things in His name, Amen. *Spiros Zodhiates et al., eds., The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1992), 483. Adapted from Living Beyond Yourself, by Beth Moore, pages 185-187. Nashville: LifeWay Press, 1998. Used by permission.
|