The Charge to Teach

Jesus, our Ultimate Example, devoted most of his ministry to teaching (Acts 1:1, Mark 6:2,6,34; Luke 23:5; Matthew 26:55). His charge to the apostles before His ascension was, “Go ye therefore, and TEACH all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20).

In this context, teaching is the explanation of scripture with the primary goal of understanding its meaning, exemplified in Acts 8:30-35, where Philip guides the Ethiopian eunuch to comprehend the scriptures. The Books of Acts records the consistent pattern of teaching God’s word in the early church.

Christianity is a religion of the Book—consisting of 66 books written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—called the Bible. Believers can’t live authentic Christian lives if they are starved of rich, expository teaching of the Bible. Paul’s pastoral letters to Timothy emphasized that church leaders must be “apt to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 2:24). It’s not just about being willing or available, but being a qualified and capable teacher with a proven ability to convey God’s Word accurately to others. Timothy was also required to equip and entrust other faithful men who would continue teaching the Bible to church believers (2 Timothy 2:2).

God expects that His Church is where believers regularly come to be blessed by teachers “rightly dividing the word of truth.” That is why “God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:28). It’s noteworthy that miracles and healings come after teaching in priority within the church setting.

Proper, profitable Bible teaching is not accidental. It requires a resolution to faithfully transmit God’s truth and a commitment to passionately study God’s word and interpret it accurately. Church leaders must be like the scribes who “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8). For the church to “be the church”, expository Bible teaching must be prioritized for its members’ spiritual health and growth!