May 25, 2025

Some animals are born with innate abilities that they need for survival. Cat’s don’t need to be taught to chase something small and fast moving. Humans however come with very few innate abilities. Nearly everything we need we will have to be taught. This is true not only of cooking Kraft Dinner but also of understanding religious truth. Christianity is a taught religion. I believe we could sustain the argument that humans do have an instinctual desire to seek God. However, that instinct does not offer us insights into having a right relationship with said God. Hence the need for teaching. Evangelism involves teaching people initially about what God has done for them and why. In addition, those who respond to the call of the gospel will then need further instruction as per Matthew 28:20. Paul makes the importance of teaching obvious in his letter to the Thessalonians chapter 3:8-10 Paul makes clear that he needs to further instruct them in order to supply what is lacking in their faith. On another later occasion Paul tells the Ephesian elders that he has not failed to declare to them the whole council of God. He further entrusts them to the written record of this teaching (Acts 20:17-32). Paul further makes clear the need for teaching when he explains that the roles within the church including teachers and evangelists exist so that saints can be equipped for the work of ministry, he explicitly ties this effort to gaining knowledge (Eph 4:11-13). If the church at large or a local congregation of it is to grow and develop as it should it needs to have an effective teaching ministry. 

If we as Christians are to grow in our ability to serve God and share his love with others we should have a learning ministry. We sometimes make the mistake of taking Bible classes lightly as teachers we may not take the appropriate time and energy to be fully prepared to teach God’s word. As learners we may not be devoting attention and respect to learning Gods word. We must all admit that we can only do better if we know better. Paul reminds us that it is God’s word that is able to make us complete (2Tim 2:15-17). God’s word can’t do it’s work by osmosis we must take an active and determined role in teaching it and learning it. 

~ Kevin Cleary