Not Teach?
by Lester Kamp
How can that be? Why should that be?
We all understand that Christianity is a taught religion! People do not become Christians unless there is teaching. One of the distinctions between the covenant of Moses and the covenant of Christ is that under the new covenant “they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me” (John 6:45). Under the old covenant, a person was in covenant relationship with God because of physical birth. That person, from birth, was to be taught and learn the law of God. Under the new covenant, a person is taught and learns the law of God to become a child of God. Without faith, a person cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6), and that faith comes through hearing (i.e., teaching—Romans 10:17).
Jesus tells us, therefore, to go and teach (Matthew 28:19). Paul refers to the necessity of teaching in I Corinthians 1:21, “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
In the parable of the sower, Jesus stressed that the seed that must be sown is “the word of the kingdom” (Mathew 13:19). That seed is to be spread broadly; some of the seed that is sown will bring forth fruit (i.e., citizens of the kingdom of Christ), and some will not. The responsibility of all Christians is to sow that seed without additions, subtractions, or alterations. If the seed is not broadcast into human hearts, the kingdom will not grow—souls will not be saved.
Hindrances
To state it simply: Teaching the Word of God to others is the obligation of every Christian and the lifeline of the church, the kingdom of God on earth. The church that does not realize the importance of teaching will die! Satan is working in various ways to stop the teaching of God’s Word. For many, the belief that the bishops, ministers, and deacons will take care of it, that it is someone else’s responsibility, a lie of the devil, is enough to stop the teaching.
Sometimes efforts are made by other people, occasionally religious people, to stop Christians from teaching. The church has always had its enemies. Early in the history of the church, some made efforts to stop the church from teaching. They said, “Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name?” (Acts 5:28). Here, the opposition to the church was coming from the religious leaders of the day, the Jewish Sanhedrin. The very ones who should have known God’s Word and who should have recognized Jesus as the Messiah were determined to stop the growth of God’s people, the church. Paul stated that the Gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). Even the enemies of the church recognized the power of the Word. The Sanhedrin knew that if the church were to be stopped, then the teaching of the church must be stopped. Earlier, Peter and John had been threatened “not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18). Their reply was significant, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Their determination to teach in the name of Jesus was unwavering in the face of threatening (i.e., potential harm and even death).
What About Us—Now?
How often have we allowed far less to keep us silent about Christ, the Gospel, and the church purchased by the precious blood of Christ? Often, we are persuaded not to teach by our own indifference, by the press of time, by convenience, or by the influence or words of others. Sometimes those who ought to know better and do better—those who are members of the church—discourage others from teaching the lost about the good news of Jesus Christ.
We should recognize that anything which discourages us from doing what God wants us to do has to be wrong, and that we should not allow these temptations to ensnare us and cause us to be silent. We must speak; we must teach! “Behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.” Sometimes we tend to exaggerate our own accomplishments. The statement here came, however, from the enemies of the church; this is no exaggeration. These early Christians had literally filled their city with the doctrine of Christ.
The Challenge
There is a challenge for us—to fill our cities with the doctrine of Christ. Thousands of souls all around us need to hear the Gospel. They desperately need to heed this message. They are lost without it! We can fill our cities with the Gospel. To accomplish this task, we need the commitment we see in the first-century church. We need to rise above discouragement and indifference. We need to work harder to teach more.
Let us make this the year in which we determine to fill our communities with the Gospel. By the close of the year, will even the enemies of Christ be able to declare, “You have filled the city with your doctrine!”?
Let us all work toward this end.
