Teaching and Preaching the Scriptures

by Bob Allgood

  I have found that the subject of “Teaching and Preaching” in the scriptures go hand in hand like Ham and Eggs. There are several references in the New Testament to Jesus and the Apostles “teaching and preaching”. At the very beginning of our Lord’s earthly ministry we are told in Matthew 4:23 that “Jesus went about all Galilee, TEACHING in their synagogues, and PREACHING the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” Jesus was not only the Great Physician, but he was “a teacher come from God”.

   Again in Matthew 9:35 we are told, “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, TEACHING in their synagogues, and PREACHING the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” And in Matthew 11:1  it says, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to TEACH and to PREACH in their cities.”  Jesus was a TEACHER and a PREACHER. When he sat down to “preach” what we call “the sermon on the mount” we are told “And he opened his mouth, and TAUGHT them, saying, ---“.  When he had finished this “sermon”, one of his longest recorded discourses, we are told, “when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he TAUGHT them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew chapters 5-7)

   The Apostles were also TEACHERS and PREACHERS. We are told in Acts 5:42 “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to TEACH and PREACH Jesus Christ.” Paul told Timothy that he was ordained to be a “preacher, an apostle and a teacher”. In 1 Timothy 2:7  he said, “Whereunto I am ordained a PREACHER, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a TEACHER of the Gentiles in faith and verity.” And in 2 Timothy 1:11 he said, “Whereunto I am appointed a PREACHER, and an apostle, and a TEACHER of the Gentiles.”  We are told in Acts 15:35 “Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, TEACHING and PREACHING the word of the Lord, with many others also.” We are told that when Paul was imprisoned in Rome, that he “dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, PREACHING the kingdom of God, and TEACHING those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” (Acts 28:30-31).

   It seems to me one would have to practice penknife religion or just ignore the truth to deny that TEACHING and PREACHING are two gifts that belong in the New Testament church. TEACHING in the Church is to be a never ending cycle. Paul told Timothy, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to TEACH others also (2 Timothy 2:2). Paul spent three years at Ephesus TEACHING privately and publicly ALL THE COUNSEL OF GOD. He said, “I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have TAUGHT you publickly, and from house to house, --“ (Acts 20:20).   Paul was a Teacher and a Preacher.

   Some may consider teaching and preaching synonymous, but the scriptures seem to treat them as two separate gifts that go together. One of the qualifications of an Elder is that he is “apt to teach”. In 1 Timothy 3:2 Paul said, “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, APT TO TEACH --- “.  And again in 2 Timothy 2:24 “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, APT TO TEACH, patient, -----“.  The word APT means skilful in teaching – thus a Bishop or Pastor must have a God given gift to teach. The last gift mentioned for the church is pastors and teachers. In Ephesians 4:11 we read, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; --“. It seems to me that it is possible for one to teach without preaching, but one cannot preach without teaching. If there is NO teaching in the preaching then IMO the preaching is as a trumpet with an uncertain sound.

   But WHAT is to be TAUGHT?  What is to be PREACHED?  Obviously it is the truth according to the Scriptures. Obviously it is “sound doctrine”. Jesus condemned the teaching of man’s tradition as “doctrine”. Jesus said in Matthew 15:9, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Paul told Timothy, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” And again he said, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:16). How then does “taking heed” to sound doctrine SAVE one? How does teaching and preaching sound doctrine SAVE those that hear it taught and preached?

   As we read in Ephesians 4 we learn a little bit about the PURPOSE of TEACHING and PREACHING, which is, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”