James 3:1
It was many years ago, I was only in my late twenties and
someone saw a willing spirit with zeal and excitement, but little knowledge,
and that person asked if I would be willing to teach the Bible to a group of
teenagers. At no time did they
give me any disclaimers on what I was about to enter into, and being very
ignorant of what the Bible had to say about teachers, and most other things, I
took on the role of teacher. After
reading James 3:1, I believe a great injustice was done to me and many others
who have been asked to teach without giving much prayer and study and council
before taking on such an important job.
“Not many of you should become teachers, my
brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater
strictness.” (James 3:1) Now let me ask you, if your boss approached you with a job
opportunity and his opening remarks were, we want you to take this job, but it
requires a lot of your own time away from work, and most who take this job, we
fire within a few months, and your pay will not change. What is your reply; that was mine also,
“you want what”?
Many a year has come and gone and only in the last couple of
years have I not taught a couples group.
I understand that as a teacher, what God’s word says is true, and I will
be judged with greater strictness than those who have been my students. I’ve also had the joy of seeing some
young couples develop into mighty warriors, in spite of my teaching.
It’s always good to look at things from heavens view, and so
what does God have to say on the responsibility of a teacher? Ezekiel was a prophet, and also
Israel’s watchman, or teacher. In
Ezekiel 33:1-6, we are given the requirements of a teacher, the teacher
receives the word of God and his job, responsibility, and instructions are to
teach what the Holy Spirit has revealed in His word. The teacher is to encourage, to challenge, to rebuke, to
correct, and to make sure that when teaching a Scripture truth they are
transparent as to how they are living out that truth in their personal
life. The teacher is a watchman
and has this duty while standing their watch on the wall of the lives God has
entrusted them with. Verse six
deals with their responsibility; “But if the
watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the
people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that
person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the
watchman’s hand.”
Now how many want to be teachers? Before you say no way will I be a teacher, the Lord has told
every parent that they are to teach, not to just bring them to church, but to
teach their children at home and as they go. And Jesus in His great Commission to all who follow Him,
gave this instruction; “Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to
the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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