Jump Start # 3791

1 Timothy 1:7 “wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

When one reads our verse today, it is very likely that the reaction will be, some shouldn’t teach. It’s hard to teach what you do not know. One can be eager, as those in our verse were. They wanted to be teachers. One can be bold, confident and sure, but still not know what they are talking about. What a grand illustration of the blind leading the blind.

From this, there are some things we ought to see:

First, just because someone wants to be in the pulpit or teach a class does not mean that they should. Putting the wrong person in those roles can result in a lot of mess that must be cleaned up later. But, leaders must be careful in how they handle this. You do not want to discourage a person to the point that they will never teach again. They need knowledge. They need to learn. Possibly having private studies with such a person would help increase their knowledge and depth of God’s word. Having one of the shepherds in the class to help with difficult questions could also be very helpful.

Second, in many congregations it is a struggle trying to find teachers. Those who have the knowledge don’t want to teach and those who lack the knowledge do want to teach. What a dilemma that creates. Putting the wrong person in front of the class can result in nothing more than play time, games and very little Bible being taught. The wrong person may not stick with the class program. I have sat through classes where adults spent more time telling stories than they did teaching God’s word.

Third, it is easy for error and speculation to enter a congregation through a person who doesn’t understand what he is teaching being put in that position. Some wouldn’t recognize error if it came up and introduced it self to them. The shepherds are in charge of overseeing the flock. They are to prevent trouble from arising. Just like at home, sometimes the little ones want to do things that we know they are not capable of. We try to find other jobs for them. Shepherds in the church must do the same.

I wonder why these people wanted to be teachers when they really did not understand what they were saying? Maybe they wanted the glamor, if there is such a thing, of being in front of crowds. Maybe they thought that they did know. Maybe they thought this was a quick way to take charge of things.

Motives are important to investigate. Why do you want to teach, is a fair question to ask. For some, it’s only because no one else will. Some see the benefit of explaining the word of God to others. Some don’t know why?

Maybe a little work ahead of time, helping teachers to understand what is expected of them and the lanes that they are to stay in, would be helpful before a person is put in charge of teaching. I’ve seen guys on a Wednesday night invitation, reading something word for word out of a class book. We all get ideas from a variety of places, including these Jump Starts. But, think it through. Add your own touch to it. Look at the verses used. And, by the time you give your lesson, it will be so much of you, that it is you.

There is a problem when someone is teaching who shouldn’t be teaching. In the case of our verse, so eager to get in that role, it is very hard to make a change. This is why it is better to keep someone from teaching than to have to remove them from the class because they are not teaching accurately the word of God.

Much thought needs to be put into what is taught and then, who is going to teach it.

Roger