We live in an age of celebrity teachers. Pastors, bible teachers, authors, and bloggers who are often venerated and followed by masses. But while these gifted men and women are helpful to the church, they don’t replace each believer’s responsibility to teach God’s Word. The Bible actually commands all believers to teach others!
Think through some of the commands in the Scripture. For example, think of the command in Romans 15:14 - “And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.”
If believers are going to admonish one other, they have to admonish with the Word of God. Any other admonishing tool is simply human wisdom. This is teaching!
Paul also calls all believers who are spiritual in Galatians 6:1 to restore the one who is caught in a trespass!
If you’re going to restore someone, it has to be with the Word of God, showing the sin as a violation of scripture.
The same idea is expressed by James when he says in 5:19-20 - “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
And the author of Hebrews is very strong in Hebrews 3:13 where he connects encouragement and sin. “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
What are they to encourage about? Very simply, verse 12 tells them to encourage one another regarding the faith!
And lest you think this is just for men, Titus 2:3 states that older women are to teach younger women, and are to do so using the truths that are derived from God’s word.
What’s more, Paul tells parents to instruct their children in Ephesians 6:4. This command flows from the Mosaic idea of teaching and instructing children in all walks of life, in Deuteronomy 6:7. And Solomon does the same, and commands children in Prov 1:8 to listen to the instruction - the teaching - of their father and mother!
So teaching is commanded to be done by all believers. Like it or not, you’re called to teach, and your responsibility is to know God’s word in order to communicate it for the care of the body of Christ!
