Articles
Teaching Others - Part 1
Let us pray… O LORD our omnipotent God who reigns and rules high above the visible and invisible heavens; we approach you in prayer with a humble heart and a thankful spirit. We want to express our highest praise for the wonder of your genius and especially the perfectness of your character.
Dear merciful and kind heavenly Father, we beg you to hear our prayers and guide us as we commit our knowledge and energy to accomplishing more for the vast spiritual kingdom of Christ that reaches all mankind through the publication and assimilation of your inspired word.
Dear Lord, our God, give us more of your infinite wisdom as we search your perfect Scriptures that will help us to grow spiritually as we follow Christ our Lord who is the radiant image of your power and glory. Give us the understanding heart of Christ and help us to sincerely be joyful without envy when others have good news that brings them real joy. Help us to have the compassionate heart of Jesus so that we WILL truly feel the loss and pain of those who are almost falling down with sorrow.
We come now asking your blessings on the honest souls who are searching for you and the truth. Open the eyes of understanding of those lost souls who are tired and weary from the ravages of sin and yet, they still have not allowed the blood of our Savior who was mortally wounded for our sins, to cleanse their sins as well. Give them the courage to turn a deaf ear to the doctrines and commandments of men. Help them do what you would have them do to be saved.
Give us success, as teachers of your Holy Word, as we attempt to persuade the lost to accept your plan of salvation by obeying the gospel of Christ with honest and sincere hearts. Bless us with a better understanding of the great satisfaction that our Lord feels when one sinner accepts what Jesus did at the cross.
These desires we ask in the name of Jesus, our Lord, Master, and King, the One who is the resurrection and the life. By His authority we pray. Let us all say: AMEN!
I. TEACH OTHERS
1. ALL Christians are obligated by divine authority to teach the Bible. The command to go and teach or make disciples is an urgent work for all Christians today.
What did Jesus command? Jesus said, "Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all the nations, baptizing them… teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).
The apostles were to teach the baptized all things Jesus had taught the apostles. One thing Jesus plainly taught the apostles was to teach the gospel. He called them to be fishers of men. We too have been called…HOW? Where is it found. 2 Thessalonians 2:14 says, “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Therefore, the command to teach others applies today to each baptized person.
Let’s see how Paul expressed it: ''Ye ought to be teachers" (Hebrews 5:12). Hear Paul again: "Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel" (1 Corinthians 9:16). Christ said "go," and Paul said "woe" if we do not go; therefore, each one of us is standing between either "go" or “woe." Comments…
2. The duty to teach and win souls also grows out of the second great commandment of the law. What is that second law? Where is it found? ''Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Mark 12:31; Matthew 22:39 – read vs. 37-40). Obedience to this command will make personal evangelists of all of us. The Golden Rule will stimulate us to the same service. What is that rule? Where is it found (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31). Comments…
3. Children of God everywhere in every walk of life need to learn that they have been saved to serve, and that they must win others to save themselves. One old Testament prophet plainly expressed it. Who was that prophet? Where is it found?
Turn to Ezekiel 33: "And thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; and he turn not from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul" (Ezekiel 33:7-9).
This should be a fearful thought to those who go about their daily tasks yet never take the opportunity to sow the seed to the lost soul the Lord has sent you to. The wise Christian will do something about it. What will the wise Christian do? Where is it found? “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30). Comments…
II. PERSONAL WORK AND TEACHING OF JESUS
1. Christ did much personal work and teaching. Walking along a seashore, Christ saw Peter and Andrew casting a net into the sea. What did He say to them? Where is it found?
“19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:18-19). They immediately quit fishing for fish to start fishing for souls.
James and John were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Jesus called, “And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” (Matthew 4:21-22). They quit mending nets to help sinful man amend his ways.
Christ passed by the place of toll in Capernaum and said to the tax collector, “Follow me” (Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). Matthew immediately left off collecting earthly treasures to help man lay up heavenly treasures. Comments…
2. Some of Christ's most familiar sermons were Preached to single hearers rather than to multitudes. This was true of the sermon on the new birth (John 3:1-13). It was preached to Nicodemus during an evening interview.
This is also true of the great sermon on living water (John 4:5-26). It was preached during a noon hour at Jacob's well to a sinful, outcast woman of Samaria.
III. PERSONAL TEACHING OF EARLY DISCIPLES
1. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, “First findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus" (John 1:41-42). With most of us, there is a great field of evangelistic opportunity among our own flesh and blood.
2. After Philip had enlisted with Jesus he went to find Nathanael. He personally taught him, saying, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). Each convert should go forth and find others and bring them to Christ. Comments…
3. Concerning the persecuted Christians in Jerusalem, we read, “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). As a result, the word of God grew and multiplied.
4. Personally teaching the Bible was so important that an angel of the Lord called Philip away from the multitudes in Jerusalem to teach a lone Ethiopian (Acts 8:25-39). It resulted in the sinner's being baptized.
5. Paul, in speaking to the Ephesian elders, 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). What a glorious pattern for us to follow!
Thus the story of personal evangelism runs throughout the New Testament. When one was converted, he taught others and the others taught others (2 Timothy 2:2). Surely this was one of the greatest contributing factors in the rapid growth of the gospel in the first century.
How else could the gospel have been preached to every creature under heaven (Colossians 1:23) in such a short time? Comments…
IV. WAYS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF PERSONALLY TEACHING THE BIBLE
1. We have seen that Paul taught from house to house in Ephesus. What is another house in another city that Paul went into and taught the entire family? Where is it found? The Philippian jailer's house - the result: they were baptized the same hour of the night (Acts 16:25-34).
Peter went into the home of Cornelius and instructed him and his friends (Acts 10:25-48).
Who did Jesus teach in his home? Where is that found? Jesus went into the home of Zacchaeus and personally taught him (Luke 19:1-10). To teach the people, we must reach the people; and going from house to house is still a great way of reaching them. Comments…
2. We may also reach and teach persons by inviting them into our homes. After Matthew quit collecting taxes to follow Jesus, he invited many sinners and publicans into his home to dine with Jesus (Matthew 9:9-13). This gave Jesus an opportunity to teach them.
3. Another way to teach is to call those in error aside and expound unto them the word of God. Who in the New Testament did this? Where is it found. Aquilla and Priscilla set a good example. They took Apollos aside and taught him out of his error (Acts 18:24-26). How many of us have ever done this? Comments…
To be continued in Part 2…. God is good. Love you. Samuel
