If you have been following this series on the command to Christian business leaders to be teachers, then you have probably been waiting to hear exactly HOW we are to do this. While I cannot adequately cover ALL of the HOW of teaching in one post, I believe I can get you started on the right path. You can figure out the rest with God’s leading!

[This is the fifth and final post in a series about how Christian leaders are commanded to be teachers. In the first post, we looked at the actual command to be teachers. In the next post, we discussed what it means to be a skilled worker, correctly handling God’s Word. After that, we looked at being a godly example. In the most recent post, we determined our GOAL for teaching. Today, we will learn from Paul’s instruction on HOW we are to teach.].

Before we get into today’s post, I encourage you to read the last post if you have not already. The reason this is so important is that much of the issues we address today are caused by having the wrong understanding of our ultimate goal as teachers. The last post addresses this issue and should put you in the right mindset to be able to avoid the temptations we will discuss today.

Scripture Foundation

Let’s start by going back to the Scripture we have been using in this series. We are looking at 2 Timothy 2:14-26, breaking it apart into various pieces. Today, we will focus on the following verses:

But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels. The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, instructing his opponents with gentleness.
2 Timothy 2:23-25

Let’s dive in to the three keys to teaching!

Key #1 – Be Humble

Not necessarily going in the order that it appears in the verses, I want to start with our first point by looking at the beginning of verse 24 when we are referred to as the Lord’s slave. This is a key reference that we need recognize.

Sometimes we read right past critical parts of Scripture and miss key ideas. We cannot miss this one! In this case, Paul refers to us as slaves. This is very important because it is addressing a potential root problem with teachers. If we miss this, we could easily fall into a trap and undermine our own teaching.

Paul is making sure we know that we are to be humble and resist the temptation to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. When we begin teaching, it is easy to begin thinking we are smarter, more aware, or have greater insight than those we are teaching. We have to fight this tendency, remembering that we are indeed slaves.

Key #2 – Be Gentle And Patient

Paul tells us to be patient. He tells us twice that we are to be gentle. Why would he do this? Is it in our nature to be otherwise? Is it possible that he felt the urge to be less than gentle in his teaching moments? Take a look at the following example from Paul himself as he is writing to the members of the church at Corinth:

Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers?
1 Corinthians 3:1-3

I think it is clear Paul was experiencing a desire to be less than gentle and patient. Can you sense that? Have you ever felt that way? Why is this true? For the answer, take a look at this verse from another teacher in Ecclesiastes:

For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache.
Ecclesiastes 1:18

As you start to become more skilled with God’s word, your wisdom will grow. As this happens, not only will you be tempted to be proud in your wisdom (see Point #1 above), but you will also become frustrated with those you are attempting to teach. Paul knew this and made sure to warn us of this tendency!

Key #3 – Focus On The Truth

The final point from this passage is for us to focus on the truth and not get caught up in false arguments – or “foolish and ignorant disputes” as Paul calls them. Why does he instruct us to do this?

It is too easy to get drawn into arguments about insignificant issues and then lose track of the original intent of the discussion. As I was told growing up, we get too busy fighting alligators and forget we came to drain the swamp!

When we allow ourselves to be drawn into these side arguments, we lose our focus on the truth we are to be teaching. Church members are probably the best at this, but business people can hold their own in this category! We may not argue about the color of the carpet or the kind of music that is best, but we can still find petty issues to draw our attention away.

Instead of allowing this to happen, we are to “reject” these arguments altogether. Do not even enter into them. Instead, we are to maintain a focus on the truth we are to be teaching. Don’t give yourself permission to even entertain these irrelevant disputes.

Summary

Hopefully, you have learned more about your responsibility as a teacher of the Word of God through reading this series. I also hope you are encouraged by the material we have covered. I urge you to seek God’s leading on where you can ramp up your teaching. He is faithful to answer this request!

Is teaching something you enjoy or will you have to work at it?

With which of these three keys do you struggle?

Are you more open to teaching now?

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