“Are You A Teacher”
Matthew 13:52
“Then Jesus added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”
Here we can see that if we are called to “teach” we then need to study both the New Testament (NT) as well as the Old Testament (OT).
The OT gives insight to the heart of God from the beginning. Although, you may say that the OT is not necessary for us today, this is not true!
Just as God is the same yesterday, today and forever; His Word, both the OT and the NT is the same and it is for today!
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”
If you are not able to share the whole truth of the Word, then you lack God’s understanding and wisdom. You are not serving God’s people in the manner that God has intended for His sheep to be fed.
Do you read a storybook to your child and begin the story from the middle and take it to the end?
When at work do you present the entire marketing idea, or do you take it from the end?
Granted these questions do not make any sense, you say, Well neither does your argument of “we do not need to read, or study or teach the Old Testament. Really wow, is this not exactly what religion does?
We have been given instructions on how to teach God’s Word and it is “line upon line and precept upon precept.”
Isaiah 27:9-10 “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line”. Here a little, there a little.”
I challenge you to seek God’s face to see how He wants His sheep to be fed. You must teach all of the Bible if you are going to teach because God’s people need the entire counsel of God. You can not pick and choose what you want to teach!
If this is how you teach, then let’s ask the questions;
1. “Is God leading the study or is it you?” If it is man leading, then know that it will not be effective in transforming lives. Only the Holy Spirit can work in the heart of man through the hearing of the scriptures.
2. Where is the working of the Holy Spirit if you are the one leading? Man in himself could not save himself. Basically this is exactly what you are doing when you teach the Word of God by your own intellect rather than by the Spirit of God.
In the beginning it was the Spirit of God that moved upon the waters. It should be the same today! It must be the Spirit of God that leads, guides and teaches God’s church.
3. Man can not do anything without God, right? Then this argument would be valid and your teaching of only part of the Bible is incorrect.
Man needs to move out of the way and allow the Holy Spirit to teach and the church to learn, the entire fullness of God from Genesis to Revelation.
Seek God for His Will to be done in how to teach His Word. You will then be a blessing to others as you watch lives being transformed.
When you bring together the Old and the New Testament, we are reminded of the great heroes of faith, as well as all the others not mentioned in the New Testament, and their examples of faith and sometimes even failure when they would not heed 2 God’s Word!
all 4 God’s glory,
job leon
Speaking of myself, when I first began reading my Bible, I only read from the new testament n didn't realize how much I was missing from the old testament because once I opened up those pages n began reading, I couldn't believe how much info was in those teachings n I couldn't get enough. I loved the stories, the hard times, the great miracles, so much for us to learn, so yes, both the old n new testaments r equally important to our growth n maturity in knowing our God n Lord n Savior Jesus Christ. Very good n important point, job leon!
ReplyDeleteWell Said and a big Amen!
ReplyDeleteSo True! Thank you Lord for your word and Holy Spirit! Amen..
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