“And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged….” (2 Timothy 2:24).

I am a teacher.

When I was a senior in high school, a classmate gave me one of those unforgettable moments that lives in one’s mind forever.  Principal Andy Davis had summoned me to his office to help classmate Jerry Crittenden with a math problem. Now, Jerry was a big football player, lovable and kind-hearted, and a joy to be around.  But in math, the guy was lost.

Toward the end of our session, Jerry said, “Joe, you should be a teacher. I can understand it the way you explain it.”

Eighteen months later, following a frustrating freshman year of college that taught me one huge thing–I do not want to major in physics!–I realized that God wanted me to be a teacher. He had gifted me with a love for history as well as a delight in learning, and had surrounded me with some excellent teachers as role models.

At the time, I thought the idea was to become a history teacher in high school and later, after getting the necessary education, in college.  Then, a few years later, God called me to preach.  I’m confident members of my churches over these years would say that Joe never quit teaching.

And that’s good.

Able to teach.  What a strange thing the Apostle Paul did.  In the middle of calling his preachers to hold down the noise, to quieten the arguments, and still the controversies, he wants them gentle and patient and kind–and able to teach.

Pastor search committees would do well to put this skill high on their list of requirements when checking out preachers.

It’s one thing to preach well and something entirely different to teach. We must not confuse the two.  In 2 Timothy 1:11, Paul says he was appointed by the Lord as “a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.”

Once in seminary we spent the entire class period discussing the difference in preaching and teaching. Eventually, we decided that there is no definitive difference.

But I think we were wrong, and Paul is making this point.

In the passage where he identifies himself as “preacher, apostle, teacher,” Paul clearly sees them as separate and distinct assignments.  This is not original with me by any means, but it seems clear that the distinction goes like this:

–A preacher (or herald) is one who proclaims the message of Christ to the masses, to anyone and everyone, in church and in the streets.

–The apostle is an ambassador for Christ (in the sense of 2 Corinthians 5:20 and beyond). He may be a missionary or a pastor, but God gives him great influence with many pastors and large numbers of churches.

–The teacher instructs those who have become followers of Jesus.  This is a more restricted ministry than preaching.

Paul says God called some to be “pastor/teachers” (Ephesians 4:11).  We who lead the Lord’s flocks are shepherds and instructors.

Now, the question remains: What does it mean to be “able to teach”?

–1) One who is able to teach knows and loves his subject thoroughly.

I do not want to sit in a class where the Bible is taught by someone who does not love the Lord.

–2) One able to teach understands the larger scope and the specific details, the big and the small picture.

Some sermons and/or lessons are microscopic in nature and some telescopic.  One of the best-received lessons I ever taught to college students many years ago was an entire history of the Old Testament in a single class period.  Putting people and events in their proper order and showing the geographical movements of God’s people all at one time was eye-opening for many.

Pastors who love to spend a year on one chapter of the Bible, take note.

–3) One able to teach knows and cares for his students. He or she is not “teaching history,” but “teaching people.” Big difference.

George W. Truett used to say a pastor diagnoses members’ situations during the week so on Sunday he can prescribe remedies.  The pastor who neglects the personal ministry so he can spend all his time in his study will quickly find his messages becoming irrelevant.

–4) One able to teach speaks the language of his students. This almost goes without saying, but not quite. Even if everyone in the room speaks English, the teacher will be careful not to use unintelligible terms and unfathomable quotations, but will put everything on a reachable level.

–5) One able to teach is himself teachable.

No one knows it all, so teachers must be constantly learning also. The person who shuts down the learning mechanism, certain that they now know it all, is painful to endure.

A major aspect of the childlike trait of which Jesus makes so much (Mark 10:15) is teachability.

During a series of lengthy marriage counseling sessions, Dr. Jack Follis told Margaret and me something he had learned from “my counselor.”  I stopped him.  “You are in counseling?”  He smiled, “Of course. The counselor must have a counselor of his own in order to learn himself and to grow.” That was news to me.

–6) One able to teach encourages further growth and development in the students.

We stand in awe at Barnabas, “Mister Encourager.”  On their first missionary journey, he took the newly-called Apostle Saul under his wing and nurtured him in the Lord’s work. As they departed, they are listed as Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:2,7).  But before long, the roles flipped and we read of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:13,42,43). The mentor had seen his “child” pass him.

–7) One able to teach will benefit as much as the students themselves do.

I’m indebted to classmate Bill Lowe for teaching me this.  In our first year of seminary we were taking Hebrew under Professor George Harrison.  Now, I was 24, just two years out of college, but Bill was 37 and college was a distant memory for him.  After class one day, he said, “Joe, this Hebrew is killing me. Could you help me with this?”

Since we lived on the same block, getting together several times a week was no problem. That’s when I made a discovery: In helping Bill to understand a concept, I was helping myself see it more clearly.

This lesson had special meaning to me because in college I had lived off-campus and studied in isolation.  My four semesters of French were a delight in some respects, but nothing like what they would have been had I studied with a classmate.  No language can be learned in solitude.

Preaching is good.  Preach the Word, preach the gospel, yes. But once they have responded, then get them into a class where they can learn and grow. Teach the disciples.

This would be a good place for a plug for Sunday School, wouldn’t it?