What does it mean to be a teacher? How can someone be a teacher unless they first learn? Have you ever attempted to teach something you did not know well? Have you had a teacher who seemed to be lost or unsure?
Teaching is challenging. A good teacher does research into the subject they will teach. They become an expert, or at least know the subject well, before they teach. A good teacher learns more than their students. Should just anyone decide to teach?
Teaching, as Paul tells Timothy, is not something for the faint of heart. A teacher must know what they are teaching. It requires study, research, thought, and a plan. A person cannot simply fly by the seat of their pants and be a good teacher.
Also notice that Paul is talking about people who do not teach well. They do not fully know the subject. In fact, they don’t really know what they state is true. Have any of us done that? Do we do that today? How well do we know the truth of God—His Word?
To know God’s Word well, and to be able to teach it, we must first study it. We must seek more learned teachers. We must seek translations that are true to the meaning of the original language. We must be continual students while also teaching what we have learned about God’s Word.
I pray we all study God’s Word. I pray we seek to read authors who have spent extensive time studying the original language. I pray each one of us will seek to learn more about God’s Word. Be a learner. Study God’s Word. Read commentaries. Look deeper. Research God’s Word. Learn before you teach.
1 Timothy 1:5-7 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
Marty Pressey 