More on Teaching

In a recent post, I wrote that most efforts of Christian teachers are a waste of time. This lead to the following questions from a couple of readers.

What about Jesus. He spent a lot of time teaching in the synagogues and the lakes and mountains.

What about Peter and Paul. They spent time teaching in the temple and the synagogues.

Peter and Paul both spent time in the temple, but that was mostly on evangelistic efforts. They were trying to reach the Jewish people with the gospel. The temple was the best place to go reach Jews with the gospel, because that was where they gathered.

Much of Jesus teaching to the masses was the same. He was taking the good news to his people. That work was not really successful, because the people who attended his teaching meetings deserted him when the got tough. Many shouted “crucify him” when he was before Pilate.

The ministry of Peter and Paul that had long term fruit was their house to house discipling new believers. Jesus most effective ministry was the time that he spent with the twelve and the seventy. I presume that many of the seventy were among the one hundred and twenty people that were in the upper room praying at Pentecost.

The modern church has got the balance between teaching meetings and active relational discipleship wrong. We have focused on the former and neglected the latter.

Teaching meetings have some benefits, but they are much more limited than we think. Lack of teaching is not a widespread problem. With the internet and tapes, teaching is very easy to get.

Most Christians are not practicing all they know, so lack of teaching is not holding them back. The real problem is inability to practice what they have been taught.

The critical lack in the modern church is active relational discipleship. Going out and practicing their ministry with someone who is already proficient is the best way to learn. That is what Jesus and Peter and Paul did really effectively.