Preacher, do you teach?

What is the pastor’s primary job? Is it keeping the peace? Is it visiting the sick? Is it ministering to the community? Is it making sure that all the paperwork has been filled out or that the building has been maintained? While these may be some things you do as a pastor, or maybe even be some things you think a pastor should do, I would suggest that the pastor’s primary responsibility is not any of these, but is Preaching AND Teaching God’s word! EVERYTHING ELSE should take a back seat. I know many churches have different variations of classes or teaching times. Some have Sunday school, some have discipleship training, some have Wednesday night Bible study or small groups, and some don’t even have any of these. So my question is, who should be the teacher in the church? Well, without a doubt, it should be one of the pastors or elders currently in your church. These are the only men that the scripture says should be “apt to teach!” This is not a cry against Sunday school teachers, how else would the young men in the church ever become teachers unless we give them opportunities to gain experience and to prove themselves. But what I am calling for is that pastors step up and do the primary things FIRST! I have heard so many pastors give the excuse, well I don’t have time to teach and also prepare my sermon for Sunday morning - sounds to me like he’s in the wrong business. If all we as pastors ever do is preach, which is really to cry out or proclaim the gospel, then we have failed in fulfilling the great commission. Preaching is only half of it. The other half is discipling! Teaching! And men if we do not give equal time to both then we have failed. Not only should our flock be receiving the proclamation of the gospel from our pulpits, they should also receive expositional teaching from all of God’s word! Consider the following scriptures:

Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Nehemiah 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Acts 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Acts 15:35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Acts 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Colossians 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

1st Timothy 2:7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

2nd Timothy 1:11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

Grace & Peace!
Dave Scarbrough