The Importance of Teaching in the Church

Why should we make teaching in the local church a priority? Well there are many solid reasons for doing so and there are many obstacles and enemies against it. I've laid out below some of the more obvious reasons for the importance of the teaching ministry of the church. May the Holy Spirit continue to raise up godly, humble, hard working teachers throughout the body of Christ and may the body honor them and receive from them as its Head has so ordained.

– Because Jesus’s consistent pattern of ministry was as follows: “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.” Matthew 4:23

– Because Jesus commanded us to make disciples by “…baptizing them…and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19, 20)

– Because of the example of the early church in Jerusalem as seen in Acts 2:42, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

• Because Paul so valued it that he exhorted the church in Galatia, "The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him." Galatians 6:10

– Because elders are to “be able to teach” and are to be doubly honored when they "...work hard at preaching and teaching."I Tim. 3:2, I Tim. 5:17, Titus 1:9)

– Because the church is to be “the pillar and support of the truth” (I Tim. 3:14)

– Because “the truth will make you free” (John 8:31,32)

– Because one of the measuring sticks of whom we invest our lives in as leaders is that they “be able to teach others also” (II Tim. 2:2)

– Because sound doctrine nourishes us (I Tim. 4:6)

– Because one of the gifts the Lord Jesus gave to His body for its edification was that of teaching (Romans 12:7)

– Because one of the spontaneous impartations the Holy Spirit gives to members of the church for the edification of its members is that of a teaching (I Cor. 14:26)

– Because “love of the truth” is crucial in the church to guard against deception and apostasy, which Jesus and all the apostles warned about (Mark 13:21-23; II Thess. 2:10, 15; II Peter ch. 2; II John 7-11; Jude 3-23)