We preachers bear an enormous responsibility for the care and spiritual welfare of the people we teach and guide. This burden gripped me as a young pastor and has never left.
My Responsibility
Paul the apostle instructed the young men Titus and Timothy to “encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” And “Watch your life and doctrine closely.” Each preacher must ensure their teaching is accurate, helpful, and sound because “the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” I have sadly watched the fulfilment of Paul’s words through the multiplicity of YouTube clips, podcasts, and online preachers who operate with little or no accountability.
A verse in James has remained at the forefront of my mind for decades: “Not many of you should become teachers…because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” I take James’ advice seriously. There will come a day when I—and every other preacher—will stand before God to give an account of my life and what and how I built into others’ lives through my preaching. It’s a sobering thought.
Your Responsibility
But you also have a responsibility:
Every Christian should examine what they hear by doing their own study.
We need to listen to a sermon with an open mind. We must resist being cynical—where nothing is right—or gullible—where nothing is wrong. Paul wrote, “Test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.” In other words, swallow the meat but spit out the bones!
A Bad Example
On Paul’s second church planting trip, he, Silas and Timothy arrived in Thessalonica, Macedonia’s largest port. As was his custom, Paul headed to the synagogue to announce the gospel to Jewish people and God-fearing Gentiles. Some believed Paul’s words, but others were jealous and caused a riot that threatened his life, so “as soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea.” These people rejected what they heard before they had done their own study. They set a bad example, which is then contrasted with the good one.
A Good Example
On arriving in Berea, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now, see how Luke describes the people there: “The Berean Jews were of more noble character (fair and open-minded) than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
The Bereans received Paul’s message with readiness, not bias, prejudice, or preconceived ideas like the Thessalonians. They were humble enough to be told something new and open enough to re-examine their beliefs even though Paul’s teachings challenged their former views.
The Bereans carefully investigated the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true. They undoubtedly did this together, reading, discussing, and maybe debating. I encourage you to do likewise. The result of their open-minded, humble inquiry led them to faith in Jesus. Let’s be like that!
Question
Every time I teach the Scriptures—whether through a sermon, blog, or podcast—I do so as someone who has trained extensively and studied diligently for many decades. However, that doesn’t mean I know everything. It doesn’t mean I’m infallible. It doesn’t imply that I am always right or suggest that I never change my mind.
I encourage you to search the Scriptures and question what you hear (from me and others). The Bible is not just a book of answers; it was written to provoke questions. Scripture should never be used to shut down a discussion. It should be used to generate debate.
Be Curious
As you read and study scripture, what questions can you ask about the text or story? Christians should consider how the text points to or reflects Jesus. How does it draw me into a closer relationship with Jesus? Does this verse or story also align with what I know about Jesus?
Other questions could include:
- Why do you think the people acted in the way they did?
- How would you suggest they behave?
- How would you respond in similar circumstances?
- Were they good people who responded poorly because of experienced trauma?
- What would Jesus do?
A question has power that surpasses the answer. Exploring the Bible and God is supposed to be healthy engagement that, if done with respect, leads to growth. As Jacob wrestled with God, Christians should grapple with God and scripture. The Bible permits us to search and question.
A Western Problem
This approach to the Bible might be counterintuitive to those raised in a Western context. But the Bible is an Eastern book that reflects our messy life experiences. Its pages contain stories, songs, proverbs, and precepts that resonate with everything we face. The Bible has done its job if our discussions cause powerful positive change.
This can sometimes make us uncomfortable as if we’re adrift and unsure of our beliefs. To conclude, I want to provide you with an anchor point. Whenever I have doubts, confusion, or unanswered questions, I always turn to Jesus’ simplicity—who He is, what He did, what He’s doing, and what He will do!
Keep Faith Simple
Jesus teaches us to become like little children who never lose their childlike qualities even as they mature. The Bible is exceptional and life-changing but sometimes puzzling. When I’m confused, I return to simplicity, which is beautifully illustrated in the story of Karl Barth, the greatest Protestant theologian of the twentieth century who was deeply familiar with the complexities of scripture.
When Barth was at Rockefeller Chapel on the campus of the University of Chicago during his U.S. lecture tour in 1962, a student asked him during a Q&A session if he could summarise his entire life’s work in theology in a single sentence. Barth responded, “Yes, I can. In the words of a song I learned at my mother’s knee: ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'”
