THE O.T. has a stronger and more frequent theme of learning to walk carefully and circumspectly in this world than does the N.T. And, though the O.T. maxims are often couched in the language of legalism, we would do well to remember that the N.T. rests upon the shoulders of these vital theological and historical documents. Proverbs tells us, “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.” (Prov. 3:13-14) At the core of discipleship, in all of scripture, lies a call to the wisdom of personal responsibility within the surrounding and nurturing community responsibility.
In the N.T., both Jesus and Paul inform us of the communal responsibility. Jesus tells the remaining eleven disciples, “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19-20) Clearly, salvation and discipleship are linked here—both baptism and teaching are specifically and sequentially mentioned. Also of note is individual responsibility “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:20)
This is incumbent upon both the teacher and the student. Paul, speaking not only of the one Spirit but the many gifts in the body of Christ, says “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature.” (Eph. 4:11-13, cf. 1 Cor. 12:1-13:13)
For “all to reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge” (Eph. 4:13), places the responsibility of discipleship both on those who teach, and those who are meant to learn. It is a mutually symbiotic act of communal responsibility that must be met with individual responsibility and accountability on the part of all for the benefit of all. When one side or the other breaks down, the equation does not work.
But this is not a mathematical formula. The church body is an organism that is meant to be life-giving. If teachers do not give a well-rounded and well-grounded Christian worldview that can be understood and assimilated by new converts, they may be teaching, but they are not reaching. If converts do not give their heart to Jesus and eschew their former rebellious ways of sin, they are not true converts. Each intersection of teacher and student is less a point, but rather a moment in a continuum, and if that time is interrupted, the student becomes arrested in growth, discouraged in hope, and subject to the wiles of the devil through the trials of the day.
Leaving aside the responsibilities of the leaders of churches, from pastors through Sunday school teachers, let us concentrate on the issues of the individual. First is this: if we are not growing “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18), if our living testimony is not one of “faith, goodness, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love” (2 Pet. 1:5), then there is a disconnect between the life of Christ flowing to us, and the life of Christ flowing through us.
Is the problem personal, or is it one of the quality of teaching we are getting? Either or both can be the cause of the disconnect. If it is personal, it can be rooted in sin, or perhaps in lax mental habits. Either of these is purely our own responsibility, and it is upon us to either repent, or to commit to new habits. If it is a problem of instruction, this can be more confusing. Are we trying to learn from someone who cannot effectively teach? Worse yet, are we listening to a false prophet. That can be difficult for us to detect, since we do not have the background to effectively discern the biblical accuracy of what we are being taught.
In any or all of these circumstances, the burden always first remains upon you and me to leverage them in order to enhance our own growth in the Lord. If the problem is personal sin, then repentance is definitely the first order of change. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) If it is a lack of understanding, ask God for revelation. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5) If the issue is laziness, there is simply a need for accountability—we need to find someone we trust to inspire us and check up on us. “Wounds from a friend can be trusted.” (Prov. 27:6) If the teaching is not clear, or ineffective, be like the biblical example of the Bereans, “for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11) If we discover we are under the influence of a false prophet, flee. “They will secretly introduce destructive heresies. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.” (2 Pet. 2:1-3)
First and foremost, brothers and sisters, is our personal relationship with our Lord Jesus, and that is always our own responsibility. But, this relationship is never complete away from a community of like-minded, like-Spirited believers. Be careful that you are part of a bible-believing, bible teaching, Spirit-led church. “Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” (Heb. 10:25) Do whatever you have to do to find such a people, and then do everything required of you to be part of it. It’s important.
Q. Am I both a teacher and a learner as a disciple of Jesus?
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