Those Who can't do, Teach?

A nice stock photo. I should probably start shooting some stuff like this too for these posts.

Those who can't do, teach. It's a phrase you've probably heard. I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure what it mean. But I can say it certainly isn't true of believers.

I do think that, for example in photography, that someone may not be very good at photography itself, but understand the concepts of composition, lighting, the exposure triangle, etc.

But is that true for spiritual things?

"Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food." Hebrews 5:11-12

What am I driving at? Well the authors audience had not grasped the depth and reality of the gospel. They weren't doing, and also weren't teaching.

In other words, the gospel hadn't taken root, it hadn't affected change in their hearts.

While in other professions someone may not be necessarily good at something, but still understand its mechanics and therefore teach it; for Christians, while certainly not perfection, they should themselves be affected by the Word before and as they teach it to others.

I want to be careful here to not elevate teachers too high. What James says in James 3:1 is true: "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgement."

And the standards for elders in 1 Timothy and Titus are very high.

But teachers are human, and so we should expect the Biblical standards be met, but also offer grace knowing that they're human and fallible. I think it's a balance, but without compromise. If that makes sense.

A teacher of the Bible who himself obeys none of it, and believes none of it, is not a true teacher, and worse, a hypocrite.

And so, a teacher of the Bible, of spiritual things, ought to themselves be challenged and changed by the very words they imperfectly convey to others.

In closing, hold up your teachers in prayer, encouraging their faithfulness. For false teachers, pray for them as well, but correct in love, and oppose in truth, all the while guided by Scripture.