Why do we teach?

Why do we teach?

At times even the most courageous soldiers get weary with the warfare in which they are engaged. At times it seems that all is lost and there is nothing left but to gather together with the fellow soldiers and await the end. But God has told us not to be weary in well doing, that our labor is not in vain, even if no one heeds the warning, I Cor. 15:58. Even if no one comes to repentance at the warning given by God’s soldiers they must realize that they have at the very least delivered their own souls, Eze. 3:18ff. God does not expect us to deliver everyone from the devil’s snare. God does, however, expect us to try our hardest to deliver everyone from his snare. And so we try, even in the face of rejection, to win souls to Christ. And our labor, which we at times may think is vain, is in fact not vain, in that we are simply doing the commands of God. Even if everyone we spoke to did repent, we would still be unprofitable servants, Luke 17:10.

The Apostle Paul is a perfect example of a faithful soldier of the Lord who persisted in the battle despite suffering rejection by the people to which he preached. He knew they rejected not him, but the Lord who sent him, John 13:20 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” In the Book of Acts the Apostle says “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean.” (Acts 18:6), implying that he had fulfilled his obligation to the Lord in teaching people the truth. Even though the vast majority of people rejected it, Paul continued to preach until he realized that it was a lost cause. It was a waste of time; time that could be spent teaching those that would listen to the truth.

Despite Paul’s harsh words in Acts 18:6, we must realize that the Apostle was doing the right thing. Notice what those of Corinth did with the truth when the Apostle presented it to them, Acts 18:6 “And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook out his raiment and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.” Luke also tells us in Acts 13:46 that another group of people rejected Paul. He tells them; “Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles ”. The people had ‘opposed themselves’ by rejecting the truths of God’s word and judged themselves unworthy of the Kingdom. It is just as Paul told Timothy years later in I Timothy 2, when he was instructing Timothy how to be a faithful Christian: 2 Timothy 2:24-26 “And the Lord's servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth, and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will.”

Paul taught, and though it seemed that no one was listening, look again at Acts 18. Acts 18:8 “And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.” Paul's harsh words to those who would not repent brought salvation to those willing to repent. Even though we may be rejected, continuing to speak does work for good in God’s Kingdom.

Do not doubt, speaking the truth does one of two things. Either people will reject you for telling them the truth, in which you have delivered your soul by doing God’s work, or people will believe and be saved and added to the Kingdom of God.

Galatians 4:16 “So then am I become your enemy, by telling you the truth?”