Teachers Beware!!!
Taming the Tongue
3 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
Today James teaches on the importance of taming the tongue. And nowhere is this more important than for those who are
teachers of the Word. In fact, James says teachers will be judged more strictly than others. This is not a judgment for sin, but for what we do with the gifts we have been given. Teaching is one of the spiritual gifts given to those in the body of Christ. Teachers teach the Word of God in a manner that builds up and edifies the believers, to make them stronger in the faith. And of course they do that by what they say, which makes it all the more important for them to tame their tongues. Here are some reasons for this strong admonition from James:
1. Teachers represent God and therefore their integrity is judged in part by how they control their tongue. Since they use their tongue to teach about God, they need to be careful in how they use it in other settings as well.
2. Teachers must watch their words because the doctrine they are communicating needs to be consistent with God's Word. It is easy for a teacher to get on a tangent, and they must be careful to avoid personal opinions which may be confusing to those listening.
3. When a teacher teaches something there is a sense in which once something is taught it remains etched in the mind. If it is true that once we say something we can never get it back, how much more important is it for teachers to think and pray about what they are going to say.
You can see why James is so strong in his warning to potential teachers in the body of Christ. But as a teacher I can say there is no greater joy than teaching people God's Word, and how they can learn to read it for themselves. We also must remember, as with any gift, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to exercise our spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit works through us so our words can build others up. The Holy Spirit helps us discern the words to use and not to use. The Holy Spirit helps to tame our tongues so our words match what we teach.
We see today why teachers and the teaching gift is so important. May God lead teachers to use their words carefully.
3 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
Today James teaches on the importance of taming the tongue. And nowhere is this more important than for those who are
teachers of the Word. In fact, James says teachers will be judged more strictly than others. This is not a judgment for sin, but for what we do with the gifts we have been given. Teaching is one of the spiritual gifts given to those in the body of Christ. Teachers teach the Word of God in a manner that builds up and edifies the believers, to make them stronger in the faith. And of course they do that by what they say, which makes it all the more important for them to tame their tongues. Here are some reasons for this strong admonition from James:
1. Teachers represent God and therefore their integrity is judged in part by how they control their tongue. Since they use their tongue to teach about God, they need to be careful in how they use it in other settings as well.
2. Teachers must watch their words because the doctrine they are communicating needs to be consistent with God's Word. It is easy for a teacher to get on a tangent, and they must be careful to avoid personal opinions which may be confusing to those listening.
3. When a teacher teaches something there is a sense in which once something is taught it remains etched in the mind. If it is true that once we say something we can never get it back, how much more important is it for teachers to think and pray about what they are going to say.
You can see why James is so strong in his warning to potential teachers in the body of Christ. But as a teacher I can say there is no greater joy than teaching people God's Word, and how they can learn to read it for themselves. We also must remember, as with any gift, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to exercise our spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit works through us so our words can build others up. The Holy Spirit helps us discern the words to use and not to use. The Holy Spirit helps to tame our tongues so our words match what we teach.
We see today why teachers and the teaching gift is so important. May God lead teachers to use their words carefully.
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