How Should The Church Teach?

1 Timothy 6:3-5 These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

As Paul closes up his letter to Timothy, he returns to something he mentioned in the first chapter.  He tells Timothy to insist on teaching which is in accord with what Jesus taught.  Paul is warning Timothy about those who misuse the Word of God.  They use it pridefully to make arguments about things unrelated to the essentials of the faith.  They use it in ways that create division and friction between people.  In particular Paul teaches against the false teachers who use God's word to suggest that godliness results in financial gain.  This is obviously something Jesus never suggested to his disciples.  Instead when Jesus sent the 72 disciples out he said, 

Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages.

Jesus never taught following him would make someone wealthy.  But he taught if that if someone would seek Him first all things would be provided for them in this life and in the next. 

Today people like to take the Word of God and twist it to their own ends.  Instead of teaching the plain Word of God, they try make it mean more than it was intended to mean. Often it can be out of pride, or to show their intelligence, or to push a political or social agenda.  One commentator put it this way,

"To not allow God’s Word to speak for itself – to put your own “spin” on it as modern politicians and public relations people do – is the worst kind of pride. It shows someone has more confidence in their own wisdom and opinions than in the straightforward truth of God." (enduringword.com)

As you seek a church to worship and/or a place to be taught about the Christian faith, make sure the teaching and preaching lines up with the straightforward teaching of Jesus himself especially that we are, "saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ based on the Word."  Most of the things Jesus taught us to do are fairly simple and we don't need a Ph'D to understand it.  As Proverbs 10:19 says, "Where there are many words, sin is not absent." 

Jesus' words are pretty clear.  The bigger challenge is obeying them.  This is where our focus needs to be!