Teaching - Keep Your Cool
-Apostle Paul writing to the Leader of the 1st church in Ephesus, 1st century
2 Timothy 2:24 in the New International Version
[This is the 11th lesson of this series]
The Apostle Paul started the 1st church in the city of Ephesus. He then moved to plant another church in another city. He left Timothy to lead the church in Ephesus.
Paul is aware that being a church leader is not going to be easy. There will be frustrations, misunderstandings, disagreements, differences in opinion and even divisions. This is why he was writing letters of instructions to Timothy.
Love
The teacher should rise above these and be able to instruct with love. They should be able to show kindness, gentleness and self-control. They are to be calm, tempered and patient, and their words and actions reflecting grace, mercy and the love of Our heavenly Father.
Example
We have Jesus as our example. He was able to teach in whatever situation and condition. Jesus was not argumentative and quarrelsome. And He never went around starting fights and debates, nitpicking or looking for the little things that differentiate one person from another.
Instead, he looked for the simple things, those which are common in all. He looked for the good things in us. He was gentle and taught in love.
Exception
The teacher should rise above these and be able to instruct with love. They should be able to show kindness, gentleness and self-control. They are to be calm, tempered and patient, and their words and actions reflecting grace, mercy and the love of Our heavenly Father.
Image Credit: dailyverses.net
Example
We have Jesus as our example. He was able to teach in whatever situation and condition. Jesus was not argumentative and quarrelsome. And He never went around starting fights and debates, nitpicking or looking for the little things that differentiate one person from another.
Instead, he looked for the simple things, those which are common in all. He looked for the good things in us. He was gentle and taught in love.
Exception
But let us not get this all wrong. He did fought with the leaders of the church in His day, with the teachers of the law and their groupies. He fought their worldly fire, religious spirit and fanaticism with the fire of the Holy Spirit, God's Word and God's wisdom.
We are to remember that it is not our job to convert people. That is the work of the Spirit of God. It is God who makes them have a change of heart. This is where it will start to turn around for anyone -- a rebirth (born from above).
Once they do, then the Word of God will flow through them and any senseless argument or debate can be taken out of the picture.
We are to remember that it is not our job to convert people. That is the work of the Spirit of God. It is God who makes them have a change of heart. This is where it will start to turn around for anyone -- a rebirth (born from above).
Once they do, then the Word of God will flow through them and any senseless argument or debate can be taken out of the picture.
Besides, followers of Christ who are called out from different backgrounds and ways of upbringing are made united through the finished work of Christ. Their bond is stronger than anything that separates them.
Followers of Christ are to be in unity with the important and major points of the faith and not wasting their time over the unimportant or minor matters which often are a result of the things which differentiate them because of their different backgrounds and viewpoints, the way they were brought up and all that.
Teacher
Jesus taught so effortlessly, most times just by using stories, illustrations, examples and the truth. And He taught with authority, with humility and love.
Jesus taught so effortlessly, most times just by using stories, illustrations, examples and the truth. And He taught with authority, with humility and love.
He wasn't arrogant. He wasn't rude. Quite the opposite, He was patient and caring, like a Good Shepherd was to His sheep. He was tender with them. He cared for them, fed them, protected them, looked for them when they got lost, He rescued them, carried them home and nursed them back to health.
He was nonetheless firm with the stiff necked religious leaders, those whose intentions were malicious -- always arguing and debating, laying out traps, and scheming with their own kind and fooling the gullible. They tried so hard to make Him look bad and discredit His teaching.
He was nonetheless firm with the stiff necked religious leaders, those whose intentions were malicious -- always arguing and debating, laying out traps, and scheming with their own kind and fooling the gullible. They tried so hard to make Him look bad and discredit His teaching.
Let us not be like one of those, who Jesus distanced Himself from. They shouldn't be teachers at all.
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