You who teach others, do you teach yourself?

Raphael's "School at Athens" fresco in the Vatican

Scripture:

Rom. 2:17   But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God ¹⁸ and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law, ¹⁹ and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, ²¹ you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴ For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Observation:

Paul’s criticism of the Jews continues. It was so easy for them to be critical of the Gentiles and yet, while they could recite the law, the weren’t necessarily living according to the law. They felt so self-righteous that they believed that they could be guides to the blind. These were the enlightened ones who could preach against stealing and adultery, while at the same time they were thieves and having affairs. The hypocrisy of their own lives impacted their ability to share the good news about God and his law to the Gentiles. Henry says “Spiritual pride is the most dangerous of all kinds of pride. A great evil of the sins of professors is, the dishonour done to God and religion, by their not living according to their profession” (Commentary). 

Application:

One of the main reasons I was attracted to the Church Fathers of the fourth century was because they were great theologians, but they were also people who were wrestling with faith and how to put it into practice. I spent six years of my life studying their understanding of holiness. They were not simply intellectual theologians, but they were also practical theologians who loved God and wanted to serve him. It may shock you to know that there are professional theologians these days who would not even profess to be believers. We have turned the study of God into such an intellectual practice that in some ways, we’ve become 21st century gnostics — valuing knowledge, but disconnecting that knowledge from life in the flesh. 

The great need of our day is for intellectuals who have fallen in love with Jesus. We need the both-and that we find in the life of the apostle Paul. He brought all of his love for the law and the prophets, his theological training, and then his passion to follow Christ to his ministry. This is what made him so powerful and able to use all of his talents and abilities for God’s kingdom work. 

I receive an e-mail almost every day from an organization called “Ministry Watch.” Sadly, it is filled with all the failures of Christian leadership. There are many pastors and leaders who are failing us because they teach others, but they do not teach themselves. The daily life of a follower of Christ is as important as the words that they teach, if not more so! Recently I had someone from another denomination tell me that what they noticed about Nazarene ministers was the good way in which they lived their lives. I know that’s not true for everyone, but that is a great statement. We need to embrace the truths of God and live them out in our daily lives. 

Basil of Caesarea was one of the fourth century Church Fathers that I studied. He had the very best education that money could buy at that time and eventually was sent to the great university at Athens. It was there that he became friends with Gregory of Nazianzus who is simply referred to by historians as “the Theologian.” When Basil finished his studies he came back home to Caesarea to practice rhetoric. His older sister Macrina sent him a note and told him that he was far too “puffed up” — or full of himself. She told him to get his act together and to come home and study the life of “philosophy” as explained by Origen, which was to give your entire life and body in service to God. He took the advice of his sister, and invited his friend Gregory to join him. That became the transformational moment in their lives when they wholeheartedly devoted their intellect and their actions in service to God. Basil eventually returned to the city forming one of the first monasteries in a location where they could serve the city. He founded the world’s first soup kitchens. His friend Gregory went on to become the Bishop of Constantinople and presided over portions of the Church Council meeting of 381. They lived what they preached and their impact on the development of the Nicene Creed still influences the church today. That is the power of one who teaches others and who intentionally teaches themself. We desperately need more committed intellectuals these days. 

Prayer:

Lord, may the words of my mouth and the footsteps of my life lead me in daily service to you. Amen.