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A friend recently told me that there’s far too much teaching in the church and not enough learning, but I read this the other day and was intrigued…here’s a smattering of quotes to whet your appetite:
It seems to me the normal pattern of pastoral ministry should not one of drowning in administration or getting in over your head in meetings or under water in visitation. Normally, the pastor should say of his week, “I was immersed in the public ministry of reading, teaching, and exhorting from the Scriptures.”
From 1549 onward Calvin preached twice on Sundays and every weekday on alternating weeks.
The picture one gets is of a church with a number of teachers, which would hardly be a necessity were there but a single sermon each week. In fact, if there were but a single sermon each week one could well imagine that all these prophets, teachers, and bishops might get into considerable competition for the pulpit. On the other hand, if there was daily preaching one might be glad to welcome a traveling evangelist from time to time.
A man in the ministry for over ten years who has been a serious student of the Scriptures knows more about any part of the Bible than almost anyone else in his congregation.
Perhaps those quotes on their own have been enough food for thought for one day…or perhaps you’d rather read it all in context over here.
I personally think the church should focus on teaching from Scripture and not on hopeful thoughts about how God can make you feel good about your life and yourself. Sometimes there’s too much focus on the less important stuff that the Bible itself is neglected for optimistic psychology and self-help. Great post!
Amen sister!
I think learning can only happen when there’s good teaching. And unfortunately, I don’t think there’s much good teaching in the church. Charismatic churches tend to have exhortational messages, with limited unpacking of things like the trinity, the covenants, Israel, union with Christ… I can’t remember the last time I heard a preach on those topics.