Teaching in the church is absolutely essential, for knowing the Word of God creates a foundation for everything else. In the Word is truth and the truth sets us free (John 8:32). The first piece of the Christian’s armor is the belt of truth (Eph 6:14). The Word of God is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).  Jesus, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, taught that, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). And He later emphasized the importance of His own teachings, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matt 7:24). In the upper room before He was crucified, he prayed to His Father about His followers, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

Given the significance of the Word of God, it is no surprise the importance God places on teaching the Word. The early church was founded on the “apostles teaching” (Acts 2:42). The only way we know what Jesus taught is through the teachings of the apostles, because He did not leave for us his own handwritten memoirs. God appointed to the church, “some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers…” (Eph 4:11). The first two are foundational gifts (Eph 2:20—of course, Christ is the foundation, the cornerstone of the church (see 1 Cor 3:11, Matt 16:18). The foundation has been laid and it is now the evangelists and the pastor-teachers who build on it. While the soul-winners are those who add to the church, the pastor-teachers are those who build up the church through teaching.

In our passage today, we are encouraged to “… share all good things with the one who teaches …” Teaching is one of the most taken for granted ministries in the church, we come to expect it. We evaluate it, we criticize it, we compare it with other churches’ teaching ministries. We run to popular televised  preaching. But do we honor the teachers in our own midst. What about the faithful teacher who instructs our children in Sunday School? Or the nursery worker who teaches infants and toddlers while singing children’s hymns to them? What about the small group leader who sacrifices time during his or her week to prepare for the study? The one hour you hear the preacher on Sunday mornings may well represent hours and hours of preparation. With all of these, how can we share “good things?”