COMMAND AND TEACH. 1st Timothy 4:11. Some truths must be delivered as serious proclamations and explained carefully so that those who hear understand them clearly. Before teaching, one must take time to learn what the word of God says and understand its importance. The authority to instruct others must first be earned through learning, comprehension, and practice of what is being taught. Discernment of a subject must be carefully grounded in scripture, comparing it to what a teacher says. Encourage those who listen to verify what is said with the authority of scripture. Trustworthy men will pass on trustworthy truth from a reliable Book that has been tested and proven to work.
A trustworthy teacher can cite scripture passages from which he derived his message and use a “thus saith the Lord” statement to support his thoughts and words. That gives authority to the truths he has previously taught. When he teaches again, he teaches what he has learned from God. It isn’t that he knows everything and has turned some corner or achieved a lofty goal, so he stops learning and imposes commands on everyone else. Instead, as a teacher, he takes time to listen to the Spirit’s call to pass on what God has given him.
A student can become a teacher with the right to lead, but a teacher never stops being a student, even as he’s grown in faith and can be trusted with sacred things. In the scriptures, there are depths of truth that we cannot understand because they stem from God's wisdom. Our knowledge and faith grow as we apply them to ourselves.
God’s wisdom and plans for us have many facets, each offering numerous ways to open our minds. They are like precious ore that is discovered, requiring labor and time to extract from the ground. When truth becomes real to me, I then have something to share with those I speak to, whether publicly or privately. I have the responsibility to command and teach the things God Himself has taught me so I can reach others and pass on what I know is from God.