Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.
Summary: Giving instruction and receiving instruction are two different things. Oddly, we can receive instruction even if someone is not intentionally giving it. Sometimes that is the very best kind of instruction.
Sometimes … occasionally … once in a great while … Paul makes sense. In fact, he makes so much sense in this passage that there is hardly anything to discuss about this plain statement of advice. After reading these words, I am left with only two questions:
“Who is your instructor?” and “What kinds of ‘good things’ should be shared with them?”
In traditional church settings, instructors tend to have formal training and official certifications from the institutions they are associated with. I have known many such instructors, and a few have been very good. Some have been good instructors, but what they have taught has not been good (Galatians 6:3). Others have been poor instructors, but they have left me with a good lesson.
It can be confusing!
There are the instructors that God sends my way who are not with the church, have no formal training, and the only “certification” they have is their faith in God. Some of my greatest insights have come from these ad hoc instructors.
Some people, like myself, are not instructors at all. I know the Lord as he has revealed himself to me through his Word, and I feel called to write about his Word and share it with others. Do you find yourself receiving instruction here? If you do, it is not because I have given it to you. It is because the Lord has used these words to show you something you needed to know.
So what “good things” should you share with your instructor?
Most commentaries seem to lean towards “good things” of a material nature. This is a reasonable understanding of the Word. When Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples he sent them without ”purse or bag or sandals” (Luke 10:4). When they came to a place where their peace found rest, Jesus taught them to stay and eat what they were given. They were sent to “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’” (Luke 10:9). In return, they received food and shelter. The Lord explained that “the worker deserves his wages.”
Some ministries require material support to exist. Churches collect offerings because they have to pay the light bill and staff. Yet, “good things” are not limited to the things money can buy.
Sometimes “good things” are encouragement and appreciation. Occasionally, I am blessed with a note from someone who has found something helpful in the words shared here. For me, there is nothing sweeter than knowing I have been used by the Lord to help further his kingdom.
Application: Are you an instructor, too? Should you be?
Food for Thought: In what ways do people receive instruction in the word from average everyday Christians?
I thought a lot about this question and the answer that keeps popping in my head is people are good at being led by the Holy Spirit in connecting dots at a “ground level” when they humbly seek to understand the Word and how it applies to their life.
Finding correlations and consistency in the Bible that are sometimes missed. I think a lot of things about the Bible are discovered and rediscovered. If we were to take all that has been learned and written about the Bible, people would still miss some of it. When people discover and rediscover the Bible personally, and share it, God renews the Word in the lives of His people.
Applying the circumstances of their life to the Word, and finding a deeper understanding of it, or one that has been overlooked.
Simply by living a life rooted in love and sharing love, and when asked why they do things that way, they quote a verse or passage from the Bible, and you (we) are left thinking “Yeah, wow, that is good!” We see how the Word and how Christ lives in us.
I was taught a couple of years ago that when I have questions and I read the Bible looking for guidance and answers, to look with a blank slate, not “prooftext” what I think the Word says, but ask “what does the Bible say about this subject.” Sometimes there is initial dissonance, and I find myself looking at different translations or the original language in an effort to really grasp what is being said. In time, I learn something about who God is, who Christ is, and how they show their love for mankind. I think a lot of people experience a similar type of thing, and it just depends on how God created them. It is when we see an opportunity to share with each other the understanding that the Holy Spirit brings, we may give insight to another, or even receive back insight from them on the same thought and it serves to increase our insight all the more.
Proverbs 16:20 Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
Well said, Chris!
“Finding correlations and consistency in the Bible that are sometimes missed.”
That is what I call finding treasure in God’s Word!
In what ways do people receive instruction in the word from average everyday Christians?
By being fully engaged with our surroundings and listening with our eyes and ears.
As a non believer I lived as a self absorbed person caught up in what I was doing, my achievements were my number one priority.
As a believer my attention has increasingly turned to God’s word as recorded, and spoken to my spirit by the Holy Spirit through inspired men and women.
Romans 1:20, John 16:13, John 17:3
Ron,
I like the way you phrased this! Being a believer opens the eyes to insights of the Holy Spirit shared by other believers. Yes!
I know the answer to this question can be personal and different for each person.
For me, I am often touched by selfless actions I see from one person to another. So actions can speak louder than words and kindness, goodness and faithfulness are fruit of the Spirit. I also have been blown away when I see forgiveness lived out in a meaningful way. That shows true transformation.
Thank you, Rich!
We humans communicate in several ways. The spoken word is the most common but not always the most effective. Agapé love lived out in the selfless actions of believers is a powerful way to communicate truth about God.
Jeff, Thanks for your effort to publish this daily.
I really applicate reading it every day. Still miss you at the men’s bible study.
Thank you, Paul!
That is very kind of you!! 🙂