James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
James moves on to another major topic in his practical teaching and exhortation to the scattered believers. His next concern is broadly on the theme of speech and the words we say, or in some situations, do not say. Teachers have great influence. This influence is gained by different factors. One is the respect that comes with position, age, or education. Certain teachers just deserve respect because of who they are as people outside of the class. Some teachers gain respect by their teachings; they are good at what they do. In most societies, teachers are highly respected, at least once you get past junior high school! Being a teacher is a honorable profession because it influences the next generation. James is focusing especially upon teachers within the church. A teacher is accountable for what he or she is supposed to teach. Those who teach within the church are accountable for teaching the truth of the gospel. There were many problems in the early church of false teachers. We read about them in various letters in the New Testament such as 2 Corinthians, 1 Timothy, Titus, and others. In fact, correcting such false teaching is one of the biggest reasons most of the New Testament was written. It bothers me to see people today teaching false doctrines or pushing the edge of orthodoxy in the effort to be creative or relevant. Exploratory theology is a dangerous thing. Those who teach and have influence within churches, school, universities, and seminaries must be very careful about what they teach. This is one of the biggest reasons we must work very hard in our theological education and training of ministers. The standard for our teaching must be the Bible, not the latest radio or tv preacher or the newest video series. James warns teachers that they will be held accountable for what they teach. This thought should be enough for any person of influence to study hard and be careful about what he or she preaches.
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