Able to Teach and Teachable

Titus 2:2
"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance."

I remember what it was like this time of year in 1982 when I was working on my first Masters Degree, in education. I was finishing up assignments for my professors at the same time I was assigning end of semester projects for my students. Interesting perspective.

Efficiency was imperative; on both ends. I appreciated, so much, my profs who were the best teachers. These were the classes where I really understood what they were trying to teach me and how it applied to what I was trying to do. Even when I'm a business major studying education and taking a history class. That history prof taught me a lot, not only about history, but how to read, process information, summarize and communicate the important facts to the rest of the class. Invaluable to a teacher.

I was impressed with the importance of helping my students mine the pearls from among the sand in the classes I was teaching. I wanted them to learn more than the subject matter, but also how to read, process information, summarize and communicate the important facts back to me.

That kind of immediate application sticks.

So, "old men" (Titus 2:2), are you teachable? And, by now, are you teaching?

Heb 5:11-14
"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

It's amazing how being a student will improve your teaching skills. And, how teaching will improve your learning skills.

I've known way too many old men who grew a lot (spiritually) as teenagers and in their early 20's. They grew a little more in their 30's. But something happened within them when they arrived in their 50's and 60's and they stopped learning. And, this is typically the age when we look to men to be leaders and teachers. If you've stopped learning you have also hamstrung your ability teach.

Deut 4:1
"Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you."

Deut 5:1
"Hear, O Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them."

The Hebrew word used in 4:1 as "teach" is the same word used in 5:1 as "learn". The 2 processes are inseperable. The biblical definition of the process is, if the learners aren't learning then the teacher isn't teaching.

Hmmm. So, in order to be considered a good teacher, my students have to be learning. And, the only way to know if they are learning is if they are making better decisions than they were before.

And, in order to be a good teacher, I have to be a good student. Which means, someone is teaching me well enough that I'm making better decisions.

I need people in my life who are learning from others and in turn are investing in me. I need to be taking what I'm learning and in turn investing it in others. Almost sounds biblical, doesn't it?

Too many men short-circuit the process and check out of being students. But, when they do that they have retarded their ability to teach. How effective are they really?

So, old men, are you teachable? Are you seeing evidence in your life in the form of making better decisions today than you did last year?

Old men, are you teaching anybody right now? By now you ought to be teachers of deeper spiritual issues. Have you mastered them? Who's learning from you in such a way their life is marked by better decisions today than they were making a year ago?

Can you imagine a church where every man is learning and teaching?