Those Who Teach, and Keep Learning
A study on the weight and the gift of teaching the faith, and on the humility that keeps a teacher a student.
Scripture treats teaching as a serious calling. James writes plainly: "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly" (James 3:1). This is not a door shut against anyone. It is a weight named honestly, so that those who take up the work carry it with care.
Teaching begins where all wisdom begins. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7). To fear the LORD here means to hold God in reverence — to remember that we are not the source of what we pass on. A teacher who forgets this stops learning.
The work of study and teaching spans every tradition. The Rev. Dr. Molly Marshall, a theologian and educator, serves as president of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities — one place among many where the faith is studied and handed on.
Sit today with one question. What have you been given to teach, and are you still willing to be taught?
Sources
- The Defiant Divine Journey of the Rev. Dr. Molly Marshall — Religion News Service
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