Teach to Obey

“For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach his statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).

Notice three things: study, do, teach.

In the Christian church, we have studiers and teachers. We can study and acquire information. We can teach and impart information. We can get As on our knowledge. The strong point of the three is the doing. Doing validates the studying and validates the teaching.

Teaching biblically is not just imparting information. The neglected phrase in the Great Commission is the one on teaching: “teaching them to do all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus gave the commands. We do not command. We teach obedience to His commands. We are not to teach information without teaching obedience. If we are to follow Ezra’s example, we are to study, obey, and teach to obey.

Written February 1989.

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