Teaching Matters

Teachings are “ideas or principles taught by an authority” (Oxford Dictionary). They undoubtedly influence others. Whether this is beneficial or not is often a subjective judgement. However, in the marketplace of ideas, teachings should be tested by their reliability or trustworthiness.

Religion is a fertile area for teachings. Every religion has a system of teachings to which adherents subscribe. In recent years, the decline of religiosity in Ireland has become well established. One poll asked university students how they would characterise their belief in God. Only 37.5% of the students polled stated that they believe in God. The top reason, according to the poll, for why students don’t follow a religion, was that they ‘don’t believe in the teachings’ (77.8%) (Irish Central, April 22, 2014). Both results indicate a lack of belief among students in what was heretofore considered a “religious” nation.

Although many believe this is attributable to the clergy scandals in the Roman Catholic Church, there may be other significant factors. One hint may be found in the second poll response mentioned above, i.e., that almost 80% of the respondents “don’t believe in the [religious] teachings.” Although the teachings are not identified, it is fair to ask, what are the teachings that the students do not believe in? Why? It may be presumed that at least part of the reason for unbelief is that the students do not consider the relevant teachings to be reliable. Have they been given reason(s) to believe?

In any field of study or endeavour, there must be an underlying basis of support, be it a document, such as a constitution or scripture, a person such as a great leader, or event such as a revolution or calamity. We begin with two; the Person of Christ and the Bible.

2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Our starting point is the Bible.

Acts 2:42, “And they continued steadfastly in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

The apostles’ teaching is the entire teaching of the New Testament from the first to the last page. It is not merely a part of the New Testament. All twenty-seven books of the New Testament are the apostles’ teaching.

The entire teaching of the New Testament, which is the apostles’ teaching, is God’s speaking, in the Son to His New Testament people Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, having spoken of old in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets, has at the last of these days spoken to us in the Son.”

God’s speaking in the teaching of the New Testament was completed through Paul and John (Col. 1:25-26; Rev. 22:18-19). The word of God as the revealed mystery was completed by Paul’s writings. Colossians 1:25-26 says, “Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations but now has been manifested to His saints.”

The entire New Testament was completed by John’s writings. Revelation 22:18-19 says, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this scroll; and if anyone takes away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and out of the holy city, which are written in this scroll.” No other book in the Bible says this. Only the last book of John declares that his writing is the completion of the entire New Testament revelation.

The apostles’ teaching is the constitution of the Christian faith (Jude 3; 1 Tim. 1:19; 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7). The Christian faith refers to our belief. Our belief, our faith, our creed, is a great matter. It is the entire New Testament. Our creed is a long one. It starts from the beginning of Matthew and continues to the end of Revelation. This creed is our belief, and our belief is the Christian faith.