Ephesians 4:7-16: Spiritual gifts –pastor teacher, part 13.Wednesday December 8,2021Last time we saw in Tit 2:3 that older women were to teach what is good and encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible [sophron = sober minded, temperate], pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, and all so that the word of God may not be dishonored.
That is a lot to teach, and it would take more than one lesson or chat. And it is not only for older women, but all of us have opportunity to teach others about the virtue of God in the life of a person.
The Greek word for teacher is didaskalos, and this word, translated “good teacher,” is a compound kalodidaskalos. Kalos is an adjective that means “good.”
There is another compound of didaskalos that is the opposite of kalodidaskalos.
Good teacher: kalodidaskalos False teachers: pseudodidaskalos.
There are plenty of them, and they will always be around. There are millions in every generation who are willing dupes and spreaders of lies. The father of lies is Satan, and he employs a network of liars to whom are promised some reward. We must identify them and steer clear of their falsehood. Jesus told us that we would know them by their fruit.
2Pe 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
We must understand that this term is for the people described by Peter in terrible detail in this chapter. We all get things wrong, and we are all capable of teaching falsehood, but these do so intentionally, or if they are ignorant of the truth, they don’t care for the truth. They are like the hireling whom the Lord described as having no concern for the sheep but only for themselves.
2Pe 2:2-3 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
I won’t presently read the rest of the chapter, Peter describes them as daring, self-willed, unreasoning animals, who revel in their deception, have eyes full of adultery, enticing unstable souls, hearts trained in greed, promising freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption. Then Peter writes in 3:1, “This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,” and from which he follows that no one is going to get away with anything and that this corrupt world is only temporary.
And on that note, it is important to remember that the history of mankind, seeming to last so long, is but a day to God. We wonder why God did it all. We wonder at our own suffering and that of the world and consider why God did this. Holy, righteous, pure; God made a universe in which so much sin and pain and violence is done, and in which even the saved groan within themselves. We must remember; this world is far, far more temporary than we know, and even in that, our time on it is very, very short. Don’t be deceived by Satan’s millions of false teachers. The things of this world; the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the boastful pride of life is hated by the Father, and they are of no value to us. Peter puts it beautifully.
2Pe 3:8-13 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct [anastrophe = lit. turning back, came to mean moving around and therefore conduct] and godliness [eusebeia = well devoted], 12 looking for and hastening [speudo = desiring] the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
What should we be looking for and desiring? Isn’t it interesting how that question finds a connection with “lust of the eyes and lust of the flesh?” And in that same context, notice what John writes about this world…
1Jo 2:16-17 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.
The world is so very temporary, and our time on it is even more so. Every believer’s destiny is eternity. There, we can either look back on our earthly lives as a bad day to which we submitted in bitterness and fear, or as a bad day in which we overcame and despite it experienced love, joy, and peace. We will look back on our earthly lives as a memorable day, and I do mean one day. |