Warning Every Man and Teaching Every Man by Kyle Searcy

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Colossians 1:27-28 says, To them, God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We preach Him, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

 These verses offer unique insight into Paul's preaching methods. When he preached the glorious mystery of Christ within us, he employed two distinct approaches. The first was to instruct or inform with practical application. This is referred to as “teaching.”

 Teaching, translated from the Greek word (didaskontes), means to instruct. He would share with them things they didn’t know or needed to be reminded of. We are very familiar with this method since it occurs in most pulpits Sunday after Sunday.

 The second and equally important procedure was to warn. The word "warning" — (noutheteō) in Greek — means to firmly admonish, reprimand, or rebuke. I fear this method is one that many in society have abandoned.

 There is a strong push through emerging cultural norms to avoid offending people at all costs. The new standard of acceptable conduct seems to be to say or do nothing that makes another person uncomfortable in any way. Perhaps you have felt such pressure. It's become a new norm to be politically correct at all costs.

The New York Times ran a story on a Siena College opinion poll in 2022. The poll measured freedom of speech in everyday situations. They found that:

  •  84% of Americans consider the reluctance of some Americans to exercise their freedom of speech, due to fear of retaliation or harsh criticism, to be a serious problem.

  • Over half (55%) have refrained from speaking freely over the last year due to concerns about retaliation or harsh criticism.

  • There's a growing sense that Americans are less free to express their viewpoints on politics and race compared to a decade ago.

  • About 66% agree that democracy is built upon the free, open, and safe exchange of ideas, but 30% support restricting speech that is anti-democratic, bigoted, or untrue.

I’m afraid this thinking has also permeated pulpits. Many pastors and church leaders are under pressure to be perpetually positive, and every message must make listeners feel good. In this hour of declining morals and values, we must reclaim the lost art of warning parishioners.

 Simply instructing without warning leaves people unprepared for the ability to resist attacks. Many may think they are doing a good thing, but they are actually setting others up for possible destruction. Parents should not just teach their children to walk and run; they must also warn them not to run into oncoming traffic.

 There are at least three areas where we must warn believers:

 That trials and temptations will come, and we must overcome them.

  1. We must warn them to resist and correct false doctrine.

  2. Warn to rebuke and correct bad behavior in other believers.

  3. Warn to rebuke and correct bad behavior in other believers.

 © 2024 Dr. Kyle Searcy, Montgomery, AL (USCAL Member)