PROVERBS 27:17

PROVERBS 27:17

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the wits of another.

  That we are to teach others is a clearly stated precept in the Old and New Testament. Recorded in 2Timothy 2:2 Paul urges that we teach others that will in turn teach others and so on. The writer of Hebrews uses strong provocative language to make the point: “Although Jesus was the Son of God, he learned to be obedient through his sufferings. After he had finished his work, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him. God appointed him chief priest in the way Melchizedek was a priest. We have a lot to explain about this. But since you have become too lazy to pay attention, explaining it to you is hard. By now you should be teachers. Instead, you still need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word. You need milk, not solid food. All those who live on milk lack the experience to talk about what is right. They are still babies. However, solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to know the difference between good and evil. (GW 5:8-14; also note the familiar Rom.12:2) following with a stern warning recorded in chapter 6.

  Does this mean each and every Christian should be in a church pulpit, teaching Sunday School or Catechism or instructing in some other such formal way?

  No.

  What it does mean is that whether pulpit, teaching desk, or any other position we are to” dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence in God when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect.” (GW 1Pet.3:15) In my life this at times involves “I don’t know but I have resources and I will get back to you.”

  A closing thought this morning, actually a memory: Teaching for most of us involves dependable availability to mentor, most often informal, quite often in passing moment of opportunity. The moment I recall was not pulpit or instruction class given. After a church service I was politely carping to Bill Harrington (Still my living elder.) about the lack of recognition other people did not receive. Being a perceptive experienced person, he quietly responded “You would be surprised what can be accomplished if you don’t expect recognition.” The brief sentence was one of the turning points in my life that I often have occasion to thankfully rejoice therein.

  Axe, strop, velvet, or something in between, we may sharpen the life of another.

EBB4