Weakening the Weak – Part 3
June 16, 2002
Dear Friends,
In this week’s conclusion to the topic of Weakening the Weak, we would like to consider this from an ecclesial perspective.
Recently, a teacher of a local Bible study mentioned to me that a young lady attending his class decided she was not going to come any longer because the class was too deep for her. This was especially surprising considering the class was originally a first principles class. When he told me this, I said that I wondered if it ever occurred to this young lady that the best Bible students were those who read their Bibles and regularly attended Sunday School, Bible classes and Bible schools. Do you ever wonder why people who regularly exercise are the ones who look like they don’t need to exercise? Do you ever wonder why those people who read a lot are very good readers? Do you think their is a correlation?
Anyone who has ever had to prepare for teaching a Bible class or Sunday school knows that the person who receives the most benefit from the class is the teacher. It usually takes hours of study and preparation to give a good one hour class. Therefore, the teacher, through the preparation of the material, gains much more than the student who receives only the condensed version of what the teacher has actually acquired. Thus, the teacher gains in strength through the process of teaching more than the student. It is no wonder then that we can observe a snowball effect with the more popular teachers. A teacher prepares a good lesson so they are asked to teach again. In the multiplication of preparation, the teacher is strengthened again and again making them even better teachers and in even greater demand. The novice teacher is in less demand, thus requiring less preparation and therefore less opportunity to gain in strength.
The solution we may jump to is that everyone should be a teacher. However, this is contrary to Biblical advice. James says “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.” (James 3:1 NASB) We can, on the other hand, encourage study and preparation by homework and other assignments that encourage class preparation for someone other than the teacher.
Another ecclesial example in this area is waiting for those who are late. We seem to think that it is kind or polite to wait for those who are late. We don’t have to be rude toward those that are late, but we don’t have to wait for them either. If Bible class starts at 8 p.m., then let it start at 8 p.m. for all those who were on time. If we continually wait for those who are late, we take away all consequences for their behavior and weaken the weak.
The Bible does speak to the subject in several instances. The angel spoke to the ecclesia in Sardis and encouraged them to “strengthen the things which remain.” (Rev. 3:2) The apostle Paul exhorted those in Thessalonica to “support the weak.” (1 Thess 5:14) Finally, the writer to the Hebrews says concerning the last days “let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb. 10:24-25)
These are just a few examples when many more could have been given. This is not to encourage a hardened or condescending attitude toward anyone we might consider weak in one area or another, but simply to provoke the thought of where we might, through our attitude or action, be guilty of weakening the weak.
Have a great week!
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