Dear Bloggers
I was inspired by Camilla Friend’s blog, and her insights on ‘Mindfulness’.
After giving it a little thought and google searching, I decide to share what I
found, and allow you to interpret it as you please. Don’t look at it from a
biblical point of view, but from a Philosophical view.
Mindfulness
ˈmʌɪn(d)f(ʊ)lnəs/
noun
The quality or state of
being conscious or aware of something.
"their mindfulness of
the wider cinematic tradition"
a mental state achieved by
focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and
accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a
therapeutic technique.
People sometimes characterize a particular preacher as a
better teacher than a preacher. While different people may mean different
things in describing someone as a preacher or teacher, many people today
generally think of preaching as speaking forcefully, having a ready command of
scripture, making application and using illustrations, and then exhorting
people to follow biblical concepts. By teaching, many people today mean
presenting a passage of scripture, commenting upon it, and making explanations
to make the meaning of the biblical passage clear. Of course, some overlapping
of preaching and teaching is generally acknowledged.
However, this characterization generally has more to do with
modern notions or what constitutes preaching and teaching than with the way the
Bible uses the terms for preaching and teaching. The primary meaning associated
with the nature of preaching in the New Testament comes from the fact that the
Greek word most frequently used to describe a preacher was that of a herald. A
herald was one who announced a message, generally from the king or some other
ruling authority, to those who had not heard it before. Preaching in New
Testament times therefore related primarily to announcing good
news. In the New Testament, the content of that good news centered around the
themes of Jesus, Christ, the word, the gospel, and the kingdom.
On the other hand the nature of teaching in New Testament
times was primarily to explain ideas and their implications, and to exhort
people to live by declared values. Whereas the message preached was
the message announced, the message taught was the
message explained, clarified, and applied, with exhortation to live by it.
Whereas the message preached (announced) was primarily for the purpose of
conversion, the message taught (explained, clarified, applied, with
exhortation) was primarily for the purpose of building faith, Christian
conviction and character.
Essentially, preaching lays the foundation for teaching,
just as an announcement lays the foundation for further comments. Both have the
same message. Their points of emphasis differ. Whereas the content of preaching
may be narrowly defined, the content of teaching is in broad terms. Whereas the
Great Commission in Matthew requires that we “make disciples,” Mark declares
that we are to “preach the gospel” (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15). Matthew
builds upon this, however, to say that after disciples have been made, we are
to be “teaching them all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Paul’s work
in Rome is described as “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things
which concern the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 28:31). Paul himself used these
concepts of preaching and teaching when he said, “Him we preach, warning every
man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect
in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28). The pattern is consistent – preaching
(making announcement) precedes teaching (explanation, clarification,
application, exhortation).
However, this distinction between preaching (as announcement
to the unconverted) and teaching (as explanation, clarification, application,
and exhortation to those already informed) even in New Testament times, was not
always clear. Sometimes, people spoke interchangeably about the practice of
teaching and preaching. Thus, whereas Matthew 4:23 declares that Jesus was
“teaching in the synagogues;” Mark and Luke indicate that he was “preaching”
(Mark 1:39, Luke 4:44). In Jerusalem, the same apostles who were “proclaiming
in Jesus the resurrection from the dead” were at the same time “teaching the
people” (Acts 4:2). Whereas the term preaching consistently refers to the
message announced, the term teaching may have people as its object.
I made more sense of it all, when I did not just openly receive
and accept this message and interpretation. I took the message, made it my own,
and linked it to what I have been told is expected of me as a teacher.
I plan to come back to this message when I have a few years
of experience as a teacher, behind my name, and reflect on it (hopefully).
Thank you for listening.
