Bible commentators and Biblical experts tell us that this verse describes the beginning of Jesus’ third missionary journey. They say that this was Christ’s third sweep across Galilee teaching and preaching. I might have a hard time proving that to you, or even to myself, and it is probably not important. But I found it interesting that verse 35 is an almost identical duplication of Matthew 4:23. Follow with your eye our text for this evening as I read from chapter 4 – “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”Gill says that Matthew 4 began Christ’s first Galilean circuit.It is not so much the chronology and time-table of Jesus’ ministry which concerns me tonight. There is a pair of words in both verses which unite and then separate certain aspects of Jesus’ work. “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom.”
There are two parts of Christ’s earthly ministry mentioned here – teaching and preaching.
Believing as I do that the Holy Spirit knew what He was doing in giving us the Word of God, there is probably a distinct difference between those two things. If these were the only verses where a difference was made, I might not be preaching this message. But there it is again in Matthew 11:1 – “And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach AND to preach in their cities.” Even though we can’t find this duality in Mark or Luke, Luke does bring it up again in the Book of Acts. Acts 15:35 – “Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.” Then in a scripture which we used this morning, when Paul was in Rome his ministry included – “Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” While Paul refers to “preaching” many times in his epistles, he doesn’t directly link that to teaching. However he does use related words from time to time. Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” I Timothy 6:2 – “They that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.”
It is obvious to me that there is a difference between teaching and preaching. That does not mean that they can’t overlap. In fact, I think that seven or eight times out of ten they should overlap. But there will be those cases when they remain two separate activities and ministries. I think that, like our Saviour, the gospel minister ought to be proficient in both forms of this ministry. Unfortunately for you, I am not convinced that I am.
What is it to teach?
The Greek word is “didasko” (did-as’-ko). Every once in a while you’ll hear or read the English word “didactic.” For example, someone might say that “Grimm’s fables are didactic.” It means that they are meant to teach something – perhaps some moral principle. The Bible is not mere literature; it is not mere history; and it is certainly not fiction. It has been given to us by God to teach us about Him. Yes, there is a lot of history in its pages, but that is didactic history, designed to educate us about God.
Where could we ever find a better teacher – a teacher about God – than the Lord Jesus, the Son of God? In John 3, Nicodemus “came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher (a “didaskalos“) come from God.” Never does God’s Word describe our Saviour as a “preacher,” but that word is used of Paul and others.
Perhaps more than a preacher, our Lord Jesus was a teacher (a “didaskalos”). When we began to look at Matthew 5, beginning with the beatitudes “Blessed are the poor in Spirit….” When we began to look at Matthew 5, I skipped right over something, and I probably caused you to miss it as well. “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them saying…..” Did you know that might be more Biblical to call Matthew 5-7 “Christ’s Teaching on the Mount,” rather than the “Sermon on the Mount?”
On several occasions, Jesus went into one of the Jewish synagogues and taught the Word of God. I have several books which describe the synagogue service in Jesus’ day. They say that quite often the ruler of the synagogue would choose some worthy man to read the scripture. He would then be given the opportunity to restate those scriptures in his own words. And if he chose to do so, he could also expound and explain those scriptures. If he was not doing a worthy job, the ruler could cut him off or he wouldn’t be permitted to lead the service again. Sometimes this reader would be from another synagogue, or would be well-known as a rabbi or teacher. At times the ruler of the synagogue would just sense that a visitor was worthy of this privilege. Very often the Lord Jesus was given this opportunity, and He would then expound the meaning of those scriptures, usually displaying authority which no priest or rabbi ever could. Verse after verse in all four of the gospels describe various Sabbath services where this took place. Almost always in those cases Jesus taught the people, but I must admit there were a few occasions when He preached.
What is it to teach? Strong defines the word “didasko” as to “impart instruction; instill doctrine into one; to explain or expound something.” This is what our Lord Jesus did in those synagogues and in other places on other occasions. Over and over again, He quoted an Old Testament scripture and then explained its true meaning. Often this was in contrast to what the Scribes and Pharisees had been teaching them about that verse. Then there were statements like, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you….” There were occasions when Jesus quoted Isaiah, which referred to the work of the coming Messiah, and taught how it was that He was in the midst of doing that Messianic work.
Jesus Christ was a teacher. Not only did He expound the scriptures, but he instructed His disciples on what Christians were supposed to do. “It came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” Some of the disciples yearned for some “didasko” – teaching and instruction – on prayer.
The principle of teaching is not complicated. It is to open up, explain and expound something. It might be a verse of scripture, or it could be instruction on how to do something. We have all been taught, and we should all be teachers of others. I am teaching you this evening about “teaching.” The Lord Jesus was a consummate “didaskelos” – teacher.
But Christ Jesus was also a magnificent preacher.
The Greek word translated “preach” is “kerusso” (kay-roos’-so). It is used about sixty times In all its various forms – “preach,” “preaching,” “preached,” etc. That is about two-thirds as often as the word “teach.” Strong properly defines it as “to be a herald; to proclaim after the manner of a herald. To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.” And he adds, “always with the suggestion of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed.” Christ Jesus moved about Galilee both expounding and explaining, but He also proclaimed and demanded obedience. He taught, and He preached.
When the Lord began His public ministry it is said in Matthew 4 – “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” I believe that there must be some kind of instruction about what it is to repent. The word must be defined to some degree. The need and reason for repentance must be explained to the sinner – it must be taught. But repentance is not just a doctrine; it’s not a piece of knowledge which needs to be understood. It is a necessary ingredient in man’s relationship to God – the sinner must do it – he must repent. And that means that repentance must be “proclaimed openly, as something which must be done.” It must be declared with “formality, gravity and authority.” The Lord Jesus, like John the Baptist before Him, “preached repentance” – they demanded repentance. Again, they didn’t just explain it, they demanded it; they didn’t just teach it; they preached it. I doubt that I can better explain or illustrate the difference between teaching and preaching any better than that.
In our opening scripture – “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom.” What He was doing about the kingdom was heralding its existence and declaring Himself its king. He will tell His disciples, “As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Yes there is room for instruction about the nature of the kingdom, but since the Jews were already basically familiar with the idea, the disciples primary job to was to proclaim it – “the Messiah is here.” In that same chapter Christ will say, “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.” It is difficult to teach from a rooftop to people down below. But that roof may make an excellent pulpit from which to preach.
What did Jonah do after he finally made it to Ninevah? Did he open a synagogue for the teaching and expounding of the Old Testament scriptures? Did he meet with the leading intellectuals of the city to try to educate them about Jehovah? No, as Jesus says elsewhere, “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas.” Contrary to the wishes of his own heart, what Jonah did in Ninevah was to demanded the Syrians’ repentance. That is the purpose and work of preaching – “to be a herald; to proclaim after the manner of a herald. To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”
Brethren, I would be the last person to say that the gospel should not be taught. I love to teach its basic principles – its various aspects and doctrines. I enjoy teaching about the atonement, justification, adoption, regeneration, forgiveness of sin and so on. But to the best of my ability, I can’t remember a single verse which speaks about “teaching the gospel.” On the other hand there are dozens and dozens of scriptures which speak about “preaching the gospel.” “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. Christ “ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,” “And they went out, and preached that men should repent.” “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” The business of the Jerusalem church was to preach the gospel. “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach AND preach Jesus Christ.” “They that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” “Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.” Yes, these disciples explained and taught a great deal to those unbelieving Jews and Gentiles. But the gospel is not an intellectual principle; it must be grasped by the heart – so it must be preached.
In I Corinthians 1 – Paul gives us an interesting paragraph which expose the difference between teaching and preaching – “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness.” In addition to not being sent primarily to baptize, Paul didn’t say anything here about teaching either. “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.” What was it that the pseudo-intellectual Greeks wanted? Wisdom, instruction, new revelation. What was it that the Jews wanted? Signs and revelations. But what was Paul commissioned to do among these people? To “preach the word … in season, out of season; reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with all longsuffering and doctrine.” There comes a point when any more instruction is pointless. There comes a time when men must act – and preaching is a call to action.
I could multiply verse after verse which teach that the gospel must be preached – declared. I don’t have nearly as many scriptures when show that it must be taught. I fear that some of our own family members – our children – have been taught the gospel – but in vain. They don’t need more teaching, even as we trust the Holy Spirit to make that instruction effectual. They need to hear more preaching of the gospel – declaring and demanding action in the light of the gospel message. They need to repent before God because they are filthy rotten sinners, doomed to the lake of fire if they remain in their current condition. They need to believe on Christ; they need to rest in Him; they need to cast their worthless souls down before the Saviour – the King. The lost need to hear a clear charge to surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit. The lost need to hear gospel preaching – over and over again, until they respond.