Christian Discipline develops Maturity

“...whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” (Colossians 1:28)

This verse begins in the middle of a sentence which begins in the preceding verse. Whom refers to Christ the hope of glory. He is the One the apostles preached. Jesus, the Messiah, Savior and Lamb of God Who took our sins to the cross, paid the penalty for our sins and took death for us so that we could live in righteousness. “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.” (1Peter 2:24)

Paul tells the Colossians that “we,” meaning the apostles and himself taught every man in all wisdom. Every man means whoever they came across at every opportunity. And they taught in all wisdom. Wisdom is needed to know what weight to give to certain Scriptures. One would not teach the Gentiles like you would teach the Jews. They come from different upbringings and world views. The Gentiles didn’t have any background about God, Jehovah of the Old Testament. The Jews had all this history and knowledge of God. So, a teacher of the Gospel would have to use wisdom in teaching men of different backgrounds, experience and zeal.

As teachers, the apostles and Paul felt responsible to present these souls to the Lord. The word that Paul used is perfect in Christ Jesus. The word that was translated perfect, in the Greek means complete of labor, in growth, in mental and moral character. They taught so that the convert would be a mature Christian, capable of teaching others. Paul admonishes the Corinthians in his first letter to them because they were not growing to maturity because they were acting in the flesh. “And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual ones, but as to fleshly, as to babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with solid food, for you were not yet able to bear it; nor are you able even now.” (1Corinthians 3:1-2) And the writer of Hebrews scolds the Hebrews because they should be mature enough to teach but were still feeding on the milk of the Word. “For indeed because of the time, you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again what are the first principles of the oracles of God. And you have become in need of milk, and not of solid food. For everyone partaking of milk is unskillful in the Word of Righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, even those who because of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

(Hebrews 5:12-14)

What are the implications for us? If we teach, we must teach with wisdom so that the persons we teach will grow to mature Christians, of good mental and moral character capable of teaching others. And if we are being taught, we need to leave the flesh so that the Word of God, the Gospel that is taught, matures us and develops in us a character of good mental and moral nature.

What would be the steps we have to take when hearing the Word so that we would become a person of good mental and moral character able to teach? It’s called Christian discipline. It begins with a decision after accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord. This is the first step and the beginning to a life in Jesus. Then comes the discipline of Christianity, to obey what was taught and begin the plan of action of going to church every Sunday, reading the Bible every day, praying or having conversations with the Lord every day, studying and meditating on Scripture.  It may be overwhelming to a new believer. But it doesn’t have to begin all at once. Start with going to church every Sunday. Have your students start there. The Holy Spirit in the new believer will want to fill them with knowledge. And only reading and studying the Bible can do that.

Ultimately, Bible and church teachers should teach Jesus with wisdom so that those taught will mature, not requiring the milk of the Word, but the meat of the Word by obeying the Word and beginning Christian discipline.