Question
What is the difference in the way in which the Bible uses the term “preach” verses the use of the term “teach”? How do you understand the difference in the shade of meaning of “preach” and “teach”?
Response
Both words involve the basic issue of communicating information to another or others, and in this respect they share this concept commonly with other words as well; such as “communicate”, “inform”, “instruct”, “relate”, “tell”, and the like. And there can be more than one discriminating difference between any of the various words involving the issue of communication. However, the fundamental distinction in meaning between “preach” and “teach” has to do primarily with the ‘nature’ of the communicating of the information that each is denoting. (It is possible to say that the distinction also involves a difference of ‘style’ but my understanding is that ‘style’ is more of a discriminating factor between many of the other words involving communication. ‘Nature’ is the main or dominant discriminating feature between “preach” and “teach” rather than ‘style’.) And because the distinction is in the ‘nature’ of the communicating, this makes it so that these two words can easily and naturally ‘team up’ so to speak, and work together even when the subject in view concerns the communicating of the same information; which is something that these two words commonly do. In other words, someone can both “preach” and “teach” in connection with the same information that he is communicating. Also because the ‘nature’ of the communicating is where the distinction lies, “preaching” can be used in reference to the general issue of what is being communicated and to emphasize the ‘nature’ of it, while the word “teaching” and other words can be used in the same context to describe one or more particular forms that the ‘preached communication’ might take. Hence, once again, the ease and naturalness that there is for these two words to be often found together and to thereby work together.
The fundamental distinction in the ‘nature’ of communication is as follows: To “preach” is to proclaim some specific information (like a message, a gospel, etc.) that by nature is important, essential, and/or vital for someone to hear and to act upon. It means to pronounce such information to specific hearers, and to do so without reservation and in a forthright manner, knowing the importance of the information and its need to be heard and known.
Hence someone cannot “preach” something that is not considered to be important, essential, and/or vital by nature. It is the ‘nature’ of “preaching” to communicate information that is important, etc. And with this being so, this is what particularly makes a “preacher” to be a “preacher,” and also it is particularly what makes what he “preaches” to be “preaching”. Likewise, in view of this, someone cannot “preach” something, or be a “preacher”, without having convictions about the value of what he is “preaching”. The important, essential, and/or vital nature belonging to the information being communicated demands that the one communicating it have convictions about the information he is proclaiming, if he is going to be rightfully called a “preacher” of it.
To “teach” means to give information/knowledge to someone who needs to learn it, or should learn it, and to do so in an instructive manner so that he can clearly make use of it in some particular way or to some particular purpose. It therefore means to impart information or knowledge to another for the direct purpose of producing useful and meaningful education and/or edification for that person.
Hence a “teacher” cannot lack either pertinent knowledge and/or experience of his subject, nor can he lack ‘aptness to teach’ if he is going to actually “teach” another by what he communicates. If he lacks either, he is either not a “teacher” or he is an inept one.
This is the fundamental distinction in the terms, with “preach” and its related forms laying the emphasis upon the ‘nature’ of what is being communicated.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
20040706 A55 L