Bank Accounts
The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2 NASB
Entrust – How do rabbis educate? They choose students and teach the students to copy them. For what purpose? Not for creating a storehouse of information. Not for banking all those good things in the student’s account. The purpose of rabbinic education is to pass it on to others. A rabbi trains a student to become a rabbi who will train another student. The biblical model of education is multi-level marketing. I choose you. You choose someone else. That person chooses another, and so on. You copy me. Your students copy you. Someone else copies them. And so on. All that is required for biblical education is that you follow someone and someone follows you in a continuous chain of learning.
Paul instructs Timothy to entrust what Timothy has learned in the lives of others. Timothy is the conduit, not the container. The Greek verb is paratithemi, literally, “to make a deposit, to leave something in another’s keeping.” Biblical education is spiritual banking, but (and this is an important but) the purpose is never to create a retirement account. The purpose is always to put the money to use, to loan it out all the time, to invest it in the lives of others. Spiritual currency is spent, not saved.
Of course, it isn’t spent on just anyone. You can’t just drive down the street throwing spiritual insights out the window. Standing on the corner with an “End of the World” sign is not investing. It is an attempt to sell insurance. Paul directs Timothy to invest this spiritual insight into the lives of those who will also spend it on others. Those are called “faithful men.” Pistois anthropois. Of course, we know that the Greek adjective pistos is derived from the idea of trust. Faith is not having the right thoughts. It is acting on the basis of absolute trust in God. It is living according to God’s faithfulness by doing what He asks us to do. So Paul instructs Timothy to find people who are living according to God’s instructions, who demonstrate trust in God, and invest what Timothy has learned from Paul into the lives of these people. Why? Because people who live like this are fulfilling the words of the prophet Habakkuk, “And the righteous man shall live by his faith.” These people will pass it on. That’s what it means to live by trust. They are not people who accumulate for themselves. They are people who spend what the trustworthy God has given them.
Do you have the model well in mind? Good. That means you are following someone who is spending spiritual currency into your life and you are passing that currency on to someone who is following you. You have a relationship with the teacher and you also are the teacher of another, who is the teacher of another. So name them. Just to make sure you aren’t pretending, name the one you follow and the one who follows you. Name the cash flow chain. And rejoice that God finds you worthy of such an honor.
Topical Index: entrust, paratithemi, education, 2 Timothy 2:2
A WAY TO SUPPORT AT GOD’S TABLE
Amazon Smile just sent $48 to At God’s Table because some reader used this link (CLICK HERE) to order from Amazon. That really helps and it costs nothing more than you would spend anyway.
So I am going to post this at the bottom of Today’s Word for the next few days to remind you that if you use this link (CLICK HERE) when you order, you will send a donation to At God’s Table at the same time.
Alicia wrote that she simply set the Amazon Smile page as her shortcut bookmark to Amazon so that whenever she browses Amazon, she is already logged into the support page. Maybe you could do that too.
To me this is what real discipleship is or should be. More often then not, the “classes” I’ve taken on discipleship at church have been more abouudying the same evangelism, and that has always bothered me. On another note, I have found a small Torah study group near where I live that my daughter and I have started going to. I love that she and I are studying the same scriptures and can talk about them during the week (she is 8). I’m so thankful that I “chanced” across this blog and am so excited about this next chapter of my life and my walk with Him!
(Please,) Do Tell
Go, Tell It On the Mountain
Love Worth Finding
~ He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed ~
~ Then the Spirit (pneuma, spirit, wind) said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said,
“Do you understand what you are reading?”
And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.…
..the section of Scripture he read was this:
“He was led as a Lamb for sacrifice and as an ewe before its shearer is silent, also in this way He opened not his mouth.”
“He was led in his humility from imprisonment and from judgment and who will narrate his time? For his life is taken from The Earth.”
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”
Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached [euaggelizó – to announce good news] unto him. the gospel [the good news] of Jesus [Yehoshua].
~ And the thing which we have seen and heard we show also to you, that you will have communion with us, and our fellowship is with The Father and with His Son Yeshua The Messiah, [Jesus, who is The Christ].
In order to have the model well in mind, would I have to know who chose who, or is it who chose whom or whom chose whom? Do you mean name them like: I am of Skip Moen or I am of ________? Do I really even want someone to follow me? Is the goal for everyone in the Kingdom to be a rabbi? Would you prefer not to be asked questions like this or is this what you’re hoping to achieve? Some days it seems like a jungle out there!
To the, “Do I really even want someone to follow me? Is the goal for everyone in the Kingdom to be a rabbi?”
I heard that in the Talmud there is a line that basically says (paraphrasing) “woe to those that don’t teach”. Pretty sure James is pulling from this also. Essentially the point that they were trying to make at the time at least was that you naturally teach when you learn. If you start learning something your knowledge will automatically overflow and you’ll have to share it with someone else. They [rabbis] then go on to say that if you are not teaching, its because you are not studying (hard enough).
So based off that I think we are suppose to teach. BUT I have a really small social circle of friends, however I have a large circle of people encounter. I may not be in a position to teach by word… but my actions can show what I’m learning.
Finally I know that there is a hierarchy (maybe wrong word) on who you (are suppose to) ask questions too. For instance, I might be able to answer pretty easy questions but the harder ones I have to escalate. And the other way around, I don’t think it’s one is ‘suppose to’ pull out the big guns of top rabbi for a relatively small and simple question. So I don’t think that you have to know all the answers, and in fact it’s good to say, “I don’t know” but you can still teach something to someone even if it’s a very simple question like..well there are no simple questions hahah.
So it’s OK if some of my best rabbis are children and nature? 🙂 One thing that is a bit confusing is that I thought those who follow Messiah were supposed to be a body with only one head. Are there some people today at the top of the hierarchy? In this case, is it Skip? That’s who I was really asking that particular question. Thanks for your input Derek. I will consider what you have shared from the Talmud. I thought I remembered something that said Skip does not believe he is the head. It’s hard for me to know what is respectful when I’m in a setting that is unfamiliar. This is his blog? I’m a stay at home wife and mother with some experiences that leave me not so sure what is “correct behavior” on a site like this or even with “family.” I’m told I’m a “wanna be teacher.” I did home school my own children and have some experience helping adults learn English as a volunteer. Actually, sometimes questions other people think are simple are perplexing to me. So I’m not always sure what someone else will consider a “big gun” question. You don’t know what you don’t know.
So the big difference between Greek vs Hebrew teaching is this. Greek teachers sit in a room and say “learn everything, you need stacks of books, you need to be able to answer every questions” Hebrew teaching is, “I just have to be one lesson ahead”. They would walk and teach, who ever was in the front – that was the teacher.
This is Skips blog. As far as behavior, we all just chime in with thoughts, questions. If something seems relevant to the post go for it. If people have input to another person comment, we comment. Pretty much the mentality with everyone that is on the blog is we are all seeking and we are all supportive of each other seeking – but don’t necessarily agree on everything (cognitively). We all pretty much chime in. I don’t think you will find any “Skip idols” meaning Skip brings up points, if it makes sense great if it doesn’t you’re not expected to regurgitate what he says- but he generally brings up things that you don’t see ie why you’re on the blog. Disagreement can bring dialog, dialog is encouraged. Also if you want to ask Skip a question you can PM. He’s got a page to contact him – no one else will see the question.
I think with the idea of, “head” we often think it of something different then what it’s intended. Try running a car without the spark plugs, or a belt. It maybe doesn’t have the sexiness of an ‘engine block’ but all are important. People just have different talents, some people are really good at somethings that others aren’t and if it’s talking in front of people that’s amazing if it’s not God will use you differently. But I don’t think God planned for everyone one of us to be public speakers. And I don’t equate just because someone speaks that they now know more then me, or because someone is silent they know less.
Right right I understand the big question one. But for an example small question is, “How do you say ‘mother’ in Hebrew?”. You would ask this (in a Hebrew speaking society) to a tier 1 Rabbi. This wouldn’t make it all the way up to the top rabbi’s at the temple – you know what I mean? But if you asked in the same society, “The dynamics between ____ and ____, what is the moral/ethical action I should take?” that would go up further if it was hard, and get escalated until it got an answer. It would start off with a, “I don’t know but let me find out.”.
Simple questions today might look like, “What is the 4th commandment?”. Harder question, “How is hagar and the tree of knowledge of good and evil connected and what are the implications of that?”. So you can answer the questions you know, and you walk out the commandments you know. I just keep with the mentality of what you know, do it really well – more will come for sure.
correct behavior on MY blog ( 😉 )is this: ask questions, relate your experience and learning, don’t diminish anyone else for asking, dialogue, think, . . . repeat.
but it is a jungle and we are at war. Prepare to be asked.
Several Scriptures come to mind regarding today’s word.
Pro 23:23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Wisdom and discipline and understanding.”
This always seemed self contradictory to me.
If a possessor of the truth is not to sell the truth, how is anyone supposed to buy it?
I am guessing “sell” may not be the best translation? Should it be something more like “discard”?
When the twelve were sent out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Yeshua said,
Mat 10:8 . . . Gratuitously you got; gratuitously be giving
but also
Mat 10:10 . . . for worthy is the worker of his nourishment.
Regarding Skip’s suggestion to, “. . . name the one you follow . . .”
Should we not be very careful with this? Paul said,
1Co 1:12 Now I am saying this, that each of you is saying, “I, indeed, am of Paul, yet “I of Apollos, yet “I of Cephas, yet “I of Christ.”
1Co 1:13 Christ is parted! Not Paul was crucified for your sakes! Or into the name of Paul are you baptized?
Regarding, “You can’t just drive down the street throwing spiritual insights out the window.” Yeshua said,
Mat 7:6 “You may not be giving that which is holy to curs, nor yet should you be casting your pearls in front of hogs, lest at some time they shall be trampling them with their feet and, turning, they should be tearing you.
QUESTION? Would it not be safer to be a chosen follower of Yahshua and I point you to be a follower of Him too? And that person does the same, much like the ripple effect of a pebble tossed into the pond of humanity.
Mat 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Rabbi, even the Messiah; and all ye are brethren.
I am a recipient of love. What I get I must turn around and give away, else I did not ‘get’ it! What to ‘teach’ others? Well, what do they need to know right then that they will receive from you? If you do it in love, then as little as a cup of cold water can be a right good ‘lesson’ of the Kingdom! Most people need simple things. Practical things. I have decided that very little esoteric knowledge is necessary, but it takes “a heap o’ lovin'” to make it through this world. Reach out and touch. And, if necessary, use words.
From yesterday’s post – “Love is vacuous without the verbs of Exodus 34:6-7.” and today’s, “You have a relationship with the teacher” are really hand in hand-we’ll see if I can express with my mind what my heart has learned. Like the saying, “Love isn’t love until you give it away.” It holds true with what we know about God – He’s always giving Himself away…if we don’t accept it-it’s on us. I can give away money, cars, my time to people…and that..all for selfish reasons..but can I give myself away to God? He KNOWS everything about me, even the things I want to think I’m hiding. Living WITH Him is different then living BEFORE Him. Now that I know the difference, I LOVE living WITH Him. I’ve spent years walking with Him and at the same time knowing I’m being rejected and abused by someone close to me. I simply can’t respond every second with a truly holy attitude-maybe y’all can – I can’t! So, I’ve brought Him into it. I’m really wanting to say this – remind this person of that! He says, “I know, I can understand wanting to…but it won’t help.” Okay….sorry I keep going there – “I know…it’ll get easier….I’ll help.” That brings us to today’s most important quote, “You have a relationship with the teacher.” I’M NOT IN THIS ALONE!!! HE’S THERE FOR ME!!! I don’t want to keep my trash secreted away…He sees it anyway and as long as it’s there it just burns a hole in my soul as well as my physical body. Before Him and WITH Him is really splitting hairs in a sense…like His Word that “cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart. Before God nothing created is hidden…we do not have a cohen gadol unable to empathize with our weaknesses, since in every respect He was tempted just as we are, the only difference being that He did not sin. Therefore, let us confidently approach the throne from which God gives grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.” In a true relationship, our true self melds slowly, day by day until we find ourself…I’m hoping…walking our lives into His…who is “merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace and truth…….” Oh God! You are wholly GOOD and WONDERFUL – THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE!
~ And what a “coincidence” (?), both “teach” and “learn” (in Hebrew, of course!) – are the same word! ~
~ Tell it to your children and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation ~ (Joel 1.3)
Mom? Dad? – what are our children learning from us?
I’m spending the week with my grandchildren, ages 7, 5 and 2 years. My 2 year old grandson imitates EVERY action and vocal inflection of his older siblings. We have spent much of the week, showing the older two, how they are constantly teaching him, whether or not that is their intention. One of the Hebrew words translated as “teach” is alaph. We teach (and learn) from those to whom we are yoked — ah, there’s that relationship issue — whether for good or bad. That’s what the rabbis knew about choosing disciples, and it is why Paul directed Timothy to find men who could be entrusted. A yoke is a relationship — and in relationships we are all potential teachers, as well as learners.
Brings a whole new light to the “equally yoked” thank you
I do appreciate learning, and I do learn from your writings…Thank you for being a useful vessel. ..it is also fun to share at those opportune times.