Part 1
James 3:1 KJV
[1] “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”
The word “master” means “teacher.” This word is found fifty-eight times in the New Testament. Jesus was called by this title thirty-one times and used the title Himself eight times. James has a lot to say about the tongue in chapter three. He begins by talking to teachers because they do a great deal of speaking. Teaching is a great responsibility, so we should not be quick to multiply teachers without careful consideration to prayer.
Teaching is one of the speaking gifts mentioned in the fourth chapter of Ephesians. A Sunday School teacher plays a vital role in the church. It is a responsibility to be taken seriously. Teachers will have to give an account for what they have taught in the classroom. The fact that teachers will receive greater condemnation should cause them to bridle their tongue.
A Sunday school teacher should be humble. He should never use the podium to flaunt his ego. We have all heard the teacher that loves hearing himself speak. He talks too much about himself and his personal life and does not spend enough time talking about the text. He is the hero in most of his stories, and he thinks the class is as interested in hearing about his life as he is telling about it.
A Sunday School teacher should be holy. If you are going to teach truth, you should live as an example of that truth every day. We have a lot of disqualified teachers in our churches today. Throughout the week, they live lives filled with worldliness and carnality and then appear spiritual on Sunday. That grieves the Holy Spirit, and their lifestyle is a disappointment to the class.