Amazed at His Teaching

“When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching.”  Matthew 7:28
   
This is the first mention of “doctrine/teaching” (Greek: didache) in the New Testament, and as such, it is significant that it refers to the teachings by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount. It is also significant that there are four other verses telling us that His hearers were amazed or “astonished in His teaching” (Matthew 22:23; Mark 1:22; 11:18; Luke 4:32) in addition to the statement in Acts 13:12 that a certain new covert had been “amazed at the teaching of the Lord” when he heard Paul preach.

The amazing aspect of the teaching of Christ is indicated by Mark. “They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22). No wonder He could speak with authority! Jesus said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me” (John 7:16). Paul could also teach this astonishing doctrine because he was careful to teach only the Word of God. And so can we if we likewise believe and teach only in the context of the inerrant, doctrinal authority of God’s Word.

It has become fashionable today, even in many evangelical churches, to avoid “indoctrination” in favor of “discussion” and “personal Christianity.” This is a great mistake and largely accounts for the increasing secularization of our society and the weak testimony of the Christian church. In the Bible, teaching and doctrine are the same, so that true teaching is indoctrination, and teaching “observe all that I commanded you” (Matt. 28:20), is an integral part of Christ’s Great Commission. It is imperative that we, like Paul, teach “the whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:27), for “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God”
(2 John 9).