Going through Matthew again to catalog the roles of Jesus.  My list is now twenty-six and therefore I thought I must combine a few.  On the list are both preaching and teaching.  So, I ask myself, “self, what is the difference to you?” Both words have been used in the church interchangeably at times. What is the difference?  Or is there a difference?  When I hear preaching am I being taught?  So off I go, on another tangent to discover answers.

I have found information about the characteristics of both.  Audience, focus, language, motivation, and even the form of speech have been raised as the difference.  I have references to preaching teachers and teachers that have been accused of preaching.  Another reference stated that “preaching is much simpler than teaching.” 

Again, what is the difference?

Putting it all together I have found several simply ridiculous ideas.

1.  Preaching is based on the Bible and preaching is more personal. The inference here is that preaching uses more “up to date” illustrations.  If I discover a preacher not using the Bible, I am out of there.
2. Preaching is much more emotional, and teaching is slow and very intellectual.  Preaching is all shouts and amens.  I do not think so.  I have heard some great preachers with a very calm demeanor that were simply great.
3. Teaching has its aim at the head, while preaching is an arrow pointing toward the heart.  But if you ask me to park my mind at the door to listen to a preacher, it is not for me.  Further, if I attend a Bible study that does not bring me to an internal, life-changing experience, they equally have missed the mark.
4. Preaching is mostly topical and teaching is more methodical and calculated.  I can’t find that distinction in the Bible.  I read the sermon on the mount, obviously preaching, there are great topical ideas but I also see a marvelous cohesiveness to it.  When Jesus is teaching his disciples with parables they all have a specific topic but follow a pattern.
5. Teaching must be more complicated than preaching. Teaching strains at the minutia and preaching are broad strokes. It has been said, “You can’t preach the tough stuff to new Christians, they won’t get it.”  “Teach them in Sunday School.”  But again, Jesus’ teaching to the disciples was simple.
6. Teaching is all about relaying information, whereas preaching aims at the revelation.  The preacher is the imparter of God’s prophetic wisdom and the teacher is simply a spouter of the normal and understood.
7. Preaching is a calling of God and anyone can teach.  Let the gifted and the well learned, ordained be the preacher and leave all else to the teacher.  As if the teacher was much lower on the religious hierarchy.  I really don’t think God sees it that way.

So what is the difference if these proposed ideas are quite askew? In the original language of the Bible, there are two different words and different meanings:  didáskalos for teacher and kēryx for preacher. 

A preacher was a herald or messenger vested with public authority, who conveyed the official messages of kings, magistrates, princes, military commanders, or who gave a public summons or demand, or a proclaimer of the divine word. Preaching is proclaiming, is the provision of the Good News. It is the call to the light.

A teacher was, according to the definition, is someone who to holds discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses, impart instruction, instill doctrine, to explain a thing. Teaching is the clarification of the Good news.  It is the explanation of the Gospel. It is how to live in light.

A helpful illustration of this comes from John Piper. He pictures a herald riding into town, shouting from high atop his horse, “Hear ye! Hear ye! The Emperor has declared an amnesty to all slaves!” That, Piper says, is preaching: proclaiming the Good News, announcing something that has happened, that completely changes the situation of the listeners. But he then imagines people approaching the herald with questions. What does amnesty mean? When does this announcement take effect? Does that mean I can leave my slave master now? Will compensation be paid to masters? And so on. At that point, Piper says, you must start teaching: explaining the implications of the news, helping people with concepts and ideas they don’t understand, and telling people what they need to do in response to the proclamation.

The difference is not in form or in enthusiasm.  Not shouting with “give me an amen” thrown in once and a while.  It isn’t even a revelation versus informing. The difference is between heralding and explaining.  It is about knowledge of the offering of grace and living in that grace.

My conclusion is Jesus did both. Therefore I must be very careful when I profess to either. I must set my goal for each with the intent of the calling.