2 Timothy 2:2
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Truth perpetuated is the only hope of a nation or individual. It is the absence of truth that destroys nations and lives, and that is why we must perpetuate the truths of God’s Word. Without truth, nations will fall. Without truth, individuals will wax worse and worse. Without truth, there is no hope for eternity. The hope of a society and eternity is truth.
Because truth is the hope, we must perpetuate it so that generations to come know the truth. All it takes for one generation not to know the truth is for the previous generation to fail in perpetuating the truth. This is why Paul admonishes Timothy to teach others also. Paul understood that somebody taught him, and he taught Timothy, and now it was Timothy’s responsibility to teach someone else who could teach someone else. There are four steps necessary for perpetuating truth.
First, someone must teach truth. Someone taught Paul, but someone taught the person who taught Paul. Paul taught Timothy, which is why truth continued beyond Timothy’s life. Truth must be taught in our homes, churches, and our Christian schools. I have found that the Sunday school and classes before church services are a great time to teach God’s Word. Too many are getting away from teaching when we need to get back to teaching. Let me make this clear; you can never have too many classes that teach God’s Word. The more that God’s Word is taught, the better chance we have at perpetuating truth.
Second, someone must listen to the truth being taught. Here is the conundrum of many pastors and churches. You can offer classes for people to teach, but if nobody comes to them, truth will not be perpetuated. It is as much of a responsibility for the listener to be there when truth is taught as it is for truth to be taught. Truth taught to nobody goes nowhere! You may not be the teacher, but you are responsible to listen to the truth being taught. If provision has been made for truth to be taught, you should make it your high priority to be there to listen to it being taught. One of our problems today is that people are not eager to hear truth being taught. Yes, more opportunities should be provided so that truth can be taught, but those opportunities will fail if the listener doesn't come and hear the truth that is taught.
Third, the listener needs to become a teacher of truth. The reason every person needs to get involved in ministry is so that they can teach truth to others. To teach truth and to listen to truth is not enough to perpetuate truth; the listener must get involved and teach truth themselves. You take what you have learned that week and put that teaching into action by teaching someone else in a ministry in which you are involved. We will never perpetuate truth if the truth stops as the listener’s ears.
Fourth, the teacher must produce another teacher. Your goal should be to produce teachers of teachers; this is God’s plan for the Great Commission. Too many believe they need to be taught before they teach, but God’s plan was to teach as you are being taught, and by doing so, you produce teachers of teachers. My friend, the answer to perpetuating truth is teaching, listening to teaching, taking the teaching you have listened to and teaching it to someone else. If every believer and church does this, we will perpetuate truth.