Teaching with Authority

As I was reading Mark 1:22 it struck me again that Jesus taught with authority, quite unlike the teachers of religious law. How does that translate into our lives as Biblical teachers?

Studying what this meant proved to be quite revealing as a model for us to follow.

William Hendriksen's commentary distinguishes the difference between the way our Lord taught and the teachers of religious law:

1. Jesus spoke complete truth, while many of the scribes teaching was evasive.

(truth not compromised)

2. Jesus spoke to matters of great significance, matters of life, death, and the eternal while the religious leaders wasted their time often on the trivial. (relevance)

3. Jesus aroused curiosity and interest by using many illustrations. (metaphorical)

4. There was a system in Jesus' preaching. Those teaching the Talmud often rambled on and on.

(systematic, easy to follow)

5. Jesus spoke as a lover of men, deeply concerned for the listeners, while the teachers of the law lacked love and grace. ( relational )

6. Jesus' message came straight from the heart, from his inner being, while scribes were constantly borrowing from other resources. ( passionate with conviction)

What a wonderful compliment it would be if our listeners said that we taught as one who had authority?