Acts 1, “¹The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach… ³To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and SPEAKING OF THINGS PERTAINING TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD”

Deuteronomy 32 (Amplified), “¹GIVE EAR, O heavens, and I [Moses] will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. ²My message (Doctrine) shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the light rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb.

³For I will proclaim the name [and presence] of the Lord. Concede and ascribe greatness to our God”

Titus 2:1 (NLT) “As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching.”

Titus 2:1 (Amplified) “BUT [as for] you, teach what is fitting and becoming to sound (wholesome) doctrine [the character and right living that identify true Christians].”

2 Titus 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears”

From the above, sound Doctrine is not just a body of beliefs or tenets of faith but every message that is of God.

So Jesus would said; John 7:16 “…My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me”

“…Jesus said, “I didn’t make this up. What I teach comes from the One who sent me.” (MSG)

Moses said his (Doctrine) message leqach, leh’-kakh, in the Heb=means something received, i.e. (mentally) instruction (whether on the part of the teacher or hearer); doctrine, learning, fair speech.

And in the Greek ‘didaskalia’ means instruction doctrine, learning, teaching, to learn, to teach..

In the language of Moses, sound teaching;

• Take, carry away; attract or gain over the heart by eloquence or persuasive speech.
• They are sententious and weighty sayings,
• They are meant to regulate the moral conduct of the hearers or learners.
• They drop as the rain. Meaning they are gentle but effectual.
• They start slowly and distinctly, but increasing more and more till the fullness of the righteousness they contained is poured down, and the whole body of Divine revelation is completed.
• It means that the teachers familiar, friendly, and affectionate speeches descends gently and softly on the ear and the heart of the listener, as the dew, moistening and refreshing all around, bringing clarity of life and its purpose to man.
• Sound teaching is like the constant flow of showers of gentle rain, preparing the soil for the germination of the grain, and causing it to take root. (Sound Teaching is like the dew, mildly and gently producing convictions, persuasions, reproofs, and consolations).
• Sound teaching with its various expressions point out the great variety in the word or revelation of God whereby it is suited to every place, occasion, person, and state; being profitable for doctrine, reproof, and edification in righteousness.
• The preacher of the word of righteousness who wishes to handle this word profitably must take heed closely to those classifications, as he rightly divides the word of truth, and give each of his hearers his portion of the bread of life in due season. And so in the words of Jesus the teacher (Luke 12:42), “…Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?” (KJV)
• David said the same thing about God; Psalms 145:15 “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.” Meaning sound teaching must address the hearers in their various needs and demands, in their particular situation. People should not come to your meeting and go back home dry and unfulfilled .It is required that your listeners receive answers to the puzzles of life.
• The resultant effect of sound teaching is; 1 Thessalonians 2:13 “And we also [especially] thank God continually for this, that when you received the message of God [which you heard] from us, you welcomed it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it]”. (Amplified)
• In the words of Moses, a sound doctrine points you to God and draws you nearer to God. “For I will proclaim the name [and presence] of the Lord. Concede and ascribe greatness to our God”.
• Sound teaching reveals who God is to the hearer/learner.
• Sound teaching (wholesome) doctrine produces the character and right living that identify true Christians.
• Jesus’ teachings were directional and revealing God, His will and His goal for mankind.

If your teaching is devoid of eighty percent of the above facts, then it’s not a sound doctrine, for you have only appeal to the appetite and emotions of your listeners. True teaching affects the spirit of the hearers, hence Jesus said;

John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”

Now we know why Jesus spent more time in teaching than even in preaching; which is more of the stirring of the emotions of the listeners; more often producing a state of euphoria than being grounded in the truth about life.

Preaching is proclamation, an Announcer, e.g. “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand”. But the teacher will answer this; “what is the kingdom of God that is at hand?” So you gain deeper light in teaching than is in preaching. Preaching would say “You must be born again”. Teaching will answer what does it means to be “born again?” Preaching pulls you closer and gets you inquisitive. Teaching answers the puzzles in your mind after you have listened to the teacher, and so it establishes you. The teacher spends more time to prepare and preach his message; the proclaimer takes a verse of scripture and runs with it e.g., John 3:16.

So now we must go back to Acts 1:1 “…of all that Jesus began both to do and teach”

And don’t forget He taught “the kingdom of God” And healed the sick.

Stay Blessed!