He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him,proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. (Acts 28:30-31, English Standard Version (ESV)
For over three years, I had the privilege of teaching the biblical truth to Nepali-speaking individuals who had resettled in the United States. Week after week, I poured my heart and effort into sharing the Good News of Jesus, especially the redemptive power of the Cross. I did it wholeheartedly without any reservation. For I wanted to see them come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. My desire was clear: I wanted them to encounter the living Christ and experience his love and forgiveness.
But something was missing.
I did not see the kind of transformation I had hoped for, despite all my efforts. I was communicating the biblical truths, yet the spiritual fruit was sparse. The church was not growing, and people were not responding. Over time, discouragement began to weigh on me. I wondered if I was doing something wrong.
Looking back, I now realize that I was teaching faithfully—but I was not preaching.
The Wake-Up Call
It took me 2 years to realize head knowledge alone, without affecting the heart, is insufficient for people to know the need of the Savior. God, in his mercy, alone can bring people to Christ. He uses words from a preacher or teacher to get across his message to people, though! Meanwhile, our message also must meet the needs of the restless soul and address their spiritual condition. Our message should be a part of their problem resolution, that is to say, a spirit-led sermon or teaching.
One day, the senior pastor of the church I served pulled me aside and said,
“Satya, I’d love to see you proclaim the Gospel more, not just teach it.”
That conversation was a turning point.
He wasn’t telling me to stop teaching but rather to embrace both teaching and preaching. It was an invitation to see the full picture of Gospel ministry. And it led me to a more profound question:
What’s the difference between preaching and teaching?
A Biblical Pattern
If we look closely at the New Testament, we see that preaching and teaching often appear side by side:
Acts 4:2—”… being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”
Acts 5:42—”...And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”
Acts 15:35—”Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.”
Acts 28:31—”Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ. . . .”
In the above-listed passages, we clearly see both preaching and teaching happening together. They are essential. Over time, they seem to overlap. This illustration might slightly help us understand the difference between the two.
The Distinction
Preaching is about proclamation or heralding the message in public. It is bold. Urgent. Passionate. Preaching is often aimed at those who are hearing the Gospel for the first time or those who need to be stirred to respond. Preaching answers the question, “What should we do?” Preaching serves as a powerful reminder to wake up. Turn to Jesus! Repent! Believe.
Preaching calls people to action. It appeals to the heart to affect the mind. It has a burden to inspire our heart instantly so that our mind agrees with our heart to act. Preaching elevates our desire to obey or act on the truth of God. Emotion is the driving factor or the source of the drive to act. That is to say, it involves lots of passion that appeals to the human heart and emotions that drive the mind to act on what he or she hears.
Teaching, on the contrary, is about instruction. It is thoughtful. Patient. Detailed. It answers the question, “What is it?” and informs, “How to?” Teaching explains what the Gospel means, how it works, and why it matters. It is rational, not emotional, to seek proof of its existence. It is driven by reason or evidence; thus, it appeals to intellect. Communicating certain truths by appealing to the mind or intellect helps a person to perceive things/truths from different perspectives to gain new understanding. As a result, teaching can be boring and dry. For instance, some people identify class lectures not so appealing to the heart and thus fail to apply or act on those truths.
Teaching helps people build a foundation of faith and deepen their understanding. It equips believers to grow in spiritual maturity. Appealing to their intellect influences their heart to act upon the truths they have received. In other words, the intellect persuades the heart to accept the truth and act upon it.
Where preaching says, “Come to Jesus now,” teaching says, “Here is how you walk with Him daily.”
Why the Difference Matters
For an extended period, my emphasis was on providing high-quality instruction—and there is nothing inherently wrong with that. But I had forgotten the power of proclamation. I was aiming for people’s minds, but not always their hearts. I was explaining the Gospel but not urgently calling people to respond to it.
That realization changed my ministry.
Today, I seek to do both. I strive to engage in both teaching and preaching. To explain and to proclaim. The Gospel requires both clarity and passion. And people need both truth and invitation.
Example
We may have learned the cost of discipleship. We can understand all the prerequisite qualifications of discipleship through the statements made by Jesus Christ. In Luke 14:25-33, we know Jesus demands undivided love and attention to him. Nevertheless, I may not apply this passage while living out in the world.
Here, we have excellent, solid teaching, but our heart is not moved or motivated to perform the teaching part. Only by affecting the heart can we produce the results of what we have learned through teaching. Likewise, the same truth needs to be communicated to make the mind agree with the heart and appeal to it. A good teacher may have taught the right doctrine, but the church may not want to act. Therefore, we have to have a balance between preaching and teaching in our church. Every good teacher preaches, too, as every good preacher teaches by presenting explanations, examples, and reasoning. This is due to the example set by Jesus, our Lord and Master.
Final Reflections
If you’re a teacher, don’t be afraid to preach. If you’re a preacher, don’t forget to teach. Both are necessary. Both are biblical. And when used together, God works powerfully.
So ask yourself: Are you only filling minds—or are you also stirring hearts?
