Can I teach what I haven’t practiced?
A minister once asked me must a man have practiced and had some experience in a thing before he can then preach it? Can I not just see a thing in the Bible and teach it to others.
I will answer it in two ways, first what is your real purpose for the study of scriptures? To teach others what you saw or to practice the truth you know? The motive can never be to teach but to live the truth out.
The second suggestion in answer to the question is this, what does the Bible teach? Does it say teach then do or do then teach. Are there requirements laid in scripture for the minister in order for him to be effective? Yes there are.
Acts 1:1
“The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach”
1 Timothy 4:16
“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”
Luke 24:49
“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
This doesn’t mean you must have full experiential knowledge but at least you have walked the path and received the knowledge of God concerning the issue.
When this is not done as was in the case of the person he used as an example, you may later on have to change some of the things you once taught because you see the excesses that have stemmed out of teaching what you haven’t practiced.