To effectively teach and admonish, the message of Christ must be at the core, richly dwelling not just in our teaching but among us. — “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom …” (Col. 3:16). How does this affect the orientation of our teaching?
The Orientation of Our Teaching and Admonishing
Teaching can be either teacher-oriented, student-oriented, or group-oriented. Hence, people learn either from a teacher’s input, personal study, or interacting with other students.
Colossians 3:16 exhorts us to “teach and admonish one another” with the message of Christ dwelling “among” us which at first glad would suggest a more group-oriented, collaborative effort. This supports the concept of Body Life wherein we foster an interdependence, living out the “one another” commands of Scripture. That often happens informally in our relationships with each other but it can also happen in the more formal learning environment. Certain methods, like discussion or group projects, lend themselves to a more group-oriented means of teaching.
The wording of Colossians 3:16 doesn’t necessarily mean we must always take a group-oriented approach. Some didactic teaching (instruction) needs a foundation laid upon which the group can then build which might suggest the use of teacher-oriented methods or even self-study. Some admonishing (warning) may best occur one-on-one as opposed to in front of the whole group (Matt. 18:15-17; Gal. 6:1). Not every student will need the same place, having the same need.