Mark 4:34 (KJV)
But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
There are two levels of teaching implied in this passage; there is the broader message to the multitudes and the more explicit and meaningful message given to the disciples.
It is not wrong to preach to the crowds, knowing that when you do so the message is of necessity going to be broad and general. The problem I think comes when that is all the message anyone ever gets. When the preacher pushes for large attendance at every service, for instance, he will almost surely, even if subconsciously, generalize his message. There is nothing wrong with ever growing smaller circles of contact because the smaller the circle the more specific can be the message. When we finally get down to just one or two, then the teaching is most likely at its highest level of effectiveness.
No preacher should disregard the multitudes just as no Christian should skip the general assemblies of our services. But neither should the preacher isolate himself from smaller venues nor should the Christian satisfy himself with only the one, larger service.
All of us should seek value in every venue of teaching: the general assembly on Sunday Morning, the tighter, more specific message of Sunday evenings, the closeknit teaching that happens in the mid week and opportunities for questions and discussion one on one or with just a handful with the pastor.
To my reader:
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For this and more than 3000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.
Mark 4:34 (KJV) Two Levels of Teaching
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