Teachers Will Be Judged More Strictly

"Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." James 3:1 (NIV)

James warns that teaching and preaching should be taken very seriously and not entered into lightly, because they will be held to and judged by a higher standard. False teachers will be judged more strictly.

While this clearly applies to pastors and preachers, it also applies to teachers in general, especially religious teachers. If you are in a position to provide instruction to others, be very careful about what you say. This is especially true if you teach, lead, guide, or direct children (parents for example). Leading the youth and young adults astray has very serious consequences. (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; & Luke 17:2) Remember that children learn what they see, so we should be careful regarding what we do in front of children. We would not want a child to stumble into sin following our example.