The Difference Between Preaching and Teaching

What’s the difference between preaching and teaching?

I’ve heard a pastor labeled as a good teacher, but not a great preacher. I’ve also heard others call a pastor a good preacher, but not a good teacher.

However, at the same time, we’ll use the words teaching and preaching almost interchangeably when talking about what the pastor says on Sunday.

So what do we mean by preaching and teaching? Is there even a difference, and does it matter?

The short answer is yes. It does matter. It matters a lot. Please allow me to explain.

I’ve seen quite a few articles about preaching vs teaching that jump to conclusions without providing facts.

This question often comes up because the Bible itself seems to imply that preaching and teaching are two different things.

Preaching and Teaching in the Bible

According to the Bible, preaching and teaching are partners in ministry, but also different.

If you read through the Bible casually, you may think that preaching and teaching are being used interchangeably, but there are quite a few verses where they are preaching and teaching are both mentioned.

Matthew 11:1 says, “When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities” (ESV).

Preaching cannot mean the same thing as teaching here. Otherwise, this would be like saying, “Jesus went to preach and preach.” That doesn’t make sense, so there must be a difference.

We see this again in Luke 20:1, which says, “Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel.”

We also read that the disciples, following Jesus’ example, “every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching” (Acts 5:42).

In Antioch, Paul and Barnabas were “teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also” (Acts 15:35).

Being able to teach is a requirement for being an elder (1 Tim 3:2). However, Paul makes a distinction that elders “who labor in preaching and teaching” are worthy of double honor (1 Timothy 5:17). So Paul seems to be implying that all elders teach, but not all elders preach. There’s a difference.

Later, Paul also instructs Timothy to “preach the word… with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

All of this goes to show that the words “preaching” and “teaching” in the Bible are not just used interchangeably—like we might say either “I was speaking,”
“I was preaching,” “I was teaching,” or “I was delivering the message” and mean the exact same thing.

So what is the difference then between preaching and teaching in the Bible?

Preaching and Teaching Misconceptions

Before we get into the answer to that question, I want to address some of the misconceptions that I see. But I need to first confess that a lot of these are things that I’ve thought before and even told people before I really studied the difference.

1. Preaching and Teaching mean the same thing.

As we already showed, although some people think that preaching and teaching are used synonymously in the Bible, that cannot be true based on how they are used.

2. Preaching speaks to the heart. Teaching speaks to the mind.

That sounds good, except can anyone show me where that is in the Bible? Preaching may touch the heart and emotions, but teaching can too. Not all teaching is dry, and preaching can be boring, too.

3. Preaching is about application. Teaching is about information.

Again, this sounds good, but I don’t see that anywhere in the Bible. After all, anyone who teaches but doesn’t apply what is being taught is not a very good teacher.

Imagine if a math teacher just told students to memorize that two plus two equals four, but never taught their students why or how to do addition. That would be a pretty bad teacher.

So if these common misconceptions aren’t true, then what is the difference? The answer lies in the original language of these words in the Bible.

”Preaching” is Not in the Bible

Did you know that the words “preaching” or “preach” are not in the Bible?

Now, before you try to stone me to death for saying that, let me explain.

In the original Greek that the New Testament was written in, the Bible uses one root word that we translate to the English word teach (didasko), but there are two root words that we often translate as preach (kerysso and euangelizo).

Didasko (διδάσκω) means to teach; instruct (BDAG). So translating forms of the word didasko as teach, teacher, or teaching is accurate. That’s what it means.

But things get a little more complicated with translations for forms of the word preach, since there are two different words.

The first word, kerysso (κηρύσσω), means to announce, proclaim, or make known (BDAG).

The second word, euangelizo (εὐαγγελίζω), which has a similar construction as the Greek word for evangelism (euangelion), means to proclaim good news, announce good news, or proclaim the gospel (BDAG).

Kerysso and euangelizo both have similar meanings. One means to announce and the other to announce good news. So what does that tell us?

In the New Testament, when the original authors wrote about teaching, they meant what we mean when we say teaching: instructing or educating. However, when they wrote about preaching, they didn’t necessarily mean what we mean in English today when we say the word preach. They meant making an announcement or announcing the gospel.

This is the difference between preaching and teaching in the Bible:

Preaching is proclamation. Teaching is education.

Preaching is announcing. Teaching is instructing.

Preaching is making a declaration. Teaching is making a disciple (Matthew 28:19-20).

In the ESV translations of the Bible, we see this most clearly in Matthew 4:23. Jesus went throughout Galilee “teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel.”

Teaching in this verse is the Greek form of “didasko,” and proclaiming is a Greek form of “kerysso.”

For whatever reasons, the translators decided to translate this verse as teaching and proclaiming, not teaching and preaching like they do in most other passages. Some translations like the NASB and NIV follow suit, but other translations like the KJV or CSB say that Jesus was “teaching” and “preaching.”

Preaching is more along the lines of standing on the street corner and making an announcement like a herald for all people to hear, and teaching is providing more detailed instructions and answers.

Preaching is a combination of Proclaiming and Teaching

When we say preaching today, we mean a combination of didasko, kerysso, and euangelizo. Preaching is both announcing the good news of the gospel and teaching what it means.

When we preach, we ought to be like Jesus, who did all three. He didn’t just teach; he announced good news. But he didn’t just announce good news; he also taught.

Perhaps the best way to think of this is to imagine that a representative of your bank calls you on the phone and proclaims, “Great news! The bank has decided to cancel all of your debt!”

You would be stunned, but this news sounds too good to be true. So you would probably have a few questions: Is this true? Why would the bank cancel my debt? When will this take effect? What do I need to do to make sure I get my debt cancelled?

As you ask your follow-up questions, the representative on the phone then begins to teach you about the details surrounding this good news, giving reassurance that they are telling the truth, and walking you through the steps that you must take if you would like to receive it.

This is the difference between preaching and teaching in the Bible. There is an initial declaration of good news (preaching), and then a follow-up of education (teaching).

Imagine if the bank representative called you, said, “Good news! Your debts are canceled!” and then hung up. That would be confusing. You would have a lot of questions. That is proclaiming without teaching.

Now, imagine if the bank representative called and said, “Hello, here is what you to do,” and then rattled off a list of rules that they wanted you to follow. Again, that would be confusing. Why would you want to follow these instructions? That is teaching without proclaiming.

Conclusion

What we mean most often when we say “preaching” today is a combination of proclaiming and teaching. We announce and educate.

Great preaching requires both. You announce the good news, you proclaim the gospel, you decree warnings of the consequences of living for yourself or following the ways of the world, and then you instruct and educate people about what the Bible says, why it says that, and address common questions and objections that people might have.

In the Bible, preaching and teaching are two different things with a symbiotic relationship, but here’s the bottom line: If you want to preach, proclaim and teach.

If you want to preach, proclaim and teach.

Preaching is proclamation and education, exhortation and education, declaration and discipleship. Preaching is speaking God’s Word and also clarifying what the words that God spoke mean.

If you want to preach well, like Jesus, you must do both. And when we study the Bible and the difference between these words, I believe that is what God wants us to see.

If you just proclaim, you aren’t serving your audience well. They’ll have questions, and you need to give them answers.

If you just teach, you aren’t serving your audience well. You’re digging into the details without first telling them the good news.

And that is the difference between preaching and teaching. In the Bible, preaching is proclamation; teaching is education.