Although we may know that something is true, it is not always easy to apply it in a new context.  Neither is it always obvious how we should teach others a new way to live.  As Paul came to the end of his letter to the church in Rome, he wanted to encourage them.  He wanted to affirm them that they already understood the essential Christian doctrines and were teaching one another (1 Corinthians 1:4-9).  He did not doubt their sincerity or knowledge; he had heard that they were following Jesus as best as they could but their faith needed to be strengthened by truth.

Paul also knew that unless the doctrine of God’s grace was carefully explained and understood, they were at risk of being dragged off course by false teachers (Acts 20:30).  He felt spiritually responsible for them because Jesus had commissioned him to be the Apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13; 1 Timothy 2:7).  Although the Jewish believers in the church had previously been used to priests as intermediaries with the true God, and Gentiles knew that pagan priests offered sacrifices to false gods, Paul is the only Apostle who says he is exercising a priestly duty, and only in one respect.  His ‘priestly’ function was to explain the gospel so that through the cross of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, the Gentile believers would be acceptable to God.

Also, they needed to be reminded of what was true (1 Corinthians 15:1) because it is so easy to presume that we know something and yet not fully grasp it.  Also, they needed to know that God's truth was not just for themselves as individuals but must be applied within the context of a multi-cultural church (Galatians 3:28).  It is one thing for believers to have confidence in Christ for themselves; it is another thing to be able to relate with other believers, from different backgrounds, and learn to live in harmony together in a way that is sanctified by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13).

We should never be ashamed or affronted that we need to be taught, even if we think we already know it: only the arrogant despise the need to relearn what appears to be obvious.  That is especially true in our fast-moving world where we often face new challenges as we seek to live for Jesus.  Although we tend to use habitual reactions to manage familiar problems, each new challenge should send us back to the essential doctrines in the Bible.  We cannot simply surf on our experience; we need a living dynamic relationship with the Lord, and that will only come through a willingness to keep learning.  And only people like that can teach others.