Yes — believers need to be ready to explain the Scriptures because God has chosen to work through human instruments and many people who read do not understand what they read.
Les Feldick teaches that God did not leave His Word in the hands of angels or highly educated seminarians, but placed it in the hands of human beings. He also says God almost always uses one human instrument to lead another to a knowledge of salvation, so believers need to be skilled in the Word and ready to show others what it really says.
Acts 8:30-31 — Philip's question and the eunuch's reply show that even a sincere reader can need someone to guide him through the Scriptures.
Romans 10:14 — Paul says people cannot believe in Christ unless they hear, and they cannot hear unless someone proclaims the Word to them.
2 Corinthians 5:20 — Believers are called ambassadors for Christ, which means explaining the message of reconciliation is part of the believer's calling.
Philip came upon the Ethiopian eunuch as the man was reading the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, "Understandest thou what thou readest?" The eunuch answered, "How can I, except some man should guide me?" The Bible shows that this reader knew he needed help before the passage could make sense to him. Paul makes the same point in Romans: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Scripture also tells believers that God has given them the ministry of reconciliation and that they are ambassadors for Christ. Explaining the Word of God is therefore not an optional duty for a few professionals; it is part of the believer's calling.
Les Feldick is emphatic that God did not leave His Word under the control of angels or of highly educated seminarians. Instead, God has placed His Word in the hands of human beings and "almost always used one human instrument to lead another human to a knowledge of salvation." That is why he urges believers to learn and become skilled in the Scriptures, so that when an opportunity arises they can open the Bible and show someone "what the Word really says" rather than being a "stumble-bum." Les points to Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch as the pattern: Philip asked the eunuch if he understood what he was reading, and the man admitted he could not unless someone guided him. Philip then explained who Isaiah was talking about. Les also applies Romans 10 and 2 Corinthians 5, showing that every believer is expected to be a minister of reconciliation and an ambassador for Christ. Until the Lord opens a person's heart, no one can be won, but when He does, a believer must be there with the truth. Les also addresses why people often need explanation: the natural man cannot comprehend the Scriptures until he has had a salvation experience, and even earnest readers "read but they don't read" and miss what the text says. His goal is to help people see what the Scriptures really say, not what someone thinks they say.
Les answers this directly: God did not leave His Word under the control of angels or highly educated seminarians; He placed it in the hands of people. In Acts 8, Philip is the human instrument sent to the Ethiopian eunuch, and in the New Testament believers are described as ambassadors for Christ. Les says this is why believers need to get skilled in the Scripture — God has almost always used one human instrument to lead another to a knowledge of salvation.
Les's teaching points to a "no" in most cases. The Ethiopian eunuch was reading Isaiah, a passage that points to Christ, yet he needed someone to guide him. Les says most people read and skim and don't know what they read; he gives the example of a man who read Ephesians 3:2 several times and never saw what was there. He also teaches that the natural man cannot comprehend these things until he is saved and the Holy Spirit enlightens him. That is why a human explainer is still part of God's plan.
Les teaches that nothing can win a lost person until the Lord opens their heart, but when He does, believers have to be there with the truth of Scripture. Lydia's heart was opened and she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul. Les says believers are to be ministers of reconciliation and ambassadors for Christ, and that is why they must learn the Word and be ready to show someone what it says.
The Eunuch Needed a Guide
Les shows that even a sincere reader of Isaiah can be reading the right Scripture but not understand it; the question "Understandest thou what thou readest?" drives home why an explainer is needed.
Believers Are God's Human Instruments
Les teaches that God ordinarily uses one human instrument to lead another to salvation, and that is why believers should become skilled in Scripture and ready to show someone what it really says.
Every Believer Is to Proclaim
Les applies Romans 10:14 and 2 Corinthians 5 to show that believers are the proclaimers who explain the Word so others can hear and believe.
Ambassadors with the Word
Les emphasizes that God left His Word in the hands of human beings, not angels, and that believers act as ambassadors for Christ, bringing people to reconciliation.
Natural Man Can't Comprehend
Les explains that people who know nothing of salvation cannot comprehend the Scriptures; a salvation experience is the first step before they can understand what is being taught.
Philip Explained Isaiah
Les narrates how Philip explained to the Ethiopian which person Isaiah was describing, an example of a believer using Scripture to answer a seeker's question.
Helping People Read What They Read
Les describes his own ministry as helping people see what the Scriptures really say, because most readers skim and do not know what they read.
Readers Who Miss the Text
Les's anecdote about a man reading Ephesians 3:2 several times without seeing the point illustrates that even earnest readers can miss what the text says until someone points it out.
Acts 8:30: And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
This question shows that reading the right Scripture is not the same as understanding it.
Acts 8:31: And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
The eunuch's answer is the strongest biblical statement that a guide is needed.
Romans 10:14: How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Paul makes hearing from an explainer necessary for belief.
Romans 10:15: And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
The sending of proclaimers is part of the process of bringing the gospel to people.
2 Corinthians 5:20: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
This identifies believers as the representatives who urge others to be reconciled to God.
Acts 16:14: And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
It shows that even when the Lord opens a heart, that person needs to hear and attend to the Word proclaimed by someone.
He was reading Isaiah but did not understand what he was reading. When Philip asked if he understood, he said, "How can I, except some man should guide me?" Philip then explained to him who Isaiah was talking about.
No. Les says God did not leave His Word under the control of angels or highly educated seminarians. God has placed His Word in the hands of human beings and almost always uses one human instrument to lead another to a knowledge of salvation.
According to Les, an ambassador serves his home government in a foreign environment. As ambassadors for Christ, believers are to bring people to reconciliation with God by sharing and explaining the truth of Scripture.
Watch the Teaching: What Did the Ethiopian Eunuch Actually Believe? Acts 8