“So Christ himself gave
the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of
service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith
and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the
whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-13)
Finally, let us look at the
role of the Teacher. We will look through the eyes of Scripture, and discover
its place in the New Testament Church.
As with the other four offices
of the five-fold ministries, we look to Jesus as the perfect manifestation of
this gift. He is our great Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher.
When He walked the earth, He was acknowledged with the title of “Teacher” by
the people (Mt 19:16; 23:10; Mk 9:17), and also referred to Himself that way
(Jn 13:13). It was one of the main focuses of His ministry, as He taught
everywhere He went, speaking in towns and cities all over the region (Mt 9:35;
11:1). Everywhere He went, he amazed the crowds with the power of His teaching,
who had never heard anything like it before (Mt 7:28; 13:54).
As He prepared to leave this
earth, part of the command of His Great Commission was for His disciples to
continue His teaching ministry, showing others how to obey everything that He
had taught them (Mt 28:20).
So, what does a biblical
teacher look like?
First, teachers bring teaching
that is inspired by God. There is a huge difference
between “teaching” and “inspired teaching!” Even a non-Christian could take a
passage of Scripture, study the meaning and original context, and unpack what
the text says, even providing some principles for us to live by. Case in point: American founding father Thomas
Jefferson was not a Christian or believer in God, but he admired the moral
teachings of Jesus. So, he removed all
supernatural references from the Gospels and formed the “Jefferson Bible”,
filled only with the ethical instructions of Christ, which he encouraged people
to follow.
This obviously requires no
inspiration or connection with God, and anyone can do this, Christian or not.
Biblical teachers are more than just dispensers of information based on the
text of Scripture; they are desiring to find the “God-breathed” inspiration
behind the Word (2Ti 3;16), and bring a fresh revelation of what God is saying
to us through it.
Scripture warns against
teaching that has its roots in human origin instead of divine (Col 2:22). Godly
teachers will not seek to bring forward their own agendas or values through
Scripture, but rather seek God’s ways alone and communicate them. Jesus said, “My
teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.” (Jn 7:16).
Likewise, He also said that after He left, the Holy Spirit would come, and that
He would “teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have
said to you.” (Jn 14:26) So we see that Jesus was not attempting to
bring His own ideas, but only His Father’s. And the Spirit has been sent to
continue that very same ministry, teaching us from what Jesus has said. True
bible teachers will walk in this same anointing, hearing from Heaven what God
is desiring to reveal through His Word, and then communicating that revelation
and understanding to the Church through the Scripture.
When this occurs, teachers
will teach with authority. This is what Jesus did, and it
amazed those who heard Him (Mt 7:28-29). He was not simply unpacking old
revelation or showing people what the Scripture said. He was bringing brand-new
understanding (Mk 1:27), and a fresh revelation of who God is and what walking
with Him looks like. Another biblical example is Stephen, who went about
bringing the new teaching of the Gospel, and as he did, he shut the mouths of
those who publically challenged him, because they “could not stand up against
his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.” (Ac 6:10). Divine authority comes
when teachers have a true revelation from Heaven, and their words will carry an
undeniable weight when they do.
Moving on, a biblical teacher
will use the Bible to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in
righteousness (2Ti 3:16). They understand that “all Scripture is
God-breathed”, and that all of their authority and understanding comes from the
power of God’s word. Wielding the Bible as their greatest tool, verses will
flow from a teacher’s mouth in any situation, using the Scriptures to exhort,
encourage, discipline, and build up the Body of Christ. While a prophet presses
in for revelation directly from the Spirit, a teacher seeks Holy Spirit
revelation through the written Word.
Good teachers will confront
what is false. Part of their job is to protect the Church from misleading
or unscriptural teachings and doctrine (1Ti 1:3-7; 2Ti 4:3; 2Pe 2:1-3).
Teachers know that the Word of God is the full revelation of who He is, and
what He requires. Nothing contrary to Scripture can be from the Lord. By
pulling pure doctrine from the Word of God, and preaching it with the
above-mentioned inspiration and authority, teachers will be able to point out
error and turn God’s people away from it (2Pe 3:17).
New Testament teachers will
live by the words that they teach. Jesus warned His disciples about
the teachers of His time, telling His followers to “obey them and do
everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice
what they preach.” (Mt 23:3) Jesus called these teachers “hypocrites”
on many occasions (see Mt 23). This should soberly challenge anyone who
teaches! Good teachers will not just be communicators of the ideals of
Scripture; they will live them out every day. In establishing his credentials
with the Corinthian church, Paul wrote that the way that he lived his life “agrees
with what I teach everywhere in every church. (1Co 4:17) Paul was not
preaching one way and living another; he made sure that he was “practicing what
he preached.” Although none are perfect, teachers must strive to fulfill their
own instruction.
Finally, it is worth nothing
that teachers will face a higher standard than others.
James said that “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my
brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (Ja
3:1) Because of their special role in handling the divine revelation of
Scripture, teachers will be held to a higher account than the rest of the
church. As with the title of “Apostle” that we already examined, the office of
“Teacher” brings a lot more with it than some have bargained for! To call oneself
a Teacher is to call upon God for a stricter judgment, and that is not
something to be taken lightly. Because of this, those who are called to teach
should do so within their God-given authority, and those who are not called
should accept this peacefully. God has a place for everyone, and there is no
need to try and fit into someone else’s anointing!
The roles of Apostle, Prophet,
Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher are gifts that God has given to His Church.
They are all necessary, and it is important that they all function together,
complimenting each other. When one of the five is missing, there is a large
void in the effectiveness of Church ministry. Only by all five offices moving
in lockstep with each other can the Church move into its full potential.
Hopefully, through this study of these amazing gifts, we will have a strong
overview of each role, and of its place within the Body. And as we see and
understand each purpose, we can pray for and seek these gifts, helping each
other find our place, and see the Body of Christ move into the maturity that it
is destined for.
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