What Is A Christian Teacher?

Teachers in the biblical cultures primary task involved the communication of a fixed body of information—doctrinal instruction—to their students, often solely by rote memory work (Acts 2:42).  The New Testament concept of teaching usually means instruction in the faith. Teaching may overlap with prophecy (Acts 13:1), because both can expound God’s Word, but teaching focuses more on the mastery of content.  Since sound instruction in the faith is essential to the spiritual growth of Christians and to the development of a church, the Bible contains numerous guidelines for the Christian teacher (Matt 4:23; Luke 4:14; Acts 13:1-3; Rom 12:6-8; Gal 6:6; 1Tim. 3:2; 4:16; 2Tim. 2:2; Tit. 1:9).

A.  A Bible Educator.

The gifted Christian teacher is divinely enabled with special ability to interpret and present God’s truth understandably.

    1.  Teaching is Instructing from the Word. (Rom. 12:7)

The primary difference between teaching and prophesying is not in content, but in the distinction between the ability to proclaim and the ability to give systematic and regular instruction in God’s Word.

2 Tim. 2:2, And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Proverbs 9:8-10, Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. [9] Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. [10] The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Christian Education is far more then merely acquiring knowledge.  The Bible uses four words to outline the steps to, and the outcome of a sound education.  They are:

           A.  Instruction.  (Prov. 1:8)

Instruction is the Communication of the FACTS and INFORMATION from the teacher to the student.  An example would be telling someone what a car is.  Including information and facts about its use as transportation, mechanical structure, capabilities, speed, safety features and the engine is all a part of this form of instruction.   

           B.  Knowledge.  (Prov. 1:7a; 23:12)

Knowledge is the ASSIMILATION and RETENTION of communicated facts; the development of Skills. An example would be the ability to restate what a car is, how to operate it, how it is structured, what it’s capabilities are, and what it’s safety features consist of.

           C.  Understanding. (Prov.  2:3b; Ps. 119:130)

Understanding is the ADAPTATION and APPLICATION of acquired knowledge and skills in light of God’s Word; discretion.  This would be taking the car out for a drive and demonstrating a capacity to safely operate it within the scope of its capabilities with little or no supervision.

           D.  Wisdom.  (Prov.  2:6: 16:16)

This refers to the Life, which is in harmony with the mind of Christ (the Word of God)—the ability to THINK and DO as God would if He were here personally.  This could be illustrated in the ability to operate many different vehicles skillfully without accidents or assistance on any type of terrain and in any type of weather.

           

      1. Proverbs 4:4a, 5 refer to these same steps with the words–“taught” (instruction); “retain” (knowledge); “keep” (understanding); and “wisdom.”

                   2.  QUOTE: “Secular education seeks to make better, more effective, more successful, more intelligent people. The Christian educator aspires to nothing less than the transformation of a believer into the image of Christ.”    —Howard Hendricks

     2.  A Teacher is A Bible Explainer.

A teacher is able to explain the Word of God and apply it to the hearts of his or her hearers. –MacDonald, William

                  1.  Jesus Was a Bible Explainer.

Jesus, of course, was both the supreme Preacher and Teacher. Even after His resurrection, He continued to teach. When He joined the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. .… And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? ” (Luke 24:27, 32).

 Both “expounded”[ = explained, v. 27] and “opened” [= explaining, or “opening up,” v. 32] are synonyms of  “teacheth” and “teaching” in Romans 12:7.

Research & Discussion Time!

From Jesus, the Great Teacher, we learn many truths about teaching in general that apply to this gift as well.

•          What was the essential source of ability for Jesus’ teachings? (Luke 4:17)

•          What were His two primary objectives in teaching? (Matt. 22:34–40)

•          On at least one occasion, to what did He ascribe greatness in the kingdom of God? (Matt. 5:19, 20)

                  2.  Systematic Sound Teaching is Our Focus.

Regular, systematic teaching of the Word of God is the primary function of the pastor-teacher and the other teachers.

                           A.  As teachers, we are required “to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2) and to hold “fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” (Titus 1:9).

                              1) Not only must a Bible teacher meet moral and spiritual standards in their personal life, but he or she must also be a reliable handler of the Word—sound in the faith. We must hold tenaciously to the spiritually healthful doctrines taught by the Lord Jesus and the apostles which have been preserved for us in the NT.  Accordingly as conservators of the truth, we must understand it, hold it fast; (16) encourage others by teaching it; and (17) refute those who oppose it.

                              2) “Holding fast the faithful Word” (v. 9). The word faithful was a favorite with Paul (see 1 Tim. 1:15; 4:9; 2 Tim. 2:11; Titus 3:8). God’s Word is trustworthy because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Because the Word is faithful, those who teach and preach the Word should be faithful. Again, Paul used the term sound doctrine which … means “healthy doctrine” that promotes spiritual growth.

The naive church member who says, “We don’t want doctrine; just give us helpful devotional thoughts!” does not know what he is saying. Apart from the truth (and this means Bible doctrine), there can be no spiritual help or health.—W.W. Wiersbe

                           B.  Above all, Paul encouraged Timothy, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Tim. 4:16). 

Notice the order here. Timothy is first to take heed to himself and then to the doctrine. This emphasizes the importance of the personal life in any servant of Christ. If his life is wrong, he might be ever so orthodox in his doctrine, but it is of no avail. A. W. Pink has well said: “Service becomes a snare and an evil if it be allowed to crowd out worship and the cultivation of one’s own spiritual life.”

By continuing in the things Paul has been writing about, that is, reading, exhortation, and instruction, Timothy would save both himself and those who heard him. The word save here has nothing to do with the salvation of the soul. The chapter opened with a description of the false teachers who were causing havoc among the people of God. Paul is telling Timothy that by faithful adherence to a godly life and to the word of God, he will save himself from these false teachings and he will also rescue his hearers from them as well. –Believer’s Bible Commentary

                           C.  Pastors are not the only ones the Lord calls and empowers to teach. But if a pastor’s ministry is to be judged, among other things, on the soundness of his teaching—as the passages just cited indicate—then it seems reasonable to assume that, in some measure, he should have the gift of “teaching.”  Additionally, any Bible teacher must abide by the same standard of sound teaching.

B.  A Christian Trainer on a Mission.

Not only is a teacher a Bible educator, but he is also a Christian trainer fulfilling the Great Commission in multiple ways and through many types of teaching ministries.

    1.  Note the Great Commission Enjoins It.  

Matthew 28:18-20, And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. [19] Go ye therefore, and teach [to instruct to make disciples and followers] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching [to teach and instruct systematically to obey] them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Here we recognize the church collectively has a general responsibility to “teach” the Word of God in Evangelism and Discipleship. The word “teach” is used in both instances. 

    2.  Note the Many Applications of the Gift. 

The gift of teaching could apply to a pastor, a teacher in seminary, Christian college, Sunday school, discipleship, youth groups, Children’s church or any other place of elementary or advanced education, in the home by Mom and Dad and wherever God’s truth is taught. The earliest church was characterized by regular teaching.  Acts 2:42, And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

    3.  Consider Teaching a Major Purpose of our Church.  

           A.  A Teaching Ministry is Not a Social Function.

Some see the church as something you join for what you can get out of it, the way you join a country club or the Rotary Club.  It is not a social service organization, with a ministry oriented primarily toward the physical, social, temporal needs of men. Certainly, the sincere Christian will get something out of a biblical church, but his primary goal is not the same as that for joining a country club.

           B.  The Church Is a Place to Face the Truth and Respond Accordingly. 

The apostle Paul described the church of the living God as the “pillar and ground [foundation] of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Unless truth undergirds the church and our role in it, it is just a country club and the truth should shake us up sometimes! (Isaiah 61:1-3)

           C.  Churches Struggle With Loyalty to Christ and Its Local Community.  

It is becoming easier and easier to fudge a little here, get a little fuzzy there, tune into the values of society to make people feel comfortable without fully confronting truth. People will then be more willing to join our churches—not to become a holy nation for the Lord, but to join our country club, if the price isn’t too high, and if the show is good enough. (2 Tim. 4:1-5; Isa. 30:9-14).

APPLICATION: If We Do Not Call People to Lives of Serious Discipleship, We Have Nothing to Justify Our Existence. We might as well shut the doors and go do something else. We are called to teach and to be a witness, and we dare not water down our message for fear of offending people. There is no virtue in needlessly offending people, and many churches have certainly done this. But neither is there any virtue in surrendering to secular values to appease students.

    4.  Note the Examples of Paul and Other Teachers.  

           A.  Paul’s Spiritual Gift Included Features of Both Preaching and Teaching.

2 Tim. 1:11, Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

           B.  Later in the Same Epistle, Paul Charged Timothy: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim. 2:2).

           C.  Barnabas Had This Gift and Ministered in Antioch with Paul, where they were “teaching and preaching, the word of the Lord, with many others also,” (Acts 15:35).

           D.  Likewise Apollos Was Also a Diligent and Fervent Teacher “And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. [25] This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.” (Acts 18:24–25). 

Preaching and teaching are often intermingled.  In fact it’s hard to preach the Bible without doing some teaching and it’s hard to teach the Bible without some preaching.  It helps to know that the Bible mentions them together!