Bible Studies

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The motivation to write this article came from a recent telephone discussion with an associate. We somehow got on the subject regarding who should do the teaching in the church. I’ve been using this forum only a short while so in essence, I’m still a novice when it comes to any form of publication. But by the same token, if you’ve read any of my other writings, you may have observed that I don’t steer clear of controversy. I don’t duck the tough issues. Rest assuredly, I’m not about to start now. My associate believes that when it comes to teaching in the church, everyone should get a shot. It should come as no surprise that I strongly disagree. But like every other issue I’ve written about, let’s see what the Bible says about the subject.

A list of the spiritual gifts is located in Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 4, Romans 12, and 1 Corinthians 12. I call this the 4-4-12-12 Plan. The gift of teaching is located in Ephesians 4:11 and Romans 12:7. Teaching according to Dallas Seminary’s Dr. Charles Ryrie, is, “The ability to explain God’s truth to people.” Bill Hybels of Willowcreek Church near Chicago defines teaching as, “The divine enablement to understand, clearly explain, and apply the word of God causing greater Christ likeness in the lives of listeners.” In other words, teaching involves proper exegesis (pulling from) of God’s word to bring about a change in lifestyle. It is those with the gift of teaching who are charged with this tremendous task. They fit in one of these classes:

1. The senior pastor. Possessing the gift teaching is one of many prerequisites for a pastor (1Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:9). Within each of the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, there is an angel (Gr. angelos) or messenger. I believe Jesus was referring to the senior pastor because it would be difficult for man to write to spiritual beings. In 2:2, 14, and 20, a commendation or criticism was made based on the teaching given, primarily through this messenger – the senior pastor.

2. The elders or other pastors. Those who serve on the elder board also should have the gift. This is supported again by the Timothy and Titus verses in number 1. Because of 1 Timothy 5:17, it can be argued that not all elders taught, but this does not abdicate their God given ability to do so. Although deacons are not required to have the gift of teaching, any who possess this gift could fit within this class.

3. The teachers. I’m not just referring those who do 30-minute Sunday school classes, although they are important. I’m referring to those who enjoy doing research, more in depth analysis, and clearly defining the truths of scripture. Usually, these are individuals who have been gifted by God through some type of training (e.g. seminary, Bible College, numerous teaching seminars, etc.).

But what about giving everybody a chance? Here is my answer:

1. Paul said we are many members of one body (1 Corinthians 12:12-18). Not every part of a human body is an eye, a hand or a foot. Likewise, not everyone in the church is a teacher. If so the result would be chaos.

2. The teacher’s lifestyle should be above reproach. For instance, look at the command by Paul in 1 Timothy 4:12. Those whose lives are characterized by immaturity have no business teaching others. Why? A lifestyle adverse to biblical truth puts the focus on the teacher. Remember, teaching is not about the teacher. It’s about rightly dividing the word to impact the learners.

3. Those who do not have the gift of teaching usually eisegete (add into) biblical text. In other words, they lie. This causes negative affects for both the teacher and the student. For the teacher, it opens the door for the presence of demonic activity (1 Timothy 4:1-2). For the student, they get a false hope (Romans 15:4). I can’t imagine anyone wanting the adversary to have a stronghold in their life or even worse, having to explain to God the reason why they cheated another believer out of their hope.

Do you still think that everyone should get a chance to teach, even if they do not have the gift of teaching? Let me put it this way. Imagine you’re going to travel on a major airline. But before you purchase your ticket, your travel agent informs you that on your flight, instead of the regular cockpit crew, they are going to give the guys who clean the planes “a chance” to fly. They have no flight experience. As a matter of fact, one of them has a suspended driver’s license. Additionally that plane has been experiencing engine trouble. But don’t worry, instead of using their trained mechanics, they let the ticket agents have “a chance” of doing the repairs. Other than that red light on the engine that won’t turn off, the aircraft is good to go. Are you still going to buy a ticket and get on that plane? I would hope not! You want trained and skilled pilots at the helm. You want the best technicians the airline has working on those engines. Why? Because your physical life is in their hands and you don’t want to crash. The same standard should apply in the spiritual realm. No one in the church should have to crash because the wrong folks are flying the plane. Let the teachers teach.

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