Teaching is a gift and a ministry —it is the ability to impart knowledge and lead others to the understanding of God's truth and revelation. The primary purpose of this gift is to explore and confirm the truth proclaimed in Scripture: it is the ability to share what has been revealed.
Church teachers
The ministry of a teacher is not directed to the whole world, but only to those who are in the body of Christ. Those who possess the gift of teaching show the way and build the church (the body of Christ) on the foundation laid by someone else. In the ministry of a teacher, comparing the knowledge, interpretations, and revelations that have accumulated within the church is very important.
The teacher's task is not to plant, but to water. A teacher is not always an evangelist, and an evangelist is not necessarily a teacher. The evangelist works with unbelievers, lays the foundation, and speaks about the Lord, helping them to find faith and turn to Jesus Christ. In contrast, the teacher must not only teach biblical truths but also build upon the foundations of the teaching (cf. Hebrews 6:1) to attain "to perfection . " That is, the teacher should nurture what the evangelist has already sown. At the same time, the teacher must be a person who is constantly learning.
Let us try to clarify the nature of this gift using the example of Apollos, about whom the Apostle Paul said: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6) . Apollos was not a pastor or evangelist; he was active in teaching, and in this ministry he was honored by his brothers.
“Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord and was fervent in spirit. He spoke and taught accurately about the things concerning the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. And he began to preach in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more precisely. When he wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. And when he arrived there, he was a great help to those who had believed by grace. For he publicly refuted the Jews with great power, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 18:24-28).
Here a detailed description is given, less about the person and more about his ministry. Apollos helped as a teacher those who had only recently come to faith and instructed those who needed instruction. And Apollos did so well that the brothers asked him to continue his work. When he went to Achaia, they wrote letters of recommendation describing him as a person capable of teaching.
The teacher is called to nurture, educate, instruct, and help. The foundation for this must be love. During his teaching, the Apostle Paul emphasized that he was expounding the truth that he himself knew and that could be seen. But much more often he said, "I love you , I want to help and support you ." This means " to support those who believe by grace ." The teacher has no influence over this. Whether he is a teacher for those who have just come to faith or for children: when he enters Bible school or children's church, where does his power lie? In the authority that God bestows upon him. For whom and for what purpose does a person receive authority? Let's try to work that out.
The teacher is called to encourage, educate, instruct, and help. The foundation for this must be love.
- The teacher is appointed by God.
The foundation of our faith is Holy Scripture. And there are people who have been given the gift of interpreting Holy Scripture. These people are appointed by God. Sometimes it seems that anyone who is educated and has joined the Church can be a teacher. And although a teacher should certainly be educated—at least able to read and write—not every educated person can be a teacher.
In Ephesians 4:11 we read that God “gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.” God himself appointed teachers. This is important to understand. Often, the teacher is told, “Here is a prophet—yes, he speaks a revelation—that’s a gift, but what you say is human. It originated from human thoughts.” I would like to remind you that it is written, “Do not despise prophecies,” and yet we are Christians of the evangelical faith, but not Christians of the prophetic faith .
Unfortunately, teachers are often neglected compared to others involved in resolving important issues. This is especially true for teachers and educators who work with children, even though it is widely known that what is learned in childhood shapes a person for life. Education begins on the first day of life, when a child is held in someone's arms, when they observe the relationship between their parents, or when a certain spirit and attitude are fostered in communities where the Church is remembered as a pillar and stronghold of truth. And if the Church does not live by this principle, then it must prove in other ways that it is the pillar and foundation of truth.
One of the high-ranking officials of southern Russia once went to a small church and was surprised by how quiet and peaceful it was. No one was making any noise; everyone was listening. Finally, he noticed that no children were present. He learned that there were indeed children, but because guests were expected, the children had been left at home, and the children's service had been canceled. This was a grave mistake. First, the children's service was canceled, and then they began collecting money for rehabilitation centers. And suddenly, it turns out that people in this rehabilitation center had devout relatives. It seems that much suffering could have been spared these individuals if they had received the correct instruction in childhood.
When we arrive at the rehabilitation centers, we have no power. We don't try to replace those who run the centers. We simply teach. Some time passes, and suddenly it becomes clear that this teaching produces tangible results: The person feels the flow of God's grace, experiences God's closeness, and receives victory. And all this happens because the teaching of Christ has great power, and the ministry of that teaching is one of the most important. This is what we should pray for.
- The teacher's task consists not only of planting, but also of watering.
Many years ago, I encountered people who couldn't understand why Bible schools and teachers existed within the church, believing that preaching alone was sufficient. This is n't about the ministry of a teacher in a specialized school, such as a Bible school, but rather about the ministry of a teacher within the church community, working with people who believe.
Everyone knows that you have to prepare the soil and plant and water a crop before harvesting. But it's better if a farmer is involved in this process, someone who knows when and how to water, fertilize, and spray, and what else the plant needs to thrive. There are people who are great evangelists, but nothing more. And a good teacher can be quite shy when evangelizing. Their work is to work with people who have come to faith. That is, their work builds on the foundation that the evangelist has already laid.
A teacher's knowledge is almost always based on a foundation laid by someone before them. They are not the one who uncovers it, nor are they the inventor. Rather, they are someone who has great respect for the person who learned or did something.
- The teacher must be "well-versed" in Holy Scripture and "burning in spirit".
The teacher must orient himself to Holy Scripture , for it alone testifies to the life of Jesus, and faith alone is founded upon it. He should be competent—that means he is taught to speak according to Scripture. Apollos is described as being “an eloquent man, powerful in the Scriptures.” He was therefore competent. Apollos could not only read and retell in his own words what he read, but he also practiced what was said. And the Holy Spirit says this: “ He was instructed in the way of the Lord and fervent in spirit” (Acts 18:25). First, he was instructed; he had the right foundation. Second, he was fervent in spirit.
What does it mean to burn with faith? It means to have a thirst to teach. Jesus stood before Pilate and said, “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth” (John 18:37). Pilate asked, “ What is truth?” The bound, beaten, exhausted man, betrayed by everyone, speaks of truth. Before Pilate stood a true teacher who had come to bear witness to the truth. He burned with faith and was willing to go to the ends of the earth to help just one person. He walked through the entire land of Israel, from north to south. In the same way, the children of God who are teachers must burn with faith.
- The teacher must be educated.
The teacher must be able to accurately interpret the facts and meanings of words, to speak and teach “ correctly about the Lord . ” The word “ correctly ” is expressed in the Bible as follows: “His [Apollo’s] teaching is distinguished in its accuracy and diligence.”
A teacher's knowledge is almost always based on a foundation laid by someone before them. They are not the one who uncovers it, nor are they the inventor. Rather, they are someone who has great respect for the person who learned or did something.
“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Great education often leads to arrogance, so it is essential that the teacher remain a student . And a true teacher will learn throughout their life. A good teacher retains the ability to view the world with wonder throughout their life. A good teacher is always recognizable by how much they are willing to learn . The teacher should always be aware of their own imperfect knowledge. Therefore, they should not only have a love of reading but also of learning and strive to understand the meaning of what is written. Apollos was a knowledgeable and articulate man, but when he met people who could “explain the way of the Lord better than he could,” he learned from them.
A teacher who dislikes reading and therefore only reads about topics they already know well cannot be considered good. A teacher must have a love of learning . Unfortunately, there are people who read without engaging with the meaning of what they read. And in doing so, the text is often reinterpreted in a way that distorts the truth. A teacher should be able to read thoughtfully and instill in others a love of reading and studying the Bible.
A teacher should be someone who not only quotes the Bible but also conveys the truth itself through their heart and understands its value. This learning process depends to some extent on the contributions of others, so a true teacher will always appreciate another teacher. The intricacies of Scripture should be a joy for them and later for their disciples.
It is important not only to cultivate a love of reading and learning for oneself, but also to share this love with others so that they too may find joy in the intricacies of Scripture. The gift of teaching is the ability to awaken an interest in Holy Scripture in others. But this cannot be achieved without the work of the Holy Spirit.
The teacher must speak in a way that the audience understands. The teacher should have a clear idea of what kind of audience he is speaking to and which words he needs to choose for which audience.
A teacher who dislikes reading and therefore only reads about topics they already know well cannot be considered good. A teacher must have a love of learning.
- The teacher must have patience.
Being a teacher requires great courage and great patience. I will always remember my first lesson. It was right at the beginning of my ministry. Several people approached me and told me I had spoken well. They had understood the main points and received a blessing. They cited an example from the sermon, and I realized it didn't correspond at all to what I had said. It was simply their opinion, which had nothing to do with what I had actually said.
I remembered a great English preacher who once said that he had preached on the same subject no fewer than five times. And even after the fifth time, he encountered a completely wrong understanding. But a true teacher desires that the student understand the message correctly. Nothing works immediately the first time, and the teacher should not give up after instructing his students once and they haven't understood or remembered it. Patience is one of a teacher's strongest qualities.
A German thinker observed that the peculiarity of teaching lies in the fact that a person, amidst chaos, violence, and other ugliness, must maintain a firm faith and hope in the order that God has prepared for all.
- To teach the truth, the teacher necessarily needs courage.
Only a courageous person is capable of defending the truth because they are destined by God to do so. Not just anyone can be chosen for this task. Yet, once a congregation did exactly that. They selected young men who weren't even considered role models. They were instructed to assist the teachers, and then they themselves were to become teachers. Here, the proverb "Not everyone is meant to teach" applies. Teaching—that is a very rare and valuable quality, one that is unfortunately seldom found even in churches.
When a prophet speaks, everyone comes to hear what the Lord will say. But when a man speaks who has the gift of teaching—so there is indeed something worthwhile to hear—only a fraction of the people come. Because it doesn't seem so important . In reality, however, teachers are a treasure. They are the ones who, generally speaking, establish churches through their work.
A teacher should be a person who not only quotes the Bible, but conveys the truth itself through their heart and understands its value.
How can one test whether one has the gift of teaching?
It happens that people give up after the first few failed attempts. You teach a topic once or twice, and people don't understand it or they misunderstand it. It seems as if it's impossible to teach these people anything. But a person with the gift of teaching has a good quality: they are passionate in spirit ; they don't want a position in the church, but rather they want to help people.
The German theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer expressed it very clearly: true service in the church consists of God taking a person, chaining them to His chariot, and leading them, and the person can do nothing about it. They do what the Lord has commanded. The Apostle Paul said, "I have become all things to all people, so that by all possible means I might save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22).
When a teacher sees ignorance in a poorly educated person, his heart aches. He cannot remain indifferent. The inner calling to teach stirs within him. “I will teach the rebellious your ways, that sinners may return to you” (Psalm 51:15) . What is the psalmist talking about when he himself repents? What he has learned through repentance, he wants to pass on to others. The desire to teach others does not always stem from the teacher's own successful life . Difficult life circumstances awaken the same desire to teach others as at any other time.
Leonid Odessky, Tel Aviv