The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity

66
THE GIFT OF THE TEACHER
(Eph. 4:11; I Cor. 12:29; Rom. 12:7)
Purpose: Instruction
Definition: A teacher is one who is especially enabled by God to communicate the content of
God’s message. He is able to teach truth clearly with wisdom given by the Holy Spirit.
The “teacher” as the gifted person (Eph. 4:11) differs from the gift of teaching (Rom. 12:7).
The “teacher” is an office in the church implying leadership, but all leaders (even elders) are not
teachers. In addition to teaching elders there are ruling elders (I Tim. 5:17). Although all elders
are to be “able to teach” (I Tim. 3:2), all are not teachers with the gift of teaching (I Tim. 5:17).
The gift of teaching, then, is given to nonleaders as well as to leaders.
Many present-day scholars believe that the office of teacher and pastor is the same. This is
based in part upon Ephesians 4:11 where Paul designates both pastors and teachers by one
definite article. The literal translation therefore would be “pastor-teachers.” Although this Greek
construction favors such an interpretation, it does not guarantee it. The one definite article is
sometimes, though rarely, used to refer to two different things. The other reason for seeing
pastor-teachers as one office is because every attempt to distinguish between them in practice has
proved impracticable.
Definition: “The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to
communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the body and its members in such
a way that of teaching others will learn.” 37
The supernatural ability to clearly explain and effectively apply the truth of the Word of God.
Description: When the gift of teaching is in operation there is not the tedious transfer of
information from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through the
minds of either. The gift of teaching does not end with imparting information to people so they
can retain it long enough to pass examinations. Christian teaching has to do with commitment and
behavioral change. It is not merely teaching “how” but teaching “to do” (Mt. 28:20).
Lawrence Richards, in his book, Creative Bible Teaching identifies five levels in the learning
process. Richards correctly points out that unless the fifth step is reached, true biblical teaching
has not taken place.