Christians need to be taught the Bible
Note: This is my final article of the summer before I go back to school — so you won’t see new posts for a while — and it’s an appropriate topic, since I am a teacher.
One of the strangest arguments I’ve heard against any theology is some variation of “Others taught you that.” The insinuation is that we didn’t directly learn the doctrine in question from our own reading of the Bible; we had to read it through the lens and filter of certain pastors, teachers, and authors.
Well, one thing I learned directly from the Bible is that “You learned from teachers!” is a really weird accusation.
Of course I learned about the Bible from teachers. So did you, I would bet if I were a betting man. That’s how it’s supposed to work. That’s what God intends for His church and His word.
God has appointed teachers
It doesn’t take a teacher to see this in Scripture. At least twice we are told that God has specifically placed teachers in the church:
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers … (1 Corinthians 12:28)
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ … (Ephesians 4:11-12)
That passage in Ephesians says the purpose of these callings is to keep the church from being “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting …” (verse 14). In a world where false doctrine is rampant, teachers are essential to help Christians know the correct truths of the faith. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, who were confused by wrong ideas about the coming of Christ, to “stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle” (2 Thess. 2:15).
Teaching is a required ability for overseers (1 Timothy 3:2) and servants (2 Timothy 2:24). Those references are from two of Paul’s three letters in which he teaches pastors how to teach. He wrote to Titus that overseers must hold fast “the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). Teachers need teachers.
We see the high respect the Bible’s writers placed on teachers in that they are to be materially supported (Galatians 6:6) and have a weighty responsibility that not many can bear, subject to “a stricter judgment” (James 3:1).
It’s when people think that they don’t need teachers, when it’s just them and the Bible, that false doctrine arises and flourishes. That defies how the Author arranged and organized His readers.
Objections
Those who disagree can proof-text a couple of verses:
“And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ,” Jesus said in Matthew 23:10. That chapter is His brutal polemic against the scribes and Pharisees who abused their office as teachers of the law. Jesus was saying that He, not them, is the Teacher they should follow. Christ is our Teacher indeed, and He established offices in His church to faithfully pass on His teachings.
John wrote, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you …” (1 John 2:27). That also has the context of warning against false teaching; the previous verse says, “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.” Clearly, John meant that they did not need anyone else to teach them besides Christ (see above).
Also, the need for teachers has been abused by the Roman Catholic Church. Its catechism says, “The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living, teaching office of the Church alone” (85) and “The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magesterium of the Church, that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him” (100). I’m not at all saying that it’s impossible to learn from the Bible directly; the Bereans checked Paul himself against the Scriptures (Acts 17:11).
But God has given us teachers as helpful guides, and who doesn’t need that? Who doesn’t need to learn about all the crucial contexts of the Bible — linguistical, historical, cultural, etc.? Who can grasp the complexities of understanding ancient languages in modern English? Who hasn’t been enlightened by a different perspective that you didn’t think of? Who doesn’t find it handy to have others compile cross-references that bring out the full meaning of the text? Who hasn’t been blessed by sermons, commentaries, education, or just conversation? Who can pick up a Bible and know all there is to know about it alone? Even with teachers, that’s more than enough for a lifetime!
Who hasn’t gleaned knowledge from those more learned and experienced? How many people who don’t know calculus can pick up a calculus textbook and master it themselves? We need teachers for all areas of life. As Paul wrote, what do you have that you did not receive (1 Corinthians 4:7)? We can know the Lord by reading the text ourselves, but it’s so much better, so much more edifying, when brothers and sisters help us to know Him more.
I’m so thankful for those who have taught me the Scriptures. If you’re not, then you have a lot to learn.
