What is a teacher?

“And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ. until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature.”

Ephesians 4:11-12 NET

What is a teacher? On the surface, the answer to this question is pretty simple: someone who teaches. Of course, that simple answer sparks deeper questions. What do we teach? Who are we teaching? How is this role different from the other roles Paul mentions in Ephesians 4:11? How is it complimentary? Let’s use the above passage to glean some important aspects of the role of teacher in the Bible.

1. The teacher is one role among many that share the same ultimate purpose. A leader may be great at teaching the deep truths of the word, but can he or she work with the evangelists and elders of the congregation to provide true spiritual food? A teacher that is not walking in step with the other leaders in a church can actually cause a flock to scatter as members are drawn to someone who is more of an influencer than a biblical teacher.
2. The purpose of all of these roles is to equip the saints for the work of ministry and thus, build up the body of Christ. As stated above, the teachers are just one part of that purpose. The nature of teachers makes their part essential. As Paul stated elsewhere, “the Gospel is the power of God for salvation.” We who teach have great power – not in ourselves or in our teaching – but the source from which we teach is the most powerful thing in the world. A teacher who does not stray from the source toward his own passions or pet projects has the potential for the greatest impact.
3. Interestingly, and perhaps surprisingly, the purpose of equipping the saints is not the end goal. The goal is unity and maturity. Unity speaks to the church itself. Jesus begged God in his longest prayer (John 17) for his followers to be completely united. How elusive a goal! Maturity speaks to the individuals in the body; made wise beyond their years by being bathed in biblical teaching. This two-fold goal of unity and maturity is the end that teachers must never lose sight of.

The teachers of the Midwest Family of Churches are working together to be a group that exemplifies Paul’s vision as we work with one another and with the elders and evangelists in our churches to equip, unite, and mature. Please pray for our work!