The Importance and Purpose of the Gift of Teaching  The Importance of the Gift of Teaching I heard a joke one day, actually it's an old one line joke with a double meaning. It goes like this: "The Pastor is paid to be good, but the rest of us are good for nothing!". You see the double meaning? Actually the Pastor isn't paid to be "good", and we all try to do our best to be good for the glory of Christ. I am convinced that the Teacher shortage that nearly every local Church is experiencing is due to the fact that "the role of the Teacher is made to seem insignificant compared to the role of the Deacon, Elder or Pastor." The average person in our materialistic society (and this includes the Church) feels that "if a person isn't paid for his services, then the service isn't worth having!" Am I exaggerating? If you think I am, look at the local Churches that offer "educational courses" on Wednesday or Sunday nights. If you offer a Bible study that only requires you be present with your Bible, and offer alongside it a "course" by a renown author that costs $50.00 per person, you'll find that the $50.00 "course" will be sold out shortly while there's plenty of seats in the "free" Bible Study. Why? Because many Christians have adopted the attitude that states "If I pay for it, it must be good". What does this mean to the Sunday School Teacher who receives all class materials gratis from the Church coffers? The "I didn't pay for it, so it must not be that good" mentality is already present among the students (either consciously or subconsciously). When the Teacher begins to believe the same of his Gift then all is lost. It is one thing for the average student to have the poor attitude toward the Teacher: This can be changed by using your Gift to help that believer to reach spiritual maturity. It's quite another thing for the Teacher to begin despising the Gift that God gave him as poor and useless. Paul warned Titus:
The Teacher is commanded by God to "speak" (clearly illustrate), "exhort" (encourage through teaching), and "rebuke" (chastise the students when necessary) clearly and doctrinally "with all authority". God gave one of the most precious Gifts to the Teacher, the Gift of Teaching, and alongside of it gave the Teacher the authority to exercise that Gift for the student's benefit. When the Teacher forgets the source of his Gift, regarding it as no more than a useless "good for nothing ability", the Teacher responds in one of two ways: He either treats his commission lightly (poor preparedness, lack of enthusiasm, poor rapport with the students), or he resigns and refuses to operate as a Teacher in the Church. In the New Testament the word "Teach" (or one of it's compounds) is found 76 times, in the Old Testament 93 times. Jesus Himself was a Teacher, and the word "Teach" is found 30 times as applied to our Lord alone. The Church cannot fulfill it's Great Commission unless it has God called Teachers:
We seem to emphasize the "Go ye" (missionary) part of the Great Commission, and the "Baptizing Them" part, but I want you to notice that "Go Ye" and "Baptizing" was only mentioned "once" in the Great Commission. "teach" is mentioned "twice", underscoring how important this Gift is to the growth of the Church. The wording of the Great Commission "demands" that each of the Apostles possessed (or will possess) the Gift of Teaching, for how could they "teach" all nations without the Gift of Teaching? The Apostle Paul recognized that the Gift of Teaching was so important that "all of the Church leadership" must possess the Gift in some degree:
Paul made it very plain that the Pastor "must possess the Gift of Teaching". This is not an option, it is a requirement that will either qualify or disqualify (if the Gift is absent) a man from consideration for that humble position. Some theologians focus on the word "Likewise" in 1 Timothy 3:8, and assume, based on context, that the deacons also have to possess the ability to teach. This is a matter of interpretation, and I won't declare it to be so. But it is true that most of the deacons I have met over the years were God called Teachers, teaching Sunday School class on a regular basis. The Gift of Teaching is "prominently mentioned" in all three of the "Spiritual Gift Lists" found in the New Testament:
In all three lists the Gift of Teaching is listed directly after the Ministry Gifts in importance (the Evangelist or the Pastor), whereas other Gifts (helps, healing, tongues, miracles) are mentioned in only one list. Teaching and Teachers are vitally necessary for the growth and maintenance of the Body of Christ. The Purpose of the Gift of Teaching Contrary to what many Christians have been led to believe, a Teacher is not a glorified baby-sitter, watching the children while mom and dad take a break on Sunday morning. "Teacher" is the Greek "didaskalos." The Didaskalos' ministry to the believer is described by four verbs in the Greek New Testament, three that are positive whereas the fourth is negative. The three positive verbs are:
This verb means "To give instruction", and more specifically, "To give instruction from God's Word". You can see the verb usage by how it is used in the following Scriptures: Matthew 4:23 "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching [Giving Instruction] in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." I Corinthians 4:17 "For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach [Give Instruction] every where in every church." 1 Timothy 4:10-11 "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach [Give Instruction] ." The Didaskalos' primary purpose in the Body of Christ is to "give instruction" to all of it's members. The Didaskalos does this by studying God's Word, interpreting it's precepts according to the Biblical context, and then breaking these doctrines down into "consumable portions" that the average Christian can understand and apply to his life. This is quite different from the "Rabbi" or the "Rabboni" of Jesus day (the Theologians) who studied the deeper things of God's Word without application, study for study's sake. The function of the Didaskalos is to make the Biblical teaching "understandable" to the average believer. The Didaskalos must be ever diligent in watching the student(s). If a bewildered look is in most of the disciple's eyes, the Didaskalos must re-address the subject to try and make it understandable. "How does this relate to you, as a Teacher?" If you do not study, or do not understand the Biblical teachings, you cannot teach them. The Gift of Teaching gives you the ability, at "your level of Christian maturity", to take that which you "know" and present it to others. If you are immature in Christ or have not prepared to Teach, you will be ineffective to the Church. The verb "didasko" presupposes that you have some inkling of what you're trying to teach.
This verb is translated "To train children, to teach, instruct", and is used of the "family discipline" in the Church of God. Again, you can see how the verb is to be used by seeing it in the Scriptural context: 2 Timothy 2:24-26 "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing [Teaching As Family] those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." Titus 2:11-12 "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching [Teaching As Children] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;" {In this context the Grace of God is the Didaskalos} I Timothy 1:19-20 "Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn [Might Be Taught As Children] not to blaspheme." Hebrews 12:6-7 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, [Instructs Through Discipline] and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, [Instruction Through Discipline] God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" {Here the Father is represented as the Didaskalos} "Paideuo" is the harsher form of Teaching, the side of Teaching that chastens the Child of God, if necessary, in order to correct him from the deviation of sin. Though I am not necessarily a pessimist, I am immediately suspicious of any Teacher who always instructs on the sweet, the loving, the charitable doctrines of the Word of God. God's Word teaches in equal portions the glory of Heaven and the depravity that causes man to descend into Hell. Several times in the Church Epistles Paul had to "delivered unto Satan" those who rejected sound Doctrine in favor of the world or heresy. How does this apply to you as a Didaskalos? There will be times when God will lead you to teach the hard doctrines, the doctrines that you would rather not approach. As humans it's natural to want to be liked, and some of God's Word, if taught clearly, will bring persecution to the Teacher. For example, to the world homosexuality and fornication are acceptable lifestyles. "As long as I hurt none, so mote it be". This is inconsistent with the clear teachings of God's Word, and there will come a time that you will have to "paideuo", or chasteningly instruct, those who would have it otherwise. And, frankly, neither you nor the recipient will like it one bit! But that is the job of the Didaskalos.
This Greek word means "to inform", and you can see it's usage in the following texts: I Corinthians 14:19 "Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach [Inform] others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." Galatians 6:6 "Let him that is taught [Is Informed] in the word communicate unto him that teacheth [Is Informed] in all good things." "Katecheo" implies a basic "imparting of information" to the student. Again, as a Teacher, in order to inform others you yourself must first be informed. Application: The Teacher must consistently study the Word of God.
Heterodidaskaleo This is the negative verb in Teaching, and refers to "teaching another doctrine", or "teaching doctrines contrary to God's Word". You can see the verb in use in: I Timothy 1:3-4 "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, [Heterodidaskaleo] Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do." I Timothy 6:3-5 "If any man teach otherwise, [Heterodidaskaleo] and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself." "Heterodidaskaleo" is a verb that refers to a poorly prepared or backslidden Didaskalos who, either by design or unknowingly, teaches false doctrine. The false Didaskalos causes rifts in the Body of Christ, spreading error like a rabid dog spreads disease. As one person is taught falsehood and tells another that error, it soon infests the whole Body to the detriment of our calling. As Jesus said: Mark 8:11-15 "And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod." Beware of false doctrine in your life. A little bit acts like leaven, and in time crowds out the truth. Application: The Didaskalos must be careful in what he teaches that it is fully supported by the Word of God. What you do effects more than just yourself, it effects the whole Body of Christ. If you are faithful in Teaching as God leads, you will be blessed and bless others by association. If you are careless or sloppy in what you teach you will lead other believers into error, causing poor spiritual growth in their lives, and harm to the Bride of Christ. Clicking Here! Clicking Here! 
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