Matthew 28:16-18, Acts 11:19-30
The title of “Teacher” was central to Jesus’ identity during his time on earth. Within the four gospel accounts, the title of “teacher” is applied to Jesus 39 times. In Jesus' culture, Jewish men, after spending their childhood studying the Torah, would apprentice under a rabbi, or teacher, to learn from the teacher how to follow the instruction of the Lord.
Though Jesus followed in this tradition of Jewish Rabbi’s, he was quite subversive. His followers were not exclusive to educated Jewish men, but included uneducated people, gentiles, women, tax collectors, and other such sinners and societal outsiders of the day. He not only instructed people on the Torah, but he himself was the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets (Matthew 5:17). Given the centrality of “teacher” to Jesus’ identity, it is no coincidence that he also commissions his disciples to “make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Whether you consider teaching your spiritual gift or not, it is something all believers are called by Jesus to do in some capacity.
As the great teacher, Jesus’ model of the gift of teaching is not intended to prop up the teacher, condemn the outsider, or berate the sinner. Rather, it should be used to point people, no matter their background, to Jesus. It should be used to convey truth in love and to invite people into Jesus’ kingdom.
Barnabas and Saul model this attitude towards teaching in Acts 11. There were some unnamed evangelists who began preaching the gospel to non-Jewish people in Antioch, and many came to faith in Jesus. To support this new community of believers, Paul and Barnabas go to Antioch to teach them. Despite both of them being from a different religious and ethnic community than the Hellenist Greeks, Paul and Barnabas used their ability to teach to encourage and equip this new group of believers.
It can be a common misconception that using one’s gift of teaching must be in the specific context of the Sunday gathering or with a microphone in front of a big group of people. This is simply not the standard communicated in scripture. Jesus taught big crowds & small groups at the dinner table. Who could really say what Paul and Barnabas’ teaching looked like when they came to Antioch. The call on the teacher is to teach disciples to obey all that Jesus commanded us. We have the incredible opportunity to use our words to communicate the life-changing message of Jesus to all who want to listen.
I’ve heard it said that the best way to learn is to teach. In my experience as an Education major, worship leader, and content writer, I have found this to be true. Whether you consider yourself a gifted teacher or not, flexing your teaching muscles as you share the message and truth of Jesus not only encourages the person you are teaching, but solidifies the message in your own heart and mind.
Tomorrow we will look more closely at the shadow side of teaching. But for today, take some time to reflect on how you can use your words to teach and encourage someone around you. If you tend to be more gifted at teaching, perhaps you can take a step towards leveraging that gift by starting a Bible study or DT group. If teaching is something that seems intimidating to you, you can start as small as sharing what God has been teaching you with someone else. May the example of Paul and Barnabas encourage us to communicate truth to people in our communities.
