What Is A Teacher?

Jesus was a teacher. After Jesus washed His apostles’ feet he said, “You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.” (John 13:13) And in John 3:2 Nicodemus addresses Jesus with, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

Most of the time when someone addressed Jesus, they used the term Teacher, or Rabbi (which means teacher.) Every Christian, of course, should also be teaching - by word or example. However, there are a group of people within the church who accept the responsibility of teaching our Bible classes. In appreciation to those who diligently are involved in teaching, I offer the following thoughts by an anonymous author. It’s entitled “What Is A Teacher?”:

• A teacher is one who affects the eternity of others.
• A teacher is one who helps another learn.
• A teacher is one who imparts his or her knowledge to others
• A teacher is one who awakens another to his or her needs.
• A teacher is one who inspires others.
• A teacher is one who guides others.
• A teacher is one who corrects others.
• A teacher is more important to the teaching/learning process that the method, the setting, or the visuals.
• A teacher is the product of conscientious labor.
• A teacher is able to pump abilities from the resources of the student, and make him or her aware of his or her own resources.
• A teacher is ninety percent of the curriculum.
• A teacher is a sculptor of souls.
• A teacher is God’s ambassador on earth.
  

Thank you, teachers, for the time you give to sharing God’s word with others.

Now, let me give each of us who are involved in teaching in any way something else to think about. Jesus said in Luke 6:40, “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.”

After you and I have taught, what will your/my student be like? Am I like the Teacher whom I call Master? If so, then my students will be like Him also. Let’s pray that it is so.

See you when the saints meet, Lord willing.

Love, Tony