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by Greg Williamson (c) 2002, 2008, revised & expanded 2010

COPYRIGHT RELATED INFO

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS

ARE FROM THE New Living Translation.

II. Key Terms

In the Bible a teacher is someone  "who imparts instruction, and communicates knowledge of religious truth or other matters." [REF] In both the Old and New Testaments, teaching goes well beyond classroom instruction to embrace living rightly before God and other people. There are both formal and informal teachers, and the wise teacher is he or she who seeks not merely to instruct a mind but also and especially to influence a life. [REF] [REF]

"In Old Testament Israel, there were three types of teachers. First and foremost, parents were under the divine command to instruct their children. Second, the religious teacher, the priest, passed on Israel's worship rites. Third, the sage, or tutor, taught students the practical wisdom of life. Ideally, all three types of teachers meshed and coordinated their instruction to produce a model citizen and worshiper." [REF] One source employs the categories of parent, prophet, and priest, while noting that the Bible was the sole textbook. [REF] Both before and after the onset of formal education, it was from parents and extended family that "[c]hildren learned household skills such as baking (2 SAMUEL 1:8) and spinning (EXODUS 35:25) and engaged in agricultural labor, herding sheep (and other animals) and working with crops. More specific crafts (pottery, leather work, carpentry, etc.) would have been learned by apprenticeship in the extended family, with some skills being passed down through family trades." [REF] And of course religious teaching (= the Scriptures) was the foundation upon which every aspect of life was built. [REF]

The Jewish exile led to the synagogues ("centers of instruction" [REF]) and a noteworthy expansion of the scribal class. [REF] Scribes were the official "copyists, editors, and teachers" of Scripture [REF] tasked with "preserv[ing] the wisdom of the Mosaic law." [REF] Formal elementary education (for boys only) was attached to the synagogues and consisted of oral teaching, writing, and much memorization. [REF] [REF] A common thread running through all Jewish teaching was the idea of revelation -- God's revealed, absolute truth, to be embraced and lived out in all of life. [REF] Precisely when formal schools first arose in Israel is a topic of much debate. "Perhaps the most cautious estimate in light of the deficiency of explicit data is that the bulk of education took place within a family setting, while a few select students may have received 'higher' education in the context of guilds or court schools. Formal schooling seems to have developed gradually during the monarchical period and beyond." [REF] The rapid spread of Greek culture (= Hellenism) posed a serious threat to Judaism, drawing as it did young Jewish males "away from the traditions of their elders. ... Jewish response included the rise of the ultra-orthodox sect of the Hasidim as well as increased opportunities for Jewish education of youths within the Hasidic community." [REF] (The Hasidim were the forerunners to the Pharisees and Essenes of Jesus' day. [REF]) The synagogue system became even more entrenched, emphasizing "Torah, Jewish custom, and oral interpretation as the arbiters of true Jewish identity." [REF]

The greatest teacher of all is, of course, God. And God's instruction manual for living the best life possible is his Word, the Bible (aka Basic Instructions for Believers Living on Earth). The proper starting point for those who wish to learn from God is humility: the sincere admission that our understanding is limited and partial, and thus we stand in desperate need of the guidance and direction only our Creator can provide. [REF]

The greatest earthly teacher was, of course, Jesus. He explained the greatest mysteries of God in words so simple even a small child could understand them. And to his words he added compassionate deeds designed to reveal God's goodness. Jesus taught in the synagogues, debated with the scribes, preached in the street, and gave in-depth instruction to his disciples. Jesus taught by interpreting Scripture, by summarizing truths into parables, by acting out God's message, and by repeating his teaching over and over again. [REF]

Jesus employed a number of specific methods in his teaching ministry. Specifically, Jesus:

Prior to the coming of Christ, God taught his people through kings, priests, and prophets. Jesus perfectly fulfilled all three roles and established a new, spiritual family in which God gifts specific individuals with the ability to teach so that they can help guide his people into a correct understanding of his will as expressed in the Scriptures. On the natural level, all parents are expected to teach their children right from wrong in accord with God's Word. [REF] And of course God calls all people everywhere to turn from their life of sin and begin living in accordance with his will as taught in his inspired, authoritative Word, the Bible.

A prophet (Greek prophētēs) is someone who receives a direct revelation from God and then feels an unstoppable urge to communicate that revelation to others. The message of the prophet is always the same: "Thus says the Lord." Sometimes prophets would foretell the future, but the greatest emphasis was on the need to correctly respond to God today.

Prophets and prophecy began in the OT, where "God use[d] men of different culture, character, and status in order that his word might be accessible to all men." [REF] God raised up an individual to be a prophet and gave him a message to proclaim. The precise form of the message, however, varied a great deal and included proclamations "of divine judgment, divine salvation or judgment and salvation; oracles of woe or assurance; admonitions to the people to do what they were failing to do; judicial speeches; and symbolic dramatic acts in which the prophet acted out the content of the message to impress it on the minds of the people." [REF]

Inspired by God's Holy Spirit, the prophet was a preacher of righteousness: with authority and urgency the prophet boldly sought to "make known God's intentions, with a view to admonishing or encouraging [his] hearers to respond properly to the divine word." [REF] God raised up a people uniquely his own -- a people who repeatedly mixed obedience with disobedience. It was to these people that God sent his prophets to proclaim his eternal love -- an unbending, unbreakable love which always leads to praise for doing right and punishment for doing wrong.

In the NT, the role and function of prophets shifted dramatically. John the Baptist was the final prophet of the OT tradition, denouncing sin and demanding repentance. Jesus was the ultimate prophet -- what prophets did, Jesus did, including:

• being a mouthpiece for God

• not speaking of himself, but speaking the word of God that comes to him

• anointing and appointing others to office

• giving directions for cleansing oneself from defilement

• praying for the people

• being slighted by both neighbors and family members

• being ordained of and anointed by God and sent forth to do his work

• leading and guiding others

• bearing witness to the truth

• being a man of God and servant of God

• laying a foundation of faith and doctrine upon which the Church would be established

• being an example to others

• proclaiming words inspired by the Holy Spirit

• foretelling what will come about in the future [REF] (paraphrased)

Jesus' message centered on God's kingdom: its warnings, judgments, requirements, conditions, and consummation. [REF] Rather than say, "Thus says the Lord," Jesus oftentimes used the "amen formula," preceding his message with "Amen, I say to you." In other words, "'I, as God's unique messenger, with God's authority and power, say this to you!'" [REF]

Because the NT had not yet been completed, prophets played a vital part in helping to establish the Church. Their function, however, soon "passed to the local ministers who preached the word to edify the members of the Christian fellowship." [REF] Today we have God's revealed will recorded in the pages of his inspired, authoritative Word, the Bible. And so, in one respect, we no longer need a prophet to tell us God's will for our lives. Prophets are still needed, however, to boldly proclaim God's love and God's judgment -- two sides of the same coin -- to communities and even entire countries. And, just as importantly, every Christian is to be a type of prophet as together we both encourage and challenge one another in our Christian walk and witness.

TO MARK 6 >>