The Role of Teachers in the Christian Education System

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There's a saying that a pastor is both a teacher and preacher of the Word of God. Yet, the Bible mentions of teachers and pastors as two separate offices in Ephesians 4:11. 1 Corinthians 12:28 that God first sent apostles, secondarily prophets and third teachers to help handle the Church. The pastor is there to teach and preach the Word of God. However, the pastor is not alone in being a teacher in carrying that task. The Bible in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 that a bishop (pastor) should be the husband of one wife - the woman can't be a husband and a man can't be a wife.

Women can still be given authority to become teachers in the church such as those who counsel exclusively to women's needs, teach Sunday school and be schoolteachers. We read in the Bible of women in the ministry such as Miriam, Deborah, Huldah and Anna. They were termed as prophetesses or female prophets. However, we have to consider that Miriam's rebellion and challenge of Moses' authority didn't go unpunished in Numbers 11. In short, while there are women in ministry but the structure has always been a male pastor. However, a female teacher has the duty to exercise authority over the men in the congregation who are below the pastor but above her.

So why are teachers still needed? Certain pastors can surely teach something else aside from the Word of God, right? Some pastors may even be qualified to teach certain subjects like mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, history and languages depending on their pre-Bible college courses. Some pastors may have even graduated from the medical field hence giving them the authority to teach biology. Yet, the pastor is a very busy man. The Bible ordains many offices to assist the pastor. If there's the High Priest then there are also Levites and those who worked at the tabernacle. The Bible also ordains deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 to assist the pastor. The pastor is the teacher on Sundays. The schoolteachers are the teachers from Mondays to Fridays in the school setting. The pastor has other duties to attend to so Christian education needs teachers to lend a helping hand. Remember Moses' situation in Exodus 18? Jethro gave Moses the counsel to have assistants in verses 17 up to 26 to delegate authority. One can see Moses as a type of pastor. Aaron as the first High Priest was also a type of pastor. In the New Testament, we have Peter and his fellow apostles at church. Peter as the first pastor had people helping him. Teachers are in fact part of the badly needed assistance that any pastor needs in educating Christians.

We can think of how teachers are helping. I don't doubt it if a pastor can truly show vast knowledge in sciences and history yet having a teacher would be better. Having a teacher for each and every subject on school days can help delegate the badly needed task of teaching. You've got a teacher to teach mathematics, another to teach sciences, another to teach languages, another to teach history, another to teach music, another to teach computer fundamentals, another to teach military science and whatever subjects are needed in Christian education. Mathematics and sciences are grounded on truth. History is grounded on truth. Yet, the pastor isn't having them all in his expertise so he needs teachers to help equip and ground students.

So how can these teachers in Christian education help? I remembered reading the book of D. James Kennedy called "Why I Believe" way before he died last decade. I remembered how it was very educational to think of how he wrote several important facts of history, sciences, mathematics and the like to prove the authenticity of the Bible. Christianity is not just learning the Bible but also learning why you can trust it. I can trust the Bible because it's well-backed by facts. Read history books and current events - the Bible prophecies are in fact coming true! Try studying more science and the more you will find out that you can't have life itself as a "random accident" as taught by secular scientists who refuse to believe in Him who created science. Try studying more of mathematics and you will realize that life is no accident and that there's an intelligent design. These teachers in Christian education must rightly equip their students to fight off the lies of the secular education system.

Lastly, please remember that Ephesians 4:12 says the role of the offices in verse 11 is for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Remember when the architect made designs for houses, when the doctors healed lives, the scientist made discoveries but they couldn't exist if it wasn't for teachers who taught them the basics of life. After all, if it wasn't for teachers then there wouldn't be other professions and there wouldn't be someone helping the pastor in his job as a teacher of God's Word towards his flock.

Happy International Teacher's Day!

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