MamaArcher's Blog

Who Needs Teachers?

Close-up man’s hands resting on Holy Bible

• I do not need a teacher, God is my teacher.
• I have my Bible, I am not to be influenced by the mere teachings of men.
• All I need is my Bible and the Holy Spirit.

These are phrases that have often come to the forefront of conversations in recent years. Often times it is when someone disagrees with something that these statements are vocalized. They are often used as a tool of avoidance or rejection. There is a semblance of truth mixed into each of these statements but partial truth really isn’t truth, is it? I have often struggled with how to approach these statements in conversations. It is often easier to write about these things than to translate them into actual dialog. The Thirsty Theologian recently wrote a post concerning this and I was so glad to see someone else who understood this subject not only in the same manner but was vocal enough to address it.

Here are a few excerpts.

All a man really needed, I thought, was his Bible and the Holy Spirit. If a man just knew his Bible inside and out, and was filled with the Holy Spirit, what more could he need?

Seminary was a place where men filled their heads with the philosophies of men. I definitely didn’t want that. Of course, it was alright if I chose some books to read on my own. That was different. What I certainly did not need, however, was Bible commentaries or systematic theologies. I didn’t need men to tell me what the Bible meant! That was the Holy Spirit’s job.

This is really a matter of humility, isn’t it? “Just me and God” says “No man is my superior. I am equal to all those who have gone before me.” In fact, it says more than that. It says that I am their superior. They learned from others, but I can do it on my own. What audacity. How foolish. We all need teachers; it is few of us who will ever become their equals, and fewer still who will exceed their knowledge, skill, and wisdom.

Read the rest : Dumb Things I Have Believed

Let me address the three statements I listed above.

1. I do not need a teacher, God is my teacher.

Well, yes, God is our teacher. He gives us His Holy Word, prayer, and His Spirit. He ALSO calls some to be teachers, He gives us those teachers to learn from. They are to diligently teach others. Who are we to tell the Lord we do not need His teachers?

2. I have my Bible, I am not to be influenced by the mere teachings of men.

First, there is an assumption here that the teachings are merely the teachings of men. What an assumption to make! Where is humility in that?
Secondly, I would like to simply share a quote from Charles Spurgeon (also found over at Thirsty Theologian).

I am amazed that those who think so much of what the Holy Spirit can teach them often think so little of what the Holy Spirit has taught others.*

3. All I need is my Bible and the Holy Spirit.

This is really already addressed with the first two. God in his word tells us that there are other things we need. Yes, he is the provider of those things but that does not mean that we reject the way in which those needs are met. We need teachers, we need church elders to exercise church discipline (where has that gone these days?), we need others to spur us on to good deeds.

I find it a disturbing trend today that if there is an individual that uses a catechism, a confession, or the dreaded systematic theology that they are reduced to someone who is merely following the teachings of man, is a Pharisee, is legalistic, is lacking the Holy Spirit, or just doesn’t know their Bible. Or if there is an individual who thinks that we should be fruit inspectors and hold each other accountable to the truth of sound doctrinal teaching and thinks church discipline is a good thing, that the individual is just prideful, judgmental, and unloving.

This type of thinking within the Christian community is a scary thing. It is about feeling good and being comfortable. This is the heart of the culture but the Christian has learned to mask it in spirituality. The heart of the Gospel however is not all about feeling good or being comfortable. It is the truth of the depravity of man before a holy and just God. It is about the rescue and redemption of a people for God’s own glory, not our own. It is about being conformed to the matchless image of Christ; being disciplined, refined and molded and that is rarely a feel good and comfortable thing. This takes surrender, submission, humility, and God-ordained teachers.