A Few Thoughts Regarding the Teacher
by Vin Santanelli
What tongues were to the Corinthians, teaching has become to the modern church - particularly in the West where popular personalities are very important. This shows a low state of things. Like Corinth, many are captivated by the gift itself more than the Giver of the gift - Christ. People say, "I go to this church because so-and-so teaches there and I like his way of preaching."
And is this not what we have today? Saints determine their fellowship upon the basis of "teachers they really like," rather than gathering unto the name of Christ with those who call upon the name of the Lord out of a pure heart. (Mt. 18:20; 2 Tim. 2:22) The Scripture foresees this error, for "according to their own lusts will heap to themselves teachers..." (2 Tim. 4:3) It is a very dangerous thing for a saint to gather in a particular group because the style of a preacher suits his own tastes. The Spirit of God marks this type of attitude as characteristic of apostate times.
Now we are not saying that the desire for teachers is wrong, for Paul wanted the saints to "desire prophecy." (1 Cor. 14:39) But teaching and ministry in the early church was not to attract to man, but God. Though one may plant and another watered, it was "God who causes the increase." (1 Cor. 3:7) Nor was teaching the responsibility of a cleric or "Minister" but rather "two or three..." or one led of the Spirit according to his gift. (1 Cor.14:27; 1 Cor.12) In this way, all did not depend on a man, but the Spirit who spoke through "whomever He will." (1 Cor. 12:11) And the Spirit always engages others with the glory of Christ, not His servants. (Jn. 16:14) So God and His Spirit, not man, are everything - "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts." (Zech. 4:6)
Now a teacher who is truly aware of God's greatness as seen in Christ (an awareness gained in personal communion with the Lord) will speak in such a way so as to direct his listeners to behold Him and His glory, leaving them independent of himself and more dependant upon Christ.
We can illustrate this by examining the woman of Samaria in John 4.
Having spent time with Jesus, the woman acknowledges Him as a "prophet" and she is right. (Jn 4:19) Like a prophet, He speaks the right word for the moment. "As apples of gold in pictures of silver, is a word spoken in season." (Pr. 25:11) Indeed, He speaks a "word in season" to her. But she also learns that He is more than a prophet - He is also the Messiah.
How did she learn these glories? It was by spending time with him. This is communion. The more we commune with the Lord, the more we behold His glory in His Word, then the more effective will be our ministry.
It is only upon our knees that we can truly learn aright. As one has said somewhere, "We must learn as worshippers." The psalmist says, "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh languished for thee, in a dry and weary land without water: To see thy power and thy glory, as I have beheld thee in the sanctuary..." (Ps. 63:1-2) It is in the sanctuary, the place of holy communion, (not in the classroom) where we behold His glory. Reader, if you attempt to minister to others, but have not beheld his "power and glory in the sanctuary," what have you to offer of real spiritual value?
Indeed, the Samaritan woman had something to offer, after learning some of His glories. She runs back and tells others "Come, see a man who told me all things I had ever done: Is not he the Christ?" She does not say, "Come to me and listen," but "Come, see a man." She does not fully enter into all that He is, for He is "a man," not "the Man." But she has learned something of His glory as being a prophet, as possessing unique knowledge and as being the Messiah. And what she gained was enough to thrill her soul and cause her to bring others to Him.
Now the servant should always engages others with Christ, even if he possesses limited knowledge of His Person. Even the most advanced saint will always possess a limited knowledge of the Christ because, in the end, "no man knows the Son except the Father." (Mt. 11:27) The Father alone knows the Son perfectly and fully. But any right knowledge of Christ that a saint gains in communion can be used, for God will bless it. And when the servant's words magnify an aspect of His glory that has been learned personally, then others will be engaged with Him - this is God's blessing. After all, the woman learned His glory firsthand, for He was One who told her "all things I had done." This is an essential glory our Lord possessed as Son - omniscience. What a glimmer of His glory she beheld! What an effect it had on others!
And what happens? What is the effect of her testimony? Men come to Him and compel Him to abide with them. Their hearts hunger after Him and He abides with them for two days! What a beautiful scene. They abide with Christ, not with a creed or a denomination or a doctrine, or a teacher, but Himself! But this is not all.
When one is "looking on the glory of the Lord" in God's Word and is "transformed according to the same image from glory to glory" through the Spirit's ministry (2 Cor. 3:18), then such glory will radiate towards others in his ministry. Like the unveiled face of Moses, others will see the effect of real communion on a man and desire the same for themselves. But not only will men be drawn to His glory, they will also find that His glory meets their needs. They will learn that the same Christ who put the truth in the mouth of the teacher can put the truth in their own hearts Himself. And this will bring the kind of spiritual stability and confidence in Christ that, in the end, leaves others less dependant on man and more dependant on Christ.
Notice how the people respond, having listened to the woman and gone to Christ: "It is no longer on account of thy saying that we believe,
God does not want his children to rely on His servants, but Himself. The servant is to point the way, but only Christ Himself is "the Way..." (Jn. 14:6) The teacher himself must realize this and resist systems that would cause others to rely more on him than Christ and His Spirit.
In the end, when the Samarian people had been brought to Christ, they leaned no longer upon the words of the woman, for they had got Christ for themselves. They learn that He is "the Savior of the world" from personal experience. (Jn 4:42) They behold His glory as Savior! The Samaritan woman is, thus, removed and replaced by Another.
Such is the effect of true ministry and teaching - to leave saints dependant on Christ, beholding His glory and finding the answer to their needs in Him.
This blessed removing will not threaten the true teacher. Though others may say to him that people are becoming less dependant on his voice, this will not matter. If they are depending more on the voice of Christ, then that is enough. Such a one can say along with the John the Baptist:
"He that has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices in heart because of the voice of the bridegroom: this my joy then is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." (Jn 3:29-30)
No doubt John was "a voice," (Jn. 1:23; no article in the Greek) but only Christ was "the voice." (Jn. 3:29) He admits this, sinks into the background and it is enough.