Too Cool For School?

…the anointing … abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you
(1 John 2:27 – ESV)

Teaching – Christ in us does not mean that we don’t need teachers. It is a self-refuting thing to declare that we don’t need teachers. Think about it: Isn’t the person who might say this trying to “teach” others this idea? Those type of statements do not align themselves with the whole counsel of God, for example Ephesians 4:11-12 / 1 Timothy 3:2 / 2 Timothy 2:2 / Titus 1:9 and so forth. We do need teachers, what we don’t need are spiritual goons who tell us that we don’t because we all have some special power, or spiritual gurus who tell us that they are the one with some special power. Using 1 John 2:27, John 14:26 and the like to say that you don’t need a teacher only proves that you do need one.

In this verse the Apostle John was condemning the notion of spiritual gurus, the agents of a mystical elite society, namely the gnostics. He was saying that scripture is perspicuous, or clearly presented and able to be understood. He was not saying that we don’t need teachers at all. He was a teacher himself. Truly the perspicuity of scripture is an important doctrine, but it doesn’t preclude being taught in the Word. It means that we don’t need to have enlightened masters to initiate us into secret truths. We just need to learn to interpret the Bible like anyone and everyone else can and should. The Bible isn’t a secret code for the swami’s to solve.

We must all start out as students, and students are not scholars, and even scholars learn and glean from others. When we talk of the doctrine of the perspicuity of scripture it means that we can understand the most basic and fundamental truths about salvation and such, not that we can all have an easy handle on all things. And so we do need teachers. You don’t have to have a PhD to study and learn and know the Bible, but a teacher can help you understand it more fully.

The reason we use terms in Latin like “sola scriptura” and “ordo salutis” and the like, or phrases or big words that may not be initially understood is that they communicate concepts. They help us to communicate without having to necessarily go over previously understood territory, which would only be a waste of time. They convey in a few words a whole lot of agreed on information, therefore we can discuss things without having to go over material that is already understood. Otherwise we would have to restate all of what is included in every instance in order to communicate the same idea that we want to get to. It helps get to the source of the discourse. When we say “justification”, for instance, we are using that word, a biblical word, to talk of right standing with God, how that is achieved, what it leads to, and so on.

By using the acronym TULIP, for example, it is understood by those whom can dialogue about such matters that it is a whole system of doctrine, and we can then go about and talk about its implications without having to go over exactly what it all means first, we can move on. It is the nomenclature, the vernacular, it is the “trade specific” language used by those in theological discussion. Liken this to an electrician, or plumber, or others who do the same things. Imagine if a team of builders had to explain all of the catch phrases to each other every time, that structure would never get finished!

You can say, “I don’t need teachers, I just need Jesus”. Well friend, Jesus is the one who gave us teachers (Ephesians 4:7-16) so that we may grow up in Him. Do you want that Jesus?

Hopefully after using many words to say it we can see why this one phrase is important:

We do need teachers.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©