Teaching: Spiritual Gift Series

   Teaching is the next spiritual gift we find in the Romans 12 passage. Some examples of teachers in the Bible were Paul, Elijah, and Jesus. It is also a gift that is very near and dear to my heart as I went to school to be a teacher. 

   In the context of the passages we find the spiritual gift lists, teaching and preaching are in essence the same. Those who have the teaching spiritual gift learn the word of God. They know it and understand it enough to be able to explain it to others. It seems like it wouldn't be that difficult to do, but teachers need to take the knowledge and explain it in a way that not only do students understand the material, but they also remember it. 

   There's a quote that my parents introduced to me on a magnet they got me which says, "I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you." The Bible is more than just facts. Yes, those are in there. But if all we do is memorize the Bible without understanding it or letting it change us we miss getting to know God. While it's true that we will never completely be able to understand all of God, that shouldn't stop us from getting to know him. It shouldn't stop us from wanting to grow in our relationship with him. To do that, we need to know more than just facts. We need to understand the word and apply it to our lives.

   That's where teachers come in. There have been many times I read something in the Bible that I don't quite understand or know why it is in there. That's when I draw on the knowledge of others by either asking someone I know or by looking on the Internet for a website that can explain it better. The people who write those articles, or answer the questions I have, that help me are teachers. They understood the word and explained it to me. 

   This is why the gift of teaching is so important. When we don't have the answers, we have someone we can turn to. Yes, we can always go to God with our questions; but it's also nice to know there are people out there smarter than us, or more experienced, who can explain things we don't understand.

   So, do you know anyone who has the gift of teaching? How can you understand God better?