The Need For The Teacher

 The ministry gift of the teacher is probably undervalued in the Kingdom of God.  In the contemporary church we magnify, almost glorify other spiritual gifts more.  We hold entire conferences around apostles and prophets.  If a person is truly gifted as an evangelist, their calendar is always full.  Yet, the teacher often remains in relative obscurity.  Some connect the teacher with the pastor and they only see 4 ascension gifts as apostle, prophet, evangelist and pastor/teacher.  Certainly a pastor must be a teacher because most of their job involves teaching in the pulpit and one on one.  However, not all teachers are pastors.  The teacher who is not a pastor may be the loneliest of all.  They are often relegated to occasional opportunities to teach Sunday School or possibly now and then in a home group.  Yet, they are store houses of information and life giving impartation.  When we think of discipleship, and we need to think about it daily, we must see the need for the teacher in the process of making disciples. Paul wrote to Timothy and said in 2 
Timothy 2:2, "2And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."  Paul was obviously teaching people principles that he called upon to teach others who might teach others also.  As a matter of fact it seems to me that there is a mandate that those we choose to teach must agree that they are going to teach those learned truths to others.  Let me share a very interesting insight from  the New Living Translation regarding Titus 1:1-2. 
 1"This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. 2This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began. 
I love this translation.  Paul says first that he was called by God to "teach" them to know the truth that shows them how to live Godly lives".  Teaching Bible Truth to teach them how to live Godly lives.  Nice lessons from natural experience or practical methods of life may all be good.  However, it is only the living TRUTH of the Word of God that will enable those who hear it and apply it to "live Godly lives".  
It also, more than teaching them "how" to live Godly lives, gives them an internal HOPE or CONFIDENCE that they are saved and have eternal life.  That is a mooring of steadfastness.  Teachers who are allowed to teach the principles of TRUTH from Scripture impact the hearers by teaching them how to live the Christian life as God intends and also reinforces their very foundation of knowing they are saved!
May we rethink the value and place of the gifted and called teachers among us and work to make a place for them at the table.