A Question on 1 Corinthians 14:26 and the Qualifications of a Teacher

Teaching in the Biblical sense denotes a degree of authority. This is more like interactive learning. It Is discussion, not formal teaching.

 

From one perspective all believers are called to teach, in the sense that we are all called to share Christ, and to teach men about Him. But teaching as a teacher is a gift from God, and one He develops, and I think based on the obedience of the believer to allow His to work in their/our lives. So not everyone is called to be a teacher in that sense.

"...a word of instruction" is not a bad translation, because in view is a revelation of truth, which again, is something that can be applied to everyone. Doesn't matter what level of growth or knowledge a believer is at, he/she can still open the understanding of another believer on a subject. The above is specifically in a fellowship context, and Paul's point is that there not be disorder. The point being that we come together for the purpose of being edified. That the Church herself be edified. There is much rebuke in this chapter for the behavior of the Corinthians.

Depends on the fellowship. Some may only allow Elders to teach, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

But, the qualifications for being a teacher are not limited to what men decide, but what God decides. While the best way to learn is to teach, being a teacher, or taking the role of teacher is a serious matter, because teachers will be judged to a higher degree than those they teach (James 3:1).

I will say this, if you suspect God has called you to teach then you should be about the things which allow Him to groom you for that.

And guess what...that's what you are doing. Those who love the Word enough to spend time on a forum discussing and debating the Word of God, in my view, display evidence that their gifts are probably in areas dealing with the Word of God.

It is. There is no question.

When you assert "this is true" you are teaching. That applies to those who teach both sound and false doctrine, and both will be held to that higher degree of judgment, so as I said, it is not something to take lightly. And I do not view throwing in "IMHO" or "I don't want to sound dogmatic" as lessening the fact one is teaching. When a small child watches mom and dad smoke and grows up to smoke they have been "taught" by mom and dad, who had no explicit instruction for the child. So too, when we present Doctrinal matters in a public forum we are all...teaching.

So test it. And this is the best place to do so. Learning is accelerated tenfold over the average Christian's exposure to the Word of God, which is "here a little, there a little," lol. Meaning most people get a snippet every Sunday, a few more get more on Sunday night, and even fewer get more including Wednesday nights. But if you are driven to the Word of God apart from your fellowship experience, there's a good chance God is leading you in that desire to know more, and most likely He is readying you to be ready to give an answer to every man the reason of the hope that is within you.

So test it. Give it time. It may be He has called you to be an Evangelist. You won't know unless you exercise your senses, my friend.


God bless.

 

The one gifted to teach as a demand on them to model in practice what they are teaching.