Page 36 - Teaching Principles and Methods Student Textbook short

The Spiritual Gift of Teaching

The spiritual gift of teaching is recorded in three main passages of Scripture: Ephesians
4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Romans 12:7. It is listed among other special gifts of the Holy
Spirit which are given believers to “super charge” them with a special ability in the gift
area. The purpose of these special gifts is to use them to edify the rest of the saints in
the assembly.

The Greek word for those with the spiritual gift of teaching is didaskalos. From the root
of this word we get our English word, “didactic.” The word didasko means to teach,
instruct, instill doctrine, explain, and expound. Those with the spiritual gift of teaching love to study the
Word of God for extended periods of time. They consume the Scriptures as food for their hearts, souls
and minds with the expressed purpose of knowing Him and then making Him known to others. They
want to know what God has revealed of Himself and what He requires of us as people created in His
image. They take great joy and satisfaction in seeing others learn and apply the truth of God’s Word to
their lives. They love to see how the Gospel is woven throughout the Scriptures and how it glorifies and
magnifies Jesus Christ in the hearts and lives of those who love Him by grace.

The Holy Spirit gives certain people the spiritual gift of teaching so that they would help the church fulfill
her ministry as “a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Without this gift, the church would
quickly fall into error and sin. Teachers are there to make sure that doesn’t happen. They hate when
Scripture is abused and used out of context or with ill intent. They love the truth and speak the truth in
love. They will never hide or withhold it. On the contrary, they desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus
who taught in the synagogues and in the Temple as well as anywhere the people were gathered. They
are called to demonstrate God’s love while revealing His truth to the world without fear. The effect of
their ministry is the upholding of God’s Word and the growth and maturity of His Bride until the day of
His return.

So you see, those believers given this special gift are important to the church, because they are more or
less “watch dogs” against error being introduced into the body of believers. It’s not that they are the
best teachers in the church, but that they have a special gift of insight that others may not have.

How can you know you have this special gift? It’s really quite simple. The person with this gift really
enjoys studying God’s Word and defending truth. In fact, they thrive on the study of the Bible. They
are also very effective in sharing the truths they discover and relish the results in people who respond
and apply these truths in their lives. In other words, believers with this gift receive very positive
feedback from exercising their gift.

To find out if you have this gift, try teaching. If you enjoy preparation, are able to give dynamic
presentations, and obtain very positive feedback from your students, you probably have this gift. But if
studying is a chore, you present the information, and the results are lack luster at best, you probably
don’t have this spiritual gift. But remember, there are other important gifts of the Spirit which are
equally important, and you may have to learn that your spiritual gift is NOT teaching.

Does this mean you should not teach if you do not have this gift?

The answer is emphatically NO. And the reason is that everyone has been commanded to teach,
spiritual gift or not. Did you know that even if a person has the spiritual gift of teaching, that person still

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