The teacher is the last of the five equipping ministries listed in Ephesians 4:11, but it is foundational for all of the other ministries. To equip others will require teaching as well as training and impartation. However, the teaching ministry is one that focuses on imparting the knowledge of God’s ways, especially as revealed through the Scriptures, by the Spirit.

As with the ministry of the pastor, we do not have a New Testament example of one who was exclusively a teacher, though we have in Acts 13:1 a list of five men who were “prophets and teachers.” Obviously some of these were prophets and some were teachers, but we do not know which ones were which. Even so this brings us to an important point. It was when the prophets and teachers were worshiping the Lord together that apostolic ministries were birthed. It is the special joining of these two ministries today that is especially needed in order to release true apostolic ministry again.

Teachers will tend to be practical while prophets may deal more in the area of vision—where we need to be rather than how to get there. When these two ministries work together they will almost always make a dynamic and powerful team that can accomplish great things. When they operate separately both cannot only be ineffective, but destructive. Teachers without the influence of prophets will often be so practical that the people may have sound doctrine, but lack the fire and vision that forward progress always requires. Prophets without the influence of teachers can have everybody fired up but not knowing what to do.

All of these equipping ministries are designed to function as a team, and as a team they will be the most dynamic and powerful leadership force on earth. As individuals they can all accomplish some things, but far less than what can be done when working together. We should also note that when acting as a team it does not mean that they need to be together all of the time. In the New Testament we see how some would go to a city to plant or minister to a church, and then another group would come later to follow up the work. As Paul related, in this way some planted, another group watered, but God gave the increase.

Now back to the specific function of the teacher. The heart and soul of the teaching ministry is a love for the truth. This love will always compel one to search the Scriptures, which are the foundation of all truth. I Corinthians 2:10 reveals an important point about the teacher: “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” It is the Spirit that compels us to search the depths of God and it is also the Spirit that must reveal them. For this reason the teacher must be as sensitive to the Spirit as any other ministry. Hermeneutics and other systems of study can be helpful guidelines, but if we begin to rely on them in place of the Spirit we will be deceived. The spiritual truth of God cannot be found scientifically, but must be revealed by the Spirit of truth. This is one of the primary reasons for which the Spirit was given, to lead us into all truth.

For the teacher to equip the saints, more is required than just imparting knowledge. The main job of the teacher is to impart a love for the truth. This will compel the saints to dig their own wells, which is essential for true faith. No one will get into the kingdom because they know someone who knows the Lord; we all must know Him for ourselves. We all must know the truth for ourselves. The true teacher imparts such a love of the knowledge of God’s ways that those who hear are drawn to the Word themselves.