The Office of Teacher

[Travis Fentiman]

Have you ever studied whether there is an Office of Teacher (Doctor) in the NT Church? Here is an introduction to the topic, which advocates the view of the Westminster Assembly, and basically all the reformation and puritan churches. All thoughts are welcome.


Introduction to the Biblical Office of Teacher | Reformed Books Online

 

[Cymro]

An interesting view Travis, and one that has exercised me for years after reading
Peter Toon's paperback, The Pilgroms Faith. It seems the Pilgrim Fathers practiced
the distinction of Pastor and Teacher, even before they left for the new world. "From
each congregation there would be appointed a Pastor, a Teacher,elders and deacons."
Also "The Mayflower Pilgrims & their Pastor," by David Fountain, states,"they had in Asterdam
for their Pastor and Teacher those two eminent men before named, and in our time four grave men for ruling elders, and three able and gladly men."
Their services would have an exposition of scripture for one hour(presumably by the teacher), and practical
application by the Pastor for another hour. There would follow congregational participation with questions or comments.

 

[Cymro]

Omission.--- three able and godly men as deacons.

 

[uberkermit]

Have you ever studied whether there is an Office of Teacher (Doctor) in the NT Church? Here is an introduction to the topic, which advocates the view of the Westminster Assembly, and basically all the reformation and puritan churches. All thoughts are welcome.


Introduction to the Biblical Office of Teacher | Reformed Books Online

This is not related to the article itself, but to your site. I like the fact that you are including (linked) scripture references. Have you considered using a feature like Reftagger, whereby the Bible text is displayed when the reader hovers over it? As an analogy, I would liken using Reftagger to using a Reader's Greek New Testament. It saves time.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

I apologize that I don't have time to read the article; but below is from the preface by Rowland Ward for the forthcoming NP edition of the Westminster Assembly's Grand Debate (the documents that were a back and forth debate between the Independents and the Presbyterian majority).
On 14 November a report from the Scots’ commissioners was introduced, and the following day Henderson addressed the Assembly on the Scottish contention that there were four offices warranted from the New Testament: pastors, teachers (or doctors), ruling elders and deacons. He was the first of the Scots’ commissioners to speak in the Assembly. The Scots argued that the pastor and the doctor were separate offices. The latter was for teachers of theology and the Scots would have been happy to add catechists to their number. The Independents argued that every church should have both a pastor and a teacher, while Stephen Marshall and those English of Presbyterian leanings were not convinced that Scripture taught an office of teacher (doctor) distinct from that of pastor. However, on 21 November the matter was settled with agreement on six propositions:
1. That there be different gifts, and different exercises, according to the difference of those gifts in the ministers.
2. Those different gifts may be in and exercised by one and the same minister.
3. Where there be several ministers in the same congregation, they may be designed to several employments [ie. assigned to different tasks].
4. He that doth more excel in exposition, doctrine, and convincing them by application, and accordingly employed therein, may be called teacher or doctor.
5. A teacher or doctor is of excellent use in schools or universities.
6. Where there is but one minister in a particular congregation, he is to perform, so far as he is able, the whole work of the ministry.[1]

The debate had shown that while some considered there was a divine right for a distinct office of doctor, there was no consensus, while the Scots acknowledged the office of pastor and doctor was in essence one.[2] Baillie was happy that the absolute necessity of a teacher (doctor) in every congregation and the divine institution of this office were in formal terms in this way avoided.[3]

---

[1] Lightfoot, 58. The grammatical construction of Ephesians 4:11 has led some to the view that one ministry of pastor-teacher is being described, others that the functions were not always exercised by the same people. Thus A. T. Lincoln, Word Biblical Commentary on Ephesians (Dallas: Word Books, 1990) 251: “It is more likely that they were overlapping functions, but that while almost all pastors were also teachers, not all teachers were also pastors…. The one definite article is therefore best taken as suggesting this close association of functions between two types of ministers who both operate within the local congregation.”

[2] Lightfoot, 43.

[3] Robert Baillie, Letters and Journals, 2.110.

 

[Jake]

I'd be interested to hear more about what Mr. O'Neil was referring to. I have never heard of the teacher functioning as such, with two men doing the sermon.

 

[Travis Fentiman]

Have you considered using a feature like Reftagger, whereby the Bible text is displayed when the reader hovers over it? As an analogy, I would liken using Reftagger to using a Reader's Greek New Testament. It saves time.

Thank you very much Uberkermit! I will look into it. Hopefully it is something I can use easily.

 

[Travis Fentiman]

I like the fact that you are including (linked) scripture references. Have you considered using a feature like Reftagger, whereby the Bible text is displayed when the reader hovers over it? As an analogy, I would liken using Reftagger to using a Reader's Greek New Testament. It saves time.

Uberkermit, unfortunately I found out that while one can use Reftagger on Wordpress.org blogs, one cannot use it on their .com variety such as my website. I am not entirely sure why, other than it is a different set up.

If anyone else knows a way to get bible verses to appear when one hovers over the reference, please let me know.

 

[SolaScriptura]

I like the fact that you are including (linked) scripture references. Have you considered using a feature like Reftagger, whereby the Bible text is displayed when the reader hovers over it? As an analogy, I would liken using Reftagger to using a Reader's Greek New Testament. It saves time.

Uberkermit, unfortunately I found out that while one can use Reftagger on Wordpress.org blogs, one cannot use it on their .com variety such as my website. I am not entirely sure why, other than it is a different set up.

If anyone else knows a way to get bible verses to appear when one hovers over the reference, please let me know.

I have a .com website... and I use reftagger.

 

[One Little Nail]

That there ought to be a seperate Office of Teacher?

Likewise found that Gillespie in his An assertion of the Government of the Church of Scotland says in Ch 2 speaks even of 4 Offices;

" But they differ, in that the pastor laboureth in the word of exhortation, that is, by the gift of wisdom applieth the word to the manners of his flock, and that in season and out of season, as he knoweth their particular cases to require. The doctor laboureth in the word of doctrine, that is, without such applications as the pastor useth; by simple teaching he preserveth the truth and sound interpretation of the Scriptures, against all heresy and error. The ruling elder doth neither of these, but laboureth in the government and policy of the church only. The Apostle hath distinguished these three sorts of elders, 1 Tim. 5.17, "Let elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." Where, as Beza noteth, he distinguished the word, which is the pastor's part, from doctrine, which is the doctor's part. Even as Rom. 12.7,8, he distinguisheth teaching from exhortation; and 1 Cor. 12.8, putteth "the word of wisdom," and "the word of knowledge," for two different things. Now, besides those elders which labour in the word, and those which labour in doctrine, Paul speaketh to Timothy of a third sort of elders, which labour neither in the word nor doctrine, but in ruling well. Hence it appeareth how truly the Book of Policy, cap. 2, saith, That there are four ordinary, perpetual, and necessary offices in the church, the office of the pastor, the doctor, the elder, and the deacon; and that no other office, which is not one of these four, ought to be received, or suffered in the church."

 

[Pilgrim]

Ben, yours is WordPress.org (assuming you refer to the Ben Addiction) as most if not all self-hosted blogs are. (Click "Powered by WordPress and see where it directs you.") Blogs with a wordpress.com domain are hosted by WordPress and are prohibited from using reftagger for some reason. I haven't blogged much in recent years and haven't kept up with any possible changes they may have made. But the last I knew, WordPress.com is also touchy about affiliate links, (such as Amazon) only allowing one per post.

 

[One Little Nail]

The Apostle hath distinguished these three sorts of elders, 1 Tim. 5.17, "Let elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." Where, as Beza noteth, he distinguished the word, which is the pastor's part, from doctrine, which is the doctor's part.

This was taken from the Gillespie quote that appeared in Post # 10, I would have thought that Paul's reference to
" labour in the word and doctrine " would have meant that those who labour in the word were those who were occupied in
the exposition of the Scriptures in the Classically Reformed way of verse by verse, while those who were labouring in
doctrine were they who presented Bible Doctrines in a Topical manner, though I do not know whether these are to be
differentiated between a Pastor or Teacher as Beza mentions.

 

[whirlingmerc]

In the case of the book of Colossians, Paul near the beginning says how he teaches with all wisdom but near the middle says you (plural) teach each other in all wisdom, so in some sense the whole church teaches each other. That said, I think there is an increase in intensity of teaching, pastor being a shepherd term, elders , BTW typically in the plural in the NT, also being shepherds and how can you shepherd apart from the word. I believe the word pastor only appears once in the New Testament, shepherd many times Clearly there is a gift of teaching, but there's a gift of mercy and everyone needs to be merciful but some are especially so. Everyone in the church is an object lesson of truth one way or another. Some prolific talented commentators, like Gene Getz in measure of a man, say an elder may be teachable and not a teacher, but it's probably more true to say an elder should be both teachable and a teacher in my opinion.

The term translated pastors appears once in the New Testament. ESV translates it as shepherds. There is an issue whether the phrase is pastor and teachers meant to mean a special group who is both shepherds and teachers and some just shepherds but I don't see how you can shepherd apart form the word of God which makes one a type of a teacher.

Ephesians 4:11English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
Ephesians 4:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, NIV
Ephesians 4:11Common English Bible (CEB) 11 He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.

Elders appears many many times in the NT in contrast to the word sometimes translated Pastor appearing once.

In the PCA all elders are given titles elder, pastor, teacher, bishop and presbyter in the BOC on the elder (office of elder in the singular precluding only giving those titles to special elders) .... he [the elder, any elder] expounds the Word, and by sound doctrine both exhorts and convinces the gainsayer, he is termed teacher... They should instruct the ignorant, ....


PCA articulation
BOC The elder
8-1. This office is one of dignity and usefulness. The man who fills it has in Scripture different titles expressive of his various duties. As he has the oversight of the flock of Christ, he is termed bishop or pastor. As it is his duty to be grave and prudent, an example to the flock, and to govern well in the house and Kingdom of Christ, he is termed presbyter or elder. As he expounds the Word, and by sound doctrine both exhorts and convinces the gainsayer, he is termed teacher. These titles do not indicate different grades of office, but all describe one and the same office.
http://www.valleypresbyterian.org/elders/boco_chapters_1-20.htm#CHAPTER 8

then some discussion of Teaching elders as a specially gifted and normative preaching group and circling back to ruling elders
I think in the PCA a teaching elder is the only one authorized to serve communion or give a benediction, blessing, a pastor of word and sacrement

8-9. Elders being of one class of office, ruling elders possess the same authority and eligibility to office in the courts of the church as teaching elders. They [the ruling elders] should, moreover, cultivate zealously their own aptness to teach the Bible and should improve every opportunity of doing so.