Essential to the health of the church, teachers in the fivefold ministry outlined in Ephesians 4 have a specific contribution to the church by equipping the people of God to discover and understand the truth of God, and make it accessible to others. They help break confusion and misinformation, bringing clarity and practical application to all. In fact, author J.R. Woodward, in his book ‘Creating A Missional Culture’ refers to teachers in the fivefold ministry as ‘light givers.’
Typically, teachers have the following traits:
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- Curious to learn and understand
- Can explain complex ideas
- Able to communicate things in ways people understand
- Enjoy searching and researching
- Interested in particular topics not everyone will enjoy
- Logical and clear thinkers
- Always learning and hungry to grow
- Love sharing perspectives, opinions, and conclusions
- Frustrated when others don’t want to learn, or can’t see what is obvious to you
A church that lacks teachers or a teaching culture will see:
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- An environment that doesn’t discern or challenge error
- A lack of practical applying and outworking of scriptural principles
- The scriptures lacking illumination or relevancy in peoples minds
- Experience or passions becoming the reference point for peoples spiritual journeys
The heart of teachers in the fivefold ministry is that every person can know and understand God’s truth, and let it shape their thinking and living. The Bible can and should be understood by all, in such ways that people apply its timeless truths to their lives so they grow and develop.
Teachers will therefore ask the following questions of a church culture they are part of:
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- How can we spread the truth of God amongst the people?
- What would stir passion and curiosity for the scriptures?
- How can we help people understand how to respond and apply to the Bible?
- What fresh ways do we need to use to communicate complex or confusing topics?
- Are our innovations distracting us from ensuring people are well-taught?
I have developed a FiveFold Flow Assessment for you to discover which of the fivefold expressions you are strongest in. You can find out more HERE.
This post is part of a series looking at the fivefold ministry. You can see the other articles in this series here:
