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"You have no need for anyone to teach you," John writes, since "His anointing teaches you about all things." Whatever this means, it certainly doesn't mean that Christians don't need any teachers. That would make John's statement contradictory, since he's teaching his readers they don't need teachers.
Besides, the New Testament makes it clear that teachers are essential to the church. Paul mentions teaching as a gift of the Spirit, and in Ephesians he reiterates that when Christ ascended He gave "teachers" to the church, as well as apostles, prophets, and evangelists.
Some Christians have taken John's statement out of this context, and concluded they don’t need any human guidance or instruction. Even Christians who don’t renounce teachers in principle act as if they don't need any help, as if they can survive and flourish in the Christian life without instruction from anyone.
The rebellious child who refuses to listen to his parents; the husband who won't take counsel about how to deal with a troubled marriage; the young man with credit card debt who keeps trying to solve the problem without getting help: Refusal to hear instruction is not a sign of spirituality but a sign of arrogance, and a sure prescription for failure. Teachers are God's gift to the church; we can’t prosper if we are contemptuous of God's gifts.
The Spirit is the ultimate teacher who leads us into all truth. But the Spirit works through men, and God has determined to proclaim His gospel through men. Refusing to listen to the teachers whom the Lord gives is not spirituality; it's the opposite of spirituality because it grieves the Spirit.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Sunday, November 05, 2006 at 08:35 AM
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