I recently heard that teachers are no longer necessary—only elders and evangelists—and that teaching was a first-century miraculous gift. Their purpose was to write down the NT, and this function expired with all the miraculous gifts. What do you say?
Perhaps this is because in Eph 4:11 one phrase may be translated “teaching shepherds” (the elders do the teaching), or because 1 Cor 14:28 groups teachers with apostles and prophets (in a list of predominantly supernatural gifts). Maybe so.
This seems to be an effort to minimize or even silence dissent—and those who may see what others may not. I have never encountered a serious scholar who denied the need for teachers, or who limited the teaching gift to evangelists or elders. I do agree that the elders are ideally the principal teachers, just as evangelists are church planters. But to deny non-elder, non-church-planters a place to teach seems to me unwise, and perhaps even dangerous.
(Moreover, the evidence of church history does not show miraculous activity abating after the apostolic age. This is a different topic, which I've touched on in the 2024 series on Early Christian Writings.)
Just to be clear, no, I don’t believe I or my teacher friends are miraculously inspired. In fact, we all make mistakes (James 3:1-2). And for this reason we need your prayers as we minister around the world.
