Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 10.08.2011
Only Jesus Christ is the Teacher of believers
There is only one Teacher in the Church of God, Jesus Christ. However the position of a servant exists which is for the apostolic teaching ordered by Jesus.
One is your Teacher
"But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren." Mt 23:8 There is only one Teacher in the Church of God, Jesus Christ. However a teacher position exists that is a spiritual position of the servant. "And He Himself gave... some pastors and teachers." Eph.4:11 So there are teachers who are not Teachers. At some moment the Spirit of God anoints a believer for this task of a servant.
This position defined by Jesus is not according to man. There is a teacher who is not allowed to be called himself a teacher. In this way Jesus states that nobody is allowed to teach in the Church of God by his own authority. Nobody should exalt himself above other believers and demand subjection to himself and his teachings. Jesus expresses this by saying "you are all brothers". He who serves as a teacher is only one of the brothers. He who teaches in the Spirit of God serves brotherly and doesn't demand that others honor him as the teacher who must be obeyed.
So Jesus reserves all rights of His teachings. Nobody has a permission to declare His teachings as his own and to take His place as the Teacher. A teaching brother should remind other believers of things which Jesus has commanded us to obey.
"But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren." Mt 23:8 There is only one Teacher in the Church of God, Jesus Christ. However a teacher position exists that is a spiritual position of the servant. "And He Himself gave... some pastors and teachers." Eph.4:11 So there are teachers who are not Teachers. At some moment the Spirit of God anoints a believer for this task of a servant.
This position defined by Jesus is not according to man. There is a teacher who is not allowed to be called himself a teacher. In this way Jesus states that nobody is allowed to teach in the Church of God by his own authority. Nobody should exalt himself above other believers and demand subjection to himself and his teachings. Jesus expresses this by saying "you are all brothers". He who serves as a teacher is only one of the brothers. He who teaches in the Spirit of God serves brotherly and doesn't demand that others honor him as the teacher who must be obeyed.
So Jesus reserves all rights of His teachings. Nobody has a permission to declare His teachings as his own and to take His place as the Teacher. A teaching brother should remind other believers of things which Jesus has commanded us to obey.
The aim of teaching
In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus gives the apostles three tasks:
1. "Make me disciples."
2. "Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
3. "Teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you."
On the day of Pentecost they put into practice these tasks. Peter preached the gospel of the crucified and risen Jesus. With the sermon of this word he made 3000 disciples for Jesus. They also baptized these who had "received his word." Act.2:41 They also taught the baptized ones, because about them are said that they "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine." Act.2:42
So we understand that teaching in the church of God aims at that those who came to faith would "observe all things that Jesus has commanded". The goal of the teaching of Jesus is to transform us into His likeness. So that we could change we must see all teachings fulfilled in Him. If we experience that a teaching is in Him and from Him, we also receive strength to live according to it. If we believe the same biblical truth because a "great" Christian teacher has said so, we don't receive power to live according to it.
Paul separated his own teaching from the teaching of Jesus. "To the rest I, not the Lord, say..." 1Co.7:12 "Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy." 1Co.7:25 We should not mix up the judgments of the trustworthy believers with the commandments of Jesus. We should give others our own practical exercises how to follow Jesus only as our own opinions.
In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus gives the apostles three tasks:
1. "Make me disciples."
2. "Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
3. "Teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you."
On the day of Pentecost they put into practice these tasks. Peter preached the gospel of the crucified and risen Jesus. With the sermon of this word he made 3000 disciples for Jesus. They also baptized these who had "received his word." Act.2:41 They also taught the baptized ones, because about them are said that they "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine." Act.2:42
So we understand that teaching in the church of God aims at that those who came to faith would "observe all things that Jesus has commanded". The goal of the teaching of Jesus is to transform us into His likeness. So that we could change we must see all teachings fulfilled in Him. If we experience that a teaching is in Him and from Him, we also receive strength to live according to it. If we believe the same biblical truth because a "great" Christian teacher has said so, we don't receive power to live according to it.
Paul separated his own teaching from the teaching of Jesus. "To the rest I, not the Lord, say..." 1Co.7:12 "Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy." 1Co.7:25 We should not mix up the judgments of the trustworthy believers with the commandments of Jesus. We should give others our own practical exercises how to follow Jesus only as our own opinions.
Words and deeds of a teacher
A teaching brother, who is offended by a commandment of Jesus, can therefore start to interpret it according to his own mind. In this way he stumbled on the stone of stumbling and will be broken. "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things." Jas.3:1-2 He means by stumbling that a believer lives against the commandments of Jesus. Therefore he stresses the importance of the daily life of a teacher. "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom." Jas.3:13
If someone teaches children of God "to observe all things that Jesus have commanded", he himself also must put them into practice. If he doesn't live according to his teachings, his preaching may become bitter and quarrelsome boasting. "But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth." Jas.3:14
The teaching of this kind of a person has the legalist spirit, because he has an unclean conscience that comes from his life he has not lived according to the teachings of Jesus. Unfortunately many of them while seeking release have turned towards a wrong direction. Instead of looking Jesus and receiving power to live according to His teachings, they have interpreted His commandments to set themselves and others free from obeying them.
No one of the believers live perfectly according to the teachings of Jesus. However those who love their Redeemer try to live by pleasing Him. If a teaching brother lose his love to God, he doesn't want any more to live according to the teachings of Jesus. Then he first becomes an austere preacher of doctrines and after it a genial man of grace who have a mercy on evilness. He says that he changed from a legalist to a merciful one.
A twister of the teachings of Jesus is in danger to commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In the past the Pharisees and scribes committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit when they made God's law, given through Moses, no effect through their traditions. They arranged Jesus to be crucified because He revealed their deception. Nowadays many crucify Jesus again by twisting His teachings so that they would not need to obey His commandments.
A teaching brother, who is offended by a commandment of Jesus, can therefore start to interpret it according to his own mind. In this way he stumbled on the stone of stumbling and will be broken. "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things." Jas.3:1-2 He means by stumbling that a believer lives against the commandments of Jesus. Therefore he stresses the importance of the daily life of a teacher. "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom." Jas.3:13
If someone teaches children of God "to observe all things that Jesus have commanded", he himself also must put them into practice. If he doesn't live according to his teachings, his preaching may become bitter and quarrelsome boasting. "But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth." Jas.3:14
The teaching of this kind of a person has the legalist spirit, because he has an unclean conscience that comes from his life he has not lived according to the teachings of Jesus. Unfortunately many of them while seeking release have turned towards a wrong direction. Instead of looking Jesus and receiving power to live according to His teachings, they have interpreted His commandments to set themselves and others free from obeying them.
No one of the believers live perfectly according to the teachings of Jesus. However those who love their Redeemer try to live by pleasing Him. If a teaching brother lose his love to God, he doesn't want any more to live according to the teachings of Jesus. Then he first becomes an austere preacher of doctrines and after it a genial man of grace who have a mercy on evilness. He says that he changed from a legalist to a merciful one.
A twister of the teachings of Jesus is in danger to commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In the past the Pharisees and scribes committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit when they made God's law, given through Moses, no effect through their traditions. They arranged Jesus to be crucified because He revealed their deception. Nowadays many crucify Jesus again by twisting His teachings so that they would not need to obey His commandments.
How it is taught
Spiritual teaching doesn't mean only delivering knowledge. At Corinth there were believers who had started to teach in the congregation on their earthly wisdom. Obviously they were wise and well educated men. Paul says to them: "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in his age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." 1Co.3:18 When teaching the commandments of Jesus it is not allowed to use human wisdom. It is so sad how much in Christianity there is used the foolishness of human wisdom!
Paul explains his capability to teach God's children in the third chapter of the second Corinthians. He compares his task with writing a letter. The hearts of listeners are as a paper and the Holy Spirit is as ink and the word of Jesus is a pen. He compares this event to the event when God wrote the commandments on the tablets of stone.
How did this ability work in his thoughts? "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit." 2Co.3:5-6 He looked at the glory of Jesus in his spirit and received words from the Holy Spirit for his teaching. God's glory changed him and his deeds and was powerful to do the same in the listener whose heart was open for the Holy Spirit.
It was not a matter of wise words but of heart changing words. "For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my WAYS in Christ, as I TEACH everywhere in every church." 1Co.4:17 Paul behaved in his daily life like Jesus. In this way God's power occurred in him and not only in teaching words. "The kingdom of God is not in word but in power." 1Co.4:20
Those who deny the power of godliness want to change the content of the teachings of Jesus. They nullify the commandments of Jesus by their interpretations of the Bible so that they could live according to their own mind. To learn these interpretations they study theology for many years in a university. Instead Jesus writes His teachings into the heart of His disciples in the school of the Holy Spirit.
Many who confess Christian faith have abandoned the commandments of Jesus and refused to receive the apostolic teaching. Only those who have been saved by grace of God can receive the commandments of Jesus. Others are not able to receive them.
Spiritual teaching doesn't mean only delivering knowledge. At Corinth there were believers who had started to teach in the congregation on their earthly wisdom. Obviously they were wise and well educated men. Paul says to them: "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in his age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." 1Co.3:18 When teaching the commandments of Jesus it is not allowed to use human wisdom. It is so sad how much in Christianity there is used the foolishness of human wisdom!
Paul explains his capability to teach God's children in the third chapter of the second Corinthians. He compares his task with writing a letter. The hearts of listeners are as a paper and the Holy Spirit is as ink and the word of Jesus is a pen. He compares this event to the event when God wrote the commandments on the tablets of stone.
How did this ability work in his thoughts? "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit." 2Co.3:5-6 He looked at the glory of Jesus in his spirit and received words from the Holy Spirit for his teaching. God's glory changed him and his deeds and was powerful to do the same in the listener whose heart was open for the Holy Spirit.
It was not a matter of wise words but of heart changing words. "For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my WAYS in Christ, as I TEACH everywhere in every church." 1Co.4:17 Paul behaved in his daily life like Jesus. In this way God's power occurred in him and not only in teaching words. "The kingdom of God is not in word but in power." 1Co.4:20
Those who deny the power of godliness want to change the content of the teachings of Jesus. They nullify the commandments of Jesus by their interpretations of the Bible so that they could live according to their own mind. To learn these interpretations they study theology for many years in a university. Instead Jesus writes His teachings into the heart of His disciples in the school of the Holy Spirit.
Many who confess Christian faith have abandoned the commandments of Jesus and refused to receive the apostolic teaching. Only those who have been saved by grace of God can receive the commandments of Jesus. Others are not able to receive them.
What is taught?
So does a list of the commandments exist that Jesus has given those who belong to Him? Yes! They can be read in the Bible and received from the Holy Spirit. "This is His COMMANDMENT: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment." 1 Jo.3:23 He gave us only one commandment that includes many commandments. "For you know what COMMANDMENTS we gave you through the Lord Jesus." 1 Th.4:2
In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave His apostles the teaching to which He refers in His Great Commission: "Teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you." From the letters of the apostles we can pick the same teachings that can be read in the Sermon on the Mount.
Paul is speaking about fulfilling the law of Christ. "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Ga.6:2 "To those who are without law, (I became) as without law, (though I am) not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ..." 1Co.9:21 So a believer is not without the law of God, though he is not under the law. The grace of the gospel doesn't set us under the law but it sets the law inside us.
When the Holy Spirit goes into the heart of a believer He takes the law with Him to there. Therefore in the heart of a believer there is already all the knowledge of what Jesus has commanded. John refers to that: "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him." 1 Jo.2:27
Thus also listeners must have the anointing and not only a teacher. John gave us a good point concerning this. "We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us." 1 Jo.4:6 Disobedience to the apostolic teaching proves that the heart of a listener is astray and without the anointing of Christ.
What then is the meaning of teaching if the believers without it know what Jesus expects from them? This word fits to this: "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Mt.26:41 The Holy Spirit speaks to the spirit of man but a teacher speaks the same in human terms. "I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh." Ro.6:19 Jesus wants to write His teachings on the tablet of our heart with His Spirit who already is ready in our heart. The Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit words of Jesus. When the same message comes to us also through man, it makes a stronger imprint in the tablet of our heart.
So does a list of the commandments exist that Jesus has given those who belong to Him? Yes! They can be read in the Bible and received from the Holy Spirit. "This is His COMMANDMENT: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment." 1 Jo.3:23 He gave us only one commandment that includes many commandments. "For you know what COMMANDMENTS we gave you through the Lord Jesus." 1 Th.4:2
In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave His apostles the teaching to which He refers in His Great Commission: "Teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you." From the letters of the apostles we can pick the same teachings that can be read in the Sermon on the Mount.
Paul is speaking about fulfilling the law of Christ. "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Ga.6:2 "To those who are without law, (I became) as without law, (though I am) not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ..." 1Co.9:21 So a believer is not without the law of God, though he is not under the law. The grace of the gospel doesn't set us under the law but it sets the law inside us.
When the Holy Spirit goes into the heart of a believer He takes the law with Him to there. Therefore in the heart of a believer there is already all the knowledge of what Jesus has commanded. John refers to that: "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him." 1 Jo.2:27
Thus also listeners must have the anointing and not only a teacher. John gave us a good point concerning this. "We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us." 1 Jo.4:6 Disobedience to the apostolic teaching proves that the heart of a listener is astray and without the anointing of Christ.
What then is the meaning of teaching if the believers without it know what Jesus expects from them? This word fits to this: "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Mt.26:41 The Holy Spirit speaks to the spirit of man but a teacher speaks the same in human terms. "I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh." Ro.6:19 Jesus wants to write His teachings on the tablet of our heart with His Spirit who already is ready in our heart. The Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit words of Jesus. When the same message comes to us also through man, it makes a stronger imprint in the tablet of our heart.
The place of the revelation of the commandment
Paul reveals us the place where God writes His commandments on the tablet of our heart. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2Co.3:18 Seeing the glory of Jesus changes us to His likeness. The glory of His face is the perfect law into which we should look. "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." Jas.1:25
The teachings of Jesus don't become clear to us only from the suffering face of the Savior on Golgotha but from His face of the Winner on the throne. I pray to God that He would enlighten the eyes of your understanding to se Jesus as exalted "far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named." Eph.1:21
If God's love in His sacrifice has overcome you, you have received grace to live according to the commandments of Jesus. Everyone who remains in the faith of the gospel will be overcome by the love of God. It is fruit of your salvation when you live according to the commandments of Jesus. Let God gather a great harvest from you!
Paul reveals us the place where God writes His commandments on the tablet of our heart. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2Co.3:18 Seeing the glory of Jesus changes us to His likeness. The glory of His face is the perfect law into which we should look. "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." Jas.1:25
The teachings of Jesus don't become clear to us only from the suffering face of the Savior on Golgotha but from His face of the Winner on the throne. I pray to God that He would enlighten the eyes of your understanding to se Jesus as exalted "far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named." Eph.1:21
If God's love in His sacrifice has overcome you, you have received grace to live according to the commandments of Jesus. Everyone who remains in the faith of the gospel will be overcome by the love of God. It is fruit of your salvation when you live according to the commandments of Jesus. Let God gather a great harvest from you!
The Bible version used in references is NKJV