DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TEACHER AND A THEOLOGIAN
The Bible
mentions the ministry of ‘Teacher’ among other four, which the Christian church
has been given “for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to
the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians
4:11-13).
Whether we believe
or not in the currency of these five ministries, the fact is that the office of
Teacher has always existed, and has been the main responsible for the
continuation of the doctrinal component of Judaism and Christianity through the
ages.
Even though
these days, and for quite some time this labor is called ‘Theology’ and the
ones who practice it are called ‘Theologians’, the purpose remains the same,
the safe keeping, passing on, and explanation of the doctrinal deposit of the
faith to the whole universal church.
As modernity
came on, general instruction on Theological studies has been extended as a free
course, and included as central topic in the curriculum of all pastoral academic
instruction across all denominations.
However, the
concept that this is a divine gift and not a learned discipline has been left
behind, and specially darkened by the new ‘theologians’ with modern and liberal
academic instruction, presenting thus, theological knowledge as a human born
discipline.
According to the
Bible though, the office of Teacher or Didaskalos (Διδασκάλους), is an office
of instruction, which includes the preservation, passing on to the next
generation safe guarded the doctrine received, and the explanation of this
doctrinal contain to the whole Christian community all over the planet.
The Bible calls this
office to have been ‘given’ or ‘bestowed’ by divine will, which makes it a ‘gift’
(Ephesians 4:11). And if it is a gift, granted to the universal Church with a
specific purpose, it is assumed that this gift grants a special talent to the
recipient to make him understand the sense of Scripture, or discern the real
intention behind the revealed sentences.
But these things
cannot be learned.
It would be the
same as to say that a painting academy can make a painter.
Painting is also
a gift, which God has granted to some and not everyone.
Natural painters,
like Davinci, Michael Angelo or Monet, are born with the manual flexibility and
ability to see and catch forms, curves and balance, and can paint naturally
even before receiving any formal instruction, or know anything academic about
painting. The same with natural novelists, who can write marvelously even
without knowing anything about grammar. The same things happen with Teachers or
Theologians.
A Christian not
called to be a Teacher can go to study Theology, and learn about History,
Theological currents, become familiar with theological concepts, and also
become well verse by reading all other theologians in existence, but his
knowledge will remain totally human made, unable to think for himself/herself,
submitted always to the analysis of others. He may even be able to build complex
theological arguments, based on an overall analysis of other theologian’s
ideas, but always will be afraid to dig deeper by himself of what has been
already been explained in books and academic instruction.
A gifted
Teacher, on the contrary, will feel attraction for theology and spiritual gnosis
from as soon as he gets to know the Scriptures, and be able to see, distinguish
and understand concepts and motives behind the Scripture, and even memorize entire
sections of the Bible. All without receiving any formal instruction on theology
and from early age.
After receiving
formal academic instruction, a Teacher will learn exactly all the human
knowledge another student does, but will see things pass beyond the books to
the point to give without fear his own opinion, well and solidly based, and
even contradict other made theologians, to the horror and surprise of other
non-gifted believers. They also will write or speak about issues that when read
or listened by others, they would be unable to be understood, very much like a
common man does not understand a Picasso or a Dali’s.
Today, the Church
is at the mercy of all winds, some from God, and some not. And there are not
even true Christians in charge of her theology like William Hamilton, Paul Van
Buren or Paul Wallis; but God also has his own divinely ordained Teachers in the
world, who from their corners, either officially acknowledged or not, preserve,
pass on and explain the deposit of the faith to the whole Church of Christ,
because God will never be displaced from his own creation.
Omar Flores.
Comments
Post a Comment