“Ephesians 4” Call To Equip The Saints For The Work Of Service As A Teacher:
I believe the five fold passions and points of view are in every believer in Jesus Christ since the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ indwells them. So how do we allow the artesian well of the Holy Spirit to surface the teaching spirit that is in all believers? That is the calling of the five fold ministry of the Church.
If it weren’t for the teacher to teach and set a standard through the Logos Word, The Bible, there would be chaos and no foundation of one’s faith. How can we, the 21st century Church allow the creative teaching spirit to arise in believers, aiding, caring, developing, and then releasing him to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God?
I certainly don’t have all the answers, but encourage you to ask the creative Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ to give you “revelation” of who He is and how to show that to others. I only offer a few suggestions:
Be Grounded in the Logos Word: A five fold teacher must be Biblically based, a disciplined reader of the Bible, a hungry student of the Bible, and one willing to have the “revelation” of “truth”, a revelation of “Jesus Christ”, by the Holy Spirit who Jesus promised would teach you “all things.” Loving to memorize the Bible is an effective tool. “Knowing” in his “knower” that he “knows” that he “knows” the Word, the Bible, will allow him to quote scripture whenever needed.
Minister out of the Rhema Word: But working out of just knowing scripture will only bring “legalism,” making him a Pharisee, like Saul before he became Paul. A five fold teacher must Live the Logos Word, which I call the Rhema Word, the living out in practical daily life. Jesus wants us to not only be hearers of the Logos Word, but doers, of the Rhema Word. Jesus wants a “living gospel” with power from on high. Jesus “lived out” the gospel to a tee, fulfilling the Logos Word by being the Rhema Word to mankind. The five fold teacher must live out what he teaches in his daily life, or all is in vain. Saul, the Pharisee who knew and could quote his Logos Word, became Paul, the apostle, who lived out the Rhema Word of a crucified, yet resurrected and empowered Savior, Lord, and King.
Teach Out of Practical Experience, Not Academic Theology: Jesus never founded a Theological Seminary, Bible College or School, nor training center, not even a Rabbinical Center. He just walked with 12 men teaching spiritual Kingdom of God principles through practical living. He took them to harvest fields to teach them about the sower & the seed, to the sea of Galilee to teach them faith by walking on water, taking them in the midst of a hungry multitude to teach them his Father’s provisions by feeding the 5,000, and making them visit an empty tomb to teach them the power of the resurrection. If it wasn’t practical experience, it wasn’t spiritual truth. That is the difference between the five fold teacher and today’s academically driven Biblical teachers. You not only need to be able to quote the scriptures, but more importantly teach their principles by living them out! Jesus, the Teacher, is the prime example of how to do it.
Releasing The Rhema Five Fold Teacher: The worst thing to do after training or equipping someone is then to stifle their vision, their enthusiasm, their drive, their passion, and just let them sit back. RELEASE THEM TO SERVE! You have equipped the teacher for the “works of service”, so let him serve! Let the teacher teach through service, practically living out the gospel. Let them do what drives them: Teach by doing! Don’t tie a noose of academia around their neck demanding academic degrees. Don’t place restraints on them that the other four in the five fold could do for them. They need not have to birth, nurture, give prophetic insight, or see over developing Christians. The passions of the others can aide them in the development of these baby Christians by releasing them to teach and live the Word. Release them. Will we ever think one is “ready” for teaching? Probably not; will they make mistakes? Yes, of course, we all do, but the evangelist will energize those with calling to teach through their excitement for birthing, the pastor/shepherd will nurture and care for them, the prophet will continually refresh his teaching spirit, and the apostle will give proper oversight, “seeing over” what and how the Holy Spirit is doing in the teacher’s life. The teacher will submit to the ministry of the other four as they minister to him bringing proper accountability in his/her life.
Church, let equip, nurture, care, then release, while continuing serve the teacher bringing accountability, and we see a “new day” in a “new way” that the Church does church!