Teachers And Pastors: What's The Difference?

The English word "teacher" originated from an Anglo-Saxon (Saxony is in Germany; the Anglos were a tribe of the Saxons) word, teacan, which meant to show, or to point out (it's no coincidence that teachers use "pointers," whether the traditional pointer stick or the modern-day laser pointer, or that teachers give verbal "pointers" to those who are learning something).

The English word "pastor" originated from a Latin word, pastor, which meant a shepherd, someone who tends to the physical needs of a flock. The word came to be used for someone who was in charge of the management of a congregation and its facility.

While there has always been overlap in function (i.e. teachers being pastors and pastors being teachers), they are, by literal definition of the English words, two different elements of the ministry ("ministry" means service; "minister" means servant) - just as they are according to the Word of God.

"^12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets [see The Prophets: What Is A Prophet?], thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. ^12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? ^12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? [see The Origin Of Speaking In Tongues and Do You Speak In Tongues?]" (1 Corinthians 12:28-30 KJV)

While some (usually those who claim themselves to be "apostles") have incorrectly used the verses quoted above as some sort of "rank" system, Paul was obviously describing functions and responsibilities. "Apostle" means someone who is sent, "prophet" generally means someone who gives warning, "teacher" means someone who gives instruction and so on. While Paul did not state "pastor" in the verses above (by definition, a "pastor" came after the founding work of a "teacher"), he did include it in his epistle to the then more-established congregation at Ephesus.

"^4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers" (Ephesians 4:11 KJV)

"We know that thou art a teacher come from God"

Jesus Christ was a prophet (see The Prophet Of Galilee) because of His teachings. People ("disciple" means student) came to Jesus, not to be "managed" by a pastor (e.g. "^12:13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. ^12:14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?" Luke 12:13-14 KJV), but to learn from what He taught - far and wide, in the mountains and at the seashore, in the land of Israel, and far beyond (see also Beyond Jordan).

"^5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: ^5:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them" (Matthew 5:1-2 KJV)

"^2:13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them." (Mark 2:13 KJV)

"^10:1 And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again." (Mark 10:1 KJV)

The Messiah taught in the synagogues and at the Temple (see also What Did Jesus Do On The Sabbath?).

"^13:54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?" (Matthew 13:54 KJV)

"^12:35 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David?" (Mark 12:35 KJV)

Jesus of Nazareth was popular among the people because "He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" - which is the reason that the Religious Parties (see also Is Your Church A Cult?) feared and hated Him.

"^7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: ^7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:28-29 KJV)

"^19:47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him" (Luke 19:47 KJV)

Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah who fulfilled the prophecy "they shall be all taught of God."

"^6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." (John 6:45 KJV)

All teachers (with the exception of God), must themselves first have a teacher. God taught His Son before sending His Son to teach the Word of God - that's why it's called the Word of God.

"^8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." (John 8:28 KJV)

The very-famous John 3:16 teaching ("For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life") and the "born again" teaching were given to a repentant Pharisee, Nicodemus, who recognized that Jesus was "a teacher come from God."

"^3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: ^3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

^3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God [see The Gospel of The Kingdom of God].

^3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

^3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ^3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ^3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again [see Born Again, How and When? and When And Where Your Eternal Life Will Begin; also The Way To Salvation: Step 1]. ^3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

^3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

^3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? ^3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. ^3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? ^3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. ^3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ^3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

^3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ^3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. ^3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ^3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ^3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. ^3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:1-21 KJV)

Consider then the abomination of how so many "Christian" people ignore or deny the very Word of God by teaching "feigned words" (i.e. faked words). They have never made the effort to first learn the Truth to teach, and/or deny the Word of God by arrogantly preaching their own self-serving ideas ("after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers").

"^2:1 But there were false prophets [see What's The Bible Word For False Prophet?] also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. ^2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. ^2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." (2 Peter 2:1-3 KJV)

"^4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; ^4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ^4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ^4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. ^4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." (2 Timothy 4:1-5 KJV)

Fact Finder: When the Messiah returns, will He teach ("He will teach us of His ways") the entire world?
Micah 4:1-3; see also Moriah: Separating The Wheat From The Chaff and What Will Heaven Be Like?

This Day In History, September 19

335: Flavius Dalmatius was declared a "Caesar" by his uncle Constantine I (listen also to our Sermon Constantine's Papacy).

1356: During the Hundred Years War, the English under Prince Edward defeated French forces under John II at Poitiers. The French king was captured in the battle and released 4 years later.

1665: In London, England, the official death toll from the plague was reported to be 10,000 people per week.

1676: The colony of Jamestown was burned by the rebel forces of Nathaniel Bacon during Bacon's Rebellion. 1783: After their first-in-history unmanned balloon flight 3 months earlier, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier of Versailles, France, launched the first balloon flight with "passengers" - a sheep, a rooster and a duck.

1870: During the Franco-Prussian War, the Prussians began their siege of Paris.

1893: Women in New Zealand were given the right to vote.

1918: Near the end of the First World War, British General Edmund Allenby won a crucial battle over the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Megiddo (Armageddon) in what was then northern "Palestine" (listen to our Sermons The Ottoman Empire and The European World Wars).

1939: Adolf Hitler (see Presidential Quotes On War, Terrorism, Religion) decided to incorporate much of Poland into Germany, move 600,000 Jews from there (and those in Germany as well) into a Polish rump called the "General Government", and ghetto all Jews within it at convenient points along the railways. This brought into the coming holocaust the huge German railway system, the Reichsbahn.

1957: In Nevada, the U.S. began conducting weapons of mass destruction tests at the underground nuclear bomb test facility in the Nevada desert.

1971: William F. Albright died at age 81. The history professor and archaeologist wrote extensively of the Bible Places and conducted research digs at numerous locations including Bethel and Gibeah in Israel and Petra in Jordan.

1978: The Solomon Islands became a member of the United Nations.

1985: An earthquake killed thousands of people in Mexico City.