We Don't Need Biblical Teachers?

Have you ever heard someone mangle 1 John 2:27? The verse reads: "But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him." The abuse of this passage is used to teach that believers do not need to read sound theological books, listen to biblical teachers or sometimes it is even manhandled in such a way that a believer need not attend a local church because we don't need teachers of the Word, better known as pastors. They say it may be helpful but not required.

My, oh my, where do we begin with such a dangerous handling of this passage? Let me first state that apart from godly, Spirit filled (no not in the Charismatic sense) learned and studied men of God, I would still be a very confused Christian, driven by shear emotion in determining Christian doctrine. Let me tell you folks, that is a very frustrating, dangerous and miserable place to be! It's a place where Christianity is about you and how you feel instead of Christ and who He is and how He has glorified and made known the Father; what He has accomplished for His people through His life, death and resurrection. It is no wonder that the individualistic (me, my Bible and the Holy Spirit) emotion driven believer will understand 1 John 2:27 they way they do. They tend to read the Bible in a very individualistic sense where everything is about them.

Is that what 1 John 2:27 teaches? No way Jose! That is not possible from its own context and to understand it that way places it in contradiction and direct  violation of Scripture given in other passages. But back to 1 John. A general observation is- what in the world is the Apostle John doing by teaching these Christians if they didn't need anyone to teach them, if this passage should be understood in the "individualistic" way? I guess John is contradicting himself (teaches to be taught in 4:6 also). However, that is not what this verse means. It has a context that needs to be accounted for and a large part of this is refuting false teaching and exposing the perverters of the Gospel whom were denying the humanity of Christ and that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:2,22, 4:2-3) ; that His death was not necessary for forgiveness (1 John 3:5 which I believe is in reference to not only forgiveness but the liberation from a life dominated by sin) at the same time assuring the believers that the had the true Gospel and didn't need anything more to add to it. They could be assured they were indeed God's people because they stood on the Gospel and were bearing fruit befitting God's people ( 1 John 1:5-2:11, 3:7-15, 1 John 4:4-15 and 1 John 5:1-20).

The primary thrust of this book in the Bible seems to be refuting false teachers called anti-christ's and their false doctrines (1 John 2:18-19)- that revealed themselves to be apostates by their departure from the Gospel and for assurance of the believers ( 1 John 2:21-25, 5:13). John specifically identifies in 2:26 what he means by  them not needing anyone to teach them. He is talking about false teachers with false doctrine: "I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you." The mention of the "anointing", which I believe is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit ( 1 John 3:24), is our only way of knowing the truth and they way we can discern error from the truth.

Now that we have established that John is not saying that we do not need biblical teachers, we turn to a few passages that say we do need them. One place to start is the qualifications of overseers. It is said in 1 Timothy that one of the qualifications is that me must be able to teach (1 Timothy 3:1) and over in Titus he must, "He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it" (Tt 1:9).  Not only must the elder teach the Word but he must rebuke (a qualification that is often overlooked) anyone that contradicts it.

In Ephesians 4:11-15: "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, 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, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ" The Shepherds/teachers are given precisely for the reason that John wrote his epistles. It is they that equip the saints and protect they flock of Christ and  that's why the author of Hebrews can say, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you" (Heb 13:17).


We don't need biblical teachers? Away with such nonsense! I say give me more of them and their sound messages, in audible or written form! Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando