After all, the vast majority of knowledge and understanding we desire has already been given. We don't need to discover it on our own, we just need to learn it from a teacher.
I'm really surprised to hear you say that. Maybe I misunderstand. Don't you think it is essensial for believers to read and speak the Word of God? Isn't that the way that a God pleasing faith comes? Are we not to study to be approved? Will there not always be seducing teachers spreading false doctrine and raising contentions and strife? How can we guard against that if we don't have the word in our hearts? I see no where that we only need to trust men to rightly divide His word for us but everywhere that we are to be prepared ourselves.
I'm all for teachers: my wife's a great one. I believe we can all be taught by most of those we come in contact with and should remember we are also teaching as we live out our lives.
My Bible tells me our tongues and our actions (emotions/pride) rule our lives until we rule them and I've seen that borne out in my life. I have noticed that to be an effective teacher for Christ those impediments of the flesh must be under submission, or the lessons will have a discernable clang to them.
I believe that here are the merits of a good teacher:
2 Tim 2:21-25
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach , patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; KJV
I can see where such a man could teach everyone he meets who would learn.
Of course the essential teacher is the Holy Spirit. Without Him it doesn't take much to draw the flesh away from the Truth. He's also the only true teacher since no man I have met fully measures up to the 2 Timothy teacher.
