"Teachable" or
"Able to Teach?"
Is the New Testament elder to be a man who is "able to teach"
or a man who is "teachable" (1 Timothy 3:2)? The latter is the rendering of the
ISV, for several reasons. Not only is the translation "teachable" allowed by the
Greek lexicons, but it is also in keeping with the context. Paul’s list of
qualifications for elders has more to do with a man’s character than with his
abilities.
And, if you think about it, aren’t the best teachers
"teachable," that is, people who are constantly excited about what they are
learning and therefore eager to pass it on to others?
If a man wants to be an elder, let him be teachable in the hands of the
Master and open to the teaching and reproof of others. The man who has nothing to learn
has nothing to teach and no place in the ministry of the church. |
