Teaching is not the same as teacher

Summary:

Paul wrote that among the spiritual gifts, there was the spiritual gift of "TEACHING" (Romans 12:7) and the spiritual gift of "TEACHERS" (Ephesians 4:11). 

For more information:

List of spiritual gifts:
Click here

There is evidence that the spiritual gift of "TEACHING" (Romans 12:7) is DISTINCT from the spiritual gift of "TEACHERS" (Ephesians 4:11). For example:

1) Teaching is a VERB that someone DOES, while teacher is a NOUN that someone IS. 

2) Teaching is a FUNCTION that someone can have which may manifest spontaneously according to the need of others, while teacher would be a VOCATION to which someone's life would be centered around it.

3) Teaching WOULD NOT GIVE A RIGHT for someone to live from it, while being a teacher WOULD GIVE A RIGHT for someone to live from it.

4) In the Old Testament, there was already a distinction between people who were TEACHING others so as to make them understand better the Scriptures, and a TEACHER. 

You can find more details below:

1) Verb versus noun:

Teaching is a VERB that someone DOES, while teacher is a NOUN that someone IS. 

In Romans 12, Paul wrote that among the spiritual "gifts" (Romans 12:6), someone can be "TEACHING" (Romans 12:7), which is a Greek VERB that someone DOES. 

In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote about "TEACHERS" (Ephesians 4:11), which is a Greek NOUN that someone IS. 

For more information:

Some people can be described as being spiritual gifts (apostles, prophets...):
Click here

2) Function versus vocation:

Teaching is a FUNCTION that someone can have which may manifest spontaneously according to the need of others, while teacher would be a VOCATION to which someone's life would be centered around it.

Paul wrote that someone can have the spiritual gift of "TEACHING" (Romans 12:7), which a few verses earlier he compared it to having a "FUNCTION" (Romans 12:4). 

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul lists "TEACHING" as a gift that someone can HAVE for the edification of others,  writing: "What then is (to be done), brothers? Whenever you-come-together, each (one) has (a) psalm, HAS (A) TEACHING, has (a) revelation, has (a) tongue, has (an) interpretation. Let all (things) be-done for edification" (1 Corinthians 14:26). This may manifest spontaneously according to the need of others. 

In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote about "TEACHERS" (Ephesians 4:11), which would be a VOCATION. Someone's life would be centered around this vocation, in contrast to someone having a gift of teaching but who could have a different vocation than being a teacher. 

3) Not having the right versus having the right (to live from it):

Teaching WOULD NOT GIVE A RIGHT for someone to live from it, while being a teacher WOULD GIVE A RIGHT for someone to live from it.

There is no explicit evidence that someone with the gift of "TEACHING" (Romans 12:7) would have the right to live from it. 

However, there is evidence that "TEACHERS" (Ephesians 4:11) may have the right to live from it. 

Indeed, being a teacher may come with a right to live from it, as for example Paul said he was a "TEACHER (of the) Gentiles" (1 Timothy 2:7) and he expressed having "Or I alone and Barnabas, do not we-have (THE) RIGHT NOT TO-BE-WORKING?" (1 Corinthians 9:6), "So also the Lord directed the (ones) proclaiming the good-news TO-BE-LIVING FROM THE GOOD-NEWS." (1 Corinthians 9:14). 

A 1st century AD Christian writing indicates that "But every true prophet desiring to stay with you is worthy of his nourishment. Likewise a true TEACHER IS WORTHY also himself, just as the workman, OF HIS NOURISHMENT." (Didache 13:1-2). 

Same distinction in Romans law in the 1st century AD:

The same DISTINCTION between those who merely TEACH and TEACHERS could also be seen in Rome in the 1st century AD. 

Roman law did strictly differentiated between recognized, high-level TEACHERS (who were granted legal privileges of EXEMPTION from public civil duties) and people who were merely TEACHING ordinary or rudimentary things (who were not TEACHERS).

The Jurist Herennius Modestinus confirms that emperors had to put strict numerical limits on who could be legally recognized as a "TEACHER" (grammaticus or rhetor) because the exemptions were so valuable.

It is written in Digest 27.1.6.1–2: "GRAMMARIANS, sophists, RHETORICIANS, and physicians in active practice, are entitled to EXEMPTION from guardianship and curatorship, just as they are from other public employments [...] The divine Pius, however, stated in a rescript [...] that smaller cities can have five physicians, three rhetors, and three grammarians; larger cities seven physicians, four rhetors, and four grammarians"

Conversely, the activity of TEACHING did not legally make someone to be a recognized "TEACHER" entitled to state privileges.

It is written by Jurist Ulpian in Digest 50.5.2.8: "Those who TEACH the rudiments to children must NOT BE EXEMPTED from civil duties. However, it is the duty of the governor to make sure that none of them, whether they teach the rudiments in a city or in a uicus, is entrusted with too heavy a duty."

➔ When Paul wrote to the Ephesians (a major Roman metropolis in the 1st century AD) about Christ giving "TEACHERS" (Ephesians 4:11) to the church, the audience would instinctively understand a category of people appointed to a recognized VOCATION.

Conversely, when Paul wrote to the Romans in the 1st century at Rome about people "TEACHING" (Romans 12:7), they would understand this as an ACTIVITY, much like the rudimentary teachers in Ulpian's digest, that anyone equipped with this gift could perform, without it implying a formal VOCATION for the community.

4) Pattern from the Old Testament: the scribes versus the levites:

In the Old Testament, there was already a distinction between people who were TEACHING others so as to make them understand better the Scriptures, and a TEACHER. 

Ezra was a SCRIBE/TEACHER who was devoted to the public interpretation and authority of the Law, as it is written: "And all the people gathered as one man into the plaza before the Water Gate. And they spoke to EZRA THE SCRIBE to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which Jehovah had commanded to Israel. And EZRA THE PRIEST BROUGHT THE LAW BEFORE THE CONGREGATION, both of men and women, AND ALL THAT COULD HEAR WITH UNDERSTANDING, on the first day of the seventh month" (Nehemiah 8:1-2). 

5 verses later, it is described that the Levites would then TEACH individuals to understand the reading in smaller group interactions, as it is written: "And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and THE LEVITES, CAUSED THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE LAW. And the people were in their place. And they read aloud clearly in the Book of the Law of God, and THEY SET FORTH THE SENSE, AND CAUSED THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE READING" (Nehemiah 8:7-8). 

This provides an Old Testament precursor to the distinction between a TEACHER and other people who TEACH individuals to understand.

↺ Click here to return to the Table of Contents.