The Only Teacher You Need

I John 2:27-29

The words translated anoint has the meaning of smearing something on. It is used to speak of applying medication in Revelation 3:18 and James 5:14, to refer to applying hair dressing in Matthew 6:17, or to a ritual pouring of oil on the priest’s head as a sign of his acceptance by God. In Hebrews 9:9 and 10:1, we learn that the Old Testament Tabernacle and Law portray in a physical manner what happens to a Christian spiritually.

The oil in the Tabernacle was specially prepared and appears to portray the Holy Spirit. Just as a man had to be anointed to serve as a priest in the Old testament, the person must have the Holy Spirit to be saved, according to Romans 8:9. “…Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Being saved, and receiving the Holy Spirit makes us Priests before God according to Revelation 1:5b-6. “…Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, Re 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

We have been anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, and as I John 2:20 stated, we know all things. “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” The word “unction” is translated from the same word as anoint. John 14:26 promises that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things using what Christ has already told his followers. “ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

John 16:13-15 goes into greater detail about the source of the Holy spirit’s teaching, making it clear he is not going to teach anything contrary to what has already been taught. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.” There is no excuse for the conflict over doctrine or practice between Christians.

“But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.” (I John 2:27-29)

Paul told Timothy that the Scriptures provided everything that was needed to Please God. John states that with the Holy Spirit to guide us, no human teacher is needed. There is no need for tradition other than what is found in scripture, or for other books, or for new prophecies. This does not negate the importance of Paul’s command in II Timothy 2:15, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” actually reinforcing the idea of learning what he wants and obeying it.

The only real value of human teachers is in encouraging us to look more closely into the scriptures and find what the Holy Spirit wants to teach us. It was their willingness to put away their preconceived ideas and study to find out what the truth was that made the Bereans greater Christians than the Thessalonians in Acts 17:11. "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

Far too often we study to prove we are right, rather than to find out what God said. We are busy listening to the shouting of our pride or some speaker and don’t hear the still, small voice of God. God doesn’t need to shout because his followers are listening for his voice. My hope is that my writing will stimulate my readers to study the scripture more carefully, and allow the Holy Spirit to teach them. I am not the real teacher, just another student, sharing what I am learning. Agreement with me is irrelevant, but agreement with God is essential.