Table Examining the Words for Teacher in Scripture
 

 

 

This is NOT an exhaustive analysis of New Testament occurrances of the word that equates to teacher; nonetheless, the Word of God reveals the truth about teachers.  

All bolded verses are included in the interlinear table below for your convenience.  

Examination of the Lord Jesus Christ's position on these words:

In John 1:38, we can see that the word rabbi translates to the word teacher according to the Apostle John.  

In Matthew 23:8, we can see that children of God are not to call anyone teacher (since rabbi means teacher as per John 1:38), and this according to God Jesus as recorded by the Apostle Matthew.  

YHWH said through Jeremiah that the children of God would teach no brothers no more (Jeremiah 31:34).  

In Ephesians 4:11, we can see that the Apostle Paul used the word teachers as in gave teachers. There are 65 occurrences in the New Testament of the precise Greek word ἔδωκεν (edōken) which is translated to the English word "gave" in Ephesians 4:11, and here is the concordance list https://biblehub.com/greek/edo_ken_1325.htm that demonstrates the proper translation of the verb ἔδωκεν is "gave". The verb ἔδωκεν is a conjugate of the Greek verb δίδωμι (didómi, Strongs 1325). Back to the conjugate of ἔδωκεν in Ephesians 4:11, notice that changing the word ἔδωκεν/"gave" to "gives" in John 3:16 would result in the indication that Christ remains on the cross, yet Jesus says "It is finished" (John 19:30) while He was on the cross, so He indicates the "gave" is complete for Christ on the cross. In Ephesians 4:11 and all occurrences of ἔδωκεν the proper translation is "gave", as in completed and no more with gave teachers in Ephesians 4:11.  

In 1 John 2:27, we can see that the Apostle John wrote of the "anointing from the Holy One" upon we children of God (1 John 2:20) that we have no need for anyone to teach us for His anointing teaches us!  

In Luke 16:13, just like Matther 6:24, our Lord Jesus Christ plainly states that we can not serve two masters, and the Greek word kurio is translated to the English word master; nonetheless, the Greek word kurio has also been translated to the English word lord - as in Lord Jesus Christ! The Master, the Teacher, the Lord is God alone.