In this brief outline we propose to consider the teacher’s office and
work in five aspects:
I. _The work of the teacher is for the gospel of Christ, hence, first
of all, the teacher should be a Christian._—No person can properly
instruct others in the Gospel unless he be devoted to the service of
Christ.
1. _He should be a Christian in belief._—No one can speak confidently
and earnestly in behalf of a cause unless he believes in it. One can
teach mythology, but not Christianity, without a firm conviction that
the Bible is God’s book, and the Gospel the declaration of the divine
plan for saving men.
2. _He should be a Christian in experience_; having passed from death
unto life, enjoying the consciousness of sonship, and a communion with
Christ; for only in this state can he enter into sympathy with the
Gospel, understand its mysteries, and guide others into the way of
salvation.
3. _He should be a Christian in Life._—The example will teach more
weightily than the words; therefore he must show forth in his conduct
the character which he would impart, and live in the realm to which he
would lead his class.
II. _The teacher’s work is under the auspices of the church, and
therefore the teacher should be a church member._
1. _He should be a church member in profession_, giving to the church
the benefit of his influence in the community, in return for all the
benefits that the church gives to him.
2. _He should be a church member in loyalty_, holding an attachment,
not to the church in general, but to that particular church whose
doctrines, forms, methods and spirit are most nearly in accord with his
own views, and best adapted to aid his growth in grace; devoted to it,
laboring for it, and self-denying in behalf of it.
3. _He should be a church member in work._—There are two classes
of people in every church, the idle and the working, those who are
carried, and those who carry. The teacher should be one of the working
members, bearing the church upon his heart and its work in his hands.
III. _The teacher’s work is with the Bible, and therefore the teacher
should be a Bible student._
1. _A Bible student in teachableness_, going to the Word, not in the
spirit of criticism, but of reverence; studying it not to inject into
it his own opinions, but humbly to obtain truth which shall feed his
own soul, and supply the needs of his class.
2. _A Bible student in diligence._—The cursory glance at a book may
answer for the careless reader, but he who has it as his work to teach
the Word, must study it; not only the lesson, but the volume which
contains the lesson, for unless he has knowledge of the book at large,
he cannot understand the specific lesson for his class; therefore the
teacher should be a constant, persevering, laborious student of the
Bible.
IV. _The teacher’s work has relation to living souls, and therefore
he must be a friend._—No mere machine can teach living hearts; to
influence souls there must be a soul, not by knowledge only, or by
gifts of expression, but by the relation of heart more than by any
other power can scholars be led upward to the best in thought and life.
1. _He must be a friend in sympathy_, that is, in capacity to feel with
his scholars, which is very different from feeling for them. He must be
able in thought and feeling, to put himself in his scholars’ place, to
see the world through their eyes, and to have an appreciation of their
nature.
2. _He must be a friend in helpfulness._—Not the greatness of our doing
for others, but the spirit of it, measures our friendship. By little
kindnesses to his class the teacher can win their hearts, and by tying
them to himself, tie them to his Master.
V. _The teacher’s work is a teaching work, and he must therefore be a
teacher._
1. _He must be a teacher in knowledge._—He must know his lesson in all
its departments and bearings, and with a wealth of information far
greater that he expects to impart to his class; for power in teaching
proceeds more from the reserve force of the things known and kept back,
than from the things taught.
2. _He must be a teacher in tact_; that is, in wisdom, to know
opportunities and skill to use them. Tact is a gift, but it may be
cultivated and improved by application. And, “if any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and
upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.” James 1:5.