Understanding 1 John 2:20, 27, (The Anointing, Conclusion)

I’ve had believers say to me, “I have the anointing, and I don’t need human teachers because the anointing teaches me.” Is this what the passage teaches? Are they correct in their assessment? No, they are not! The problem lies in taking the words, “you have no need for anyone to teach you” (1 John 2:27) from its context. The context is 1 John 2:18-27, which warns against “self-appointed false teachers,” who oppose Christ in their teachings. In other words, the anointing isn’t meant to replace human teachers! God Himself has specifically gifted and appointed certain individuals as teachers within the church for the purpose of “perfecting the saints” and building up the community (Ephesians 4:11–12). If the anointing were meant to replace all human teachers, God would not have established teaching as a spiritual gift. Believers need spiritually-gifted human teachers working with the Holy Spirit because the Spirit uses them to teach God's Word, guiding them to understand and apply truth, not to replace the Spirit but to equip the church, build up faith, and protect against false teachings, making it a “both/and” relationship, not “either/or.” The Holy Spirit illuminates (brings insight into spiritual truths) Scripture, but God gifts and appoints teachers to clarify, correct, and mature believers, working through the Bible and Spirit-led instruction for spiritual growth. Believers benefit from the Spirit's direct illumination and gifted human instruction, both pointing to Jesus and God's Word. Be encouraged!

Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D., spiritually gifted Bible teacher & expositor