Hello
Many years ago, some words of Jesus jumped off the page of my Bible and hit me in the head. (I’m sure many sisters and brothers reading this will have had similar experiences). The words that hit me were “You have one teacher; the Christ” (Matthew 23:10). Just two verses before, Jesus says the same thing with a slightly different emphasis. “You have one teacher and you are all brothers” (Matthew 23:8). These words are very simple but the consequences of accepting them as true sayings of our loving Lord and Savior hit me hard. My first reaction was “Good Grief! Suppose he meant it!” Suppose he really meant that he was to be the only teacher for those who choose to follow him. After years of prayer, study, discussion and research – including research while studying, under supervision, at seminary – I have come to the conclusion that he did mean it. Jesus, who is God, wants to be our only teacher.
For me, this means I must not put the teachings of any human being before the teachings of Jesus, and I must not see the teachings of any human being as equal to the teachings of Jesus. This includes the teachings of those human beings who wrote the writings included in our Bibles.
If Jesus is to be our only teacher, then Jesus is to be our only teacher. This does not mean that we are not to teach, but we must teach the teachings of Jesus, as he himself instructed his first followers.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… …teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
May our loving Father bless us and keep us safe.
Jesus is Lord.
Peter O
Related Article
“What does Jesus want his followers to do?”
“What did Jesus say about his own words?”
“What did Jesus say about the bible?”
“Why do people believe the bible is inspired by God?”
This post is also available in:
Español (Spanish) 
العربية (Arabic) 
বাংলাদেশ (Bengali) 
हिन्दी (Hindi) 
Indonesia (Indonesian) 
日本語 (Japanese) 
اردو (Urdu) 
Русский (Russian) 
한국어 (Korean) 
繁體中文 (Chinese (Traditional)) 
Deutsch (German) 
Français (French) 
Italiano (Italian)
Thank you, Peter. Excellent words to bring us back to the all-sufficiency of Christ. Jesus is our Teacher. All else is scaffolding and façade against his Word.
This website is much appreciated.
Rich M. (upstate New York)
Congratulations…the Holy Spirit is guiding you with spiritual wisdom. I have had asked myself similar questions as well as why they mentioned or called the devil’s father of lies, whit it’s called (bible) Wich means,
Group of books, why a serpent mentioned in genesis, why they mentioned the apple, aas the prohibited fruit, knowing it was a mis interpretation from the Greek word…
Milons.—-which all kind of fruit with seeds-
And many others questions that all those writers are interpreted are using just to make money,money.
E. Jusinety
We are only vessel that Jesus teaches through he is the teacher we are the vessels. So call no one teacher call them brothers.
Brother Alfred
Truly.
Peter O
RIGHT ON PLEASE LET ME KNOW OF OTHER GROUPS THAT KNOW JESUS IS OUR
1 MASTER 1 SHEPHERD 1 TEACHER
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. chosen by Con-stantine 325AD
OVER 35 YEARS I HAVE 35,000+ HRS IN 35+ DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE HUMAN MADE BIBLES
AND EVEN THOUGH EVERY CHURCH, TV, AND RADIO MINISTRY SAY THEY NEED MONEY TO
TEACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST YET LISTEN CLOSELY THE AVE CHRISTIAN SERVICE
IS 3% TO 4% QUOTES OR TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST MEGA CHURCHES 1% CHRIST VERSED
Con-stantine 325AD is the biggest con in world history You cannot have 40 Shepherds
Jesus NEVER said anything about anyone adding to His Gospel HE SAID WOE TO YOU SCRIBES 7X
Eph 4:11 ¶ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; JESUS SAID CALL NOBODY TEACHER FOR ONE IS YOUR TEACHER
JESUS NEVER ONCE USED THE WORDS apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers
Mark 4:34
Jesus did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
The words “parable” and “parables” 47 x in the 4 Gospels strangely not 1 time after that
“Kingdom of Heaven” 117 times after Jesus in NT 1 times
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=kingdom+of+heaven&t=KJV&csr=9#s=s_primary_0_1
Church 77 times in NT never once by Jesus even though the word church was shown 2 times
in Matthew JESUS SPOKE ARAMAIC AND IN THE ARAMAIC TO PLAIN ENGLISH VERSION
USED THE WORD ASSEMBLY NOT CHURCH JUST LIKE JESUS SAID 1 FOLD HE NEVER ONE TIME.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=church&t=KJV&ss=1#s=s_primary_0_1
JESUS THE ONLY WAY TO THE FATHER NEVER 1 TIME USED THE TERM ‘BODY OF CHRIST’
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=%22body+of+christ%22&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Make sure to get this to your pastor or priest or evangelist AND CALL THEIR BLUFF
Hello Rick.
Thanks. I don’t know of any groups of the kind you describe. I don’t think God wants there to be perfect groups. All groups are made up of fallible human beings so all groups are imperfect. God wants us to be his servants in the groups that we are part of. So, I suggest you join groups and be God’s servant in those groups.
I pray that God will bless you and strengthen you, as you love and serve him.
Peter O
If we look at what precedes, especially in Matt 23:6-7, we see that Jesus is decrying the Pharisees’ self-glorification. The transition from v. 7 to vv. 8-10 is striking (“[the Pharisees love] to have people call them rabbi.” –> “But you are not to be called rabbi”); it seems to me that Jesus identifies a self-glorifying indulgence on the Pharisees’ part and then instructs his followers not to engage in that same behaviour.
Thus, given the context, is it possible that when Jesus tells his audience that they have one teacher, he isn’t saying that they have only one person who teaches them or whose instruction they should listen to, but is rather redirecting their glorification away from themselves and to himself?
It seems that this understanding is more feasible when we apply it evenly across vv. 8, 9, and 10 since it’s very difficult to take seriously the notion that we literally have no father other than the one in heaven (as per v. 9). As with much of Jesus’ teaching, it seems inadvisable to isolate Matt 23:10 and to treat it as a simple propositional statement.
Thanks for writing that and clarification.
Respectfully, I redirect you to the clear and unequivocal statement by our Lord: Matthew 23:10 , “Neither be called teachers, for you have one teacher, the Christ. “
Regrettably to your ideas, this statement as supreme truth, abrogated the false doctrines of “other teachers” being authorized.
Consider this record fact: the 12(minus Judas) were daily taught, by words and examples for over 3 years; Jesus walked with men, as man and as God. And save for John, at the day of testing, their personal direct teachings were set aside, to avoid being persecuted. In direct contrast to the teachings given them. Each of course recanted and returned to obey the great commission given them, by their sole teacher , Jesus the Christ.
Paul – and so many others since Paul – did not yet offer their opinions of those teachings given them…so…..why do we follow any others who do other than Jesus taught?