Is the New Testament elder to be a man who is
"able to teach" or a man who is "teachable" (1 Timothy 3:2)? The
latter is the rendering of the ISV, for several reasons. Not only is the translation
"teachable" allowed by the Greek lexicons, but it is also in keeping with the
context. Paul’s list of qualifications for elders has more to do with a man’s
character than with his abilities. And, if you think about it, aren’t the best
teachers "teachable," that is, people who are constantly excited about what they
are learning and therefore eager to pass it on to others? If a man wants to be an elder,
let him be teachable in the hands of the Master and open to the teaching and reproof of
others. The man who has nothing to learn has nothing to teach and no place in the ministry
of the church.
