Secondly, A duty is expressed, the want of whose performance is charged also as an aggravation of the sin insisted on. ” Ope/Aovres dvai—diddoxaro, “you ought to have been teachers.” Asddéoxadog is the word whereby the writers of the New Testament express “ Rabbi,” which was the usual name of the public teachers of the law among the Jews. He is such a one, not only that is fit and meet to teach and instruct others occasionally, but also hath disciples committed to him, depending on him, and learning from him. So is our Saviour himself called in the Gospel; and so he termed himself with respect unto his disciples, Mark iv. 38, John
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xiii. 13. And John tells us that it is the same name with the He- brew “ Rabbi,” and the Syriac “ Rabboni,” chap. i. 38, xx.16. And it is the name of the teaching officer given by Christ unto the church, 1 Cor. xii. 28, Eph. iv. 11. Nor is it anywhere used but for a public teacher, preacher, or instructor of disciples in the knowledge of God.
"Ope/rovres efves, “you ought to be.” He doth not only say that they had enjoyed such a time and season of instruction as that they might have been able to teach and instruct others; but this he declares was expected from them as their duty. And the right understanding hereof depends on the consideration of the state and condition of the churches in those days. For this reproof would now seem uncouth and unreasonable. Our hearers do not look upon it as their duty to learn to be teachers; at least not in the church, and by means of the knowledge to be attained therein. They think it enough for them, if at best they can hear with some profit to themselves. But this was not the state of things in primitive times. Every church was then a seminary, where- in provision and preparation was made, not only for the continuation of the preaching of the gospel in itself, but for the calling, gathering, and teaching of other churches also. When, therefore, a church was first planted by the ministry of the apostles, it was for a while con- tinued under their own immediate care and inspection, and then usually committed by them unto the ministry of some evangelists, By them were they instructed more and more in the mysteries of religion, and directed in the use of all means whereby they might grow in grace and knowledge. And in this state were they conti- nued, until some were found meet among themselves to be made overseers and instructors of the rest, 2 Tim. 11. 2; Acts xiv. 23; Tit. i 5. Upon their decease, others were to be called and chosen from among themselves to the same work by the church. And thus were the preservation and successive propagation of the churches provided for; it being suited to the nature and law of all societies, as also to the institution and love of Christ unto his churches, that, in compli- ance with his appointment, they should be able to continue and pre- serve their being and order. And this course, namely, that teachers of the church should be educated thereunto in the church, continued inviolate until the public school at Alexandria, which became a pre- cedent unto other places for a mixed learning of philosophy and reli- gion; which after a while corrupted both, and at length the whole church itself.
And this also was the manner before in the synagogues of the Jews. They had in them public teachers of the law, who were their rabbis, or didcéoxaror, By these, others, their disciples, sitting at their feet whilst they taught and preached, were instructed in the knowledge
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thereof; as Paul giveth an instance in himself and his teacher Gama- liel, Acts xxii. 3. And among these disciples, those who profited above others in an especial manner, as Paul affirmeth he did “ above his equals” (that is, those who had enjoyed the same time and means with him), Gal. i. 14, were afterwards themselves designed and called to be d:déexuro, or teachers.
And men in those days did not only learn in the church that they might be able afterwards to teach in the same, but also that they might be instrumental in the work of the gospel in other places: for out of the churches went those who were made use of in the propagation of the gospel ordinarily; which cannot now well be imi- tated, unless the whole ancient order were restored, which we are not yet to expect. Wherefore hearers in the church were not only taught those things which might be sufficient unto their own edification, but every thing also that was necessary to the edification of others; an ability for whose instruction it was their duty to aim at.
I do not say that this was the duty of all hearers. Every one was not to labour to profit by the word that he might himself be a teacher. Many things might invincibly incapacitate sundry persons from any such work or office. But yet in those days it might be the duty of many, especially in that church of the Hebrews; for this was the great seminary of preachers for the whole world all that time where- in the law was to go forth from Zion, and healing waters from Jeru- salem. And there were two reasons why the ministry of the Jews was so necessary and useful to the world, whereby the Gentiles were made debtors unto them, by a participation of their spiritual things; not only which were theirs originally, and possessed by them before the Gentiles had any interest in them, but also because by their ministry they were communicated unto them, Rom. xv. 27:—1. Be- cause, upon their conversion to Christ, they immediately made a great progress in knowledge. For they had before received the seeds and foundations of all evangelical truths in the scriptures of the Old Testament; and so soon as the light of the gospel shined into their hearts, all things were cleared up unto them, from the true sense of those principles wherein they had before been instructed which was now made manifest unto them. And our apostle immediately blames these Hebrews for the want of an acquaintance with those principles. But hence were those who did really profit by the word quickly ready for this work. On the other side_*he Gentile converts,—setting aside the consideration of extraordinary illumination, revelation, and inspiration by the Spirit of God, which many in those days were made partakers of,—must needs require a longer time to be perfectly instructed in the mysteries of the gospel, whereunto they had been such utter strangers. 2. It was in the Jews’ synagogues, throughout their dispersions in the world, that the preachers of the gospel began