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James 3:1 – Who Are the “Teachers”?
Who are the “teachers” of James 3:1?
(CSB) Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.
Who are these teachers that receive this warning?
First, the text shows these are not all believers who teach. James says, “Not many should become teachers”. That is the opposite of Hebrews 5:12.
Second, the text also includes James as one of these types of teachers when he included himself, “You know that we will receive a stricter judgment”.
Third, elsewhere in James, he specifically mentions elders (5:14). There the work includes praying while teaching is not mentioned. However, we know that overseers are to be able to teach (1 Tim.2; Titus 1).
Fourth, going outside of James for terminology, Paul uses the term teachers alongside of pastors (Eph.4:11). Like James 3:1, only “some” were teachers.
Fifth, let’s broaden the scope historically. James is written to Jewish believers, the diaspora (James 1:1). Additionally, the term he uses for their assembly in James 2:2 is the Greek word for synagogue (while in 5:14 it is ekklesia). Within synagogues there were various leadership roles, including “elders” and “teachers”. Only males were allowed to fulfill these roles. While elders would teach, not all teachers were elders.
Sixth, an interesting exercise is to compare modern translations which have chosen to translate adelphos as “brothers and sisters” when the context encompasses both males and females.
- (NASB2020) Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a stricter judgment.
- (CSB) Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.
- (Amplified) Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].
- (NET) Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly.
As seen above, the more conservative CSB and NASB2020 decided that “teachers” here is not a generic term referring to both men and women who teach (Titus 2). These two translations interpreted that these teachers must be a more restricted class of which only males are qualified.
So who are the teachers? There were various “teachers” mentioned in the Bible that fits a limited, male-only restriction such and apostles, evangelists, and elders. We could add to this other men who are teachers in general. Considering James includes himself, one very possible answer to our original question is, these teachers at least include elders.
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