The teachable person is eager to change his doctrine and practice when it’s out of step with Scripture. He will also (and only) be “immoveable” if asked to move away from Scripture (1 Cor 15:58). 

I spend most of my time teaching, but if there was one thing I wish I could teach people, it’s “teachability”! Teachability is a precious quality, that’s hard to cultivate. It’s like a large, highly absorbent sponge that soaks up all the water around it. It’s a spirit of learning, that is alert, keen, and hungry for the truth.

What it Isn’t

There’s a false version of teachable doing the rounds. Paul nails it when he describes characters who are “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 3:7). I saw some people like this at seminary, who had a faux humility; their opinions were always provisional. They never wanted to be close-minded. But, really, they were just pushing a postmodern agenda. Their minds were so “open”, their brains were in danger of falling out!

Being teachable isn’t in conflict with making up our own minds. It doesn’t mean being a “yes” man, or agreeing with everything your teacher says. It’s not the same thing as having itching ears and finding teachers who will scratch that itch (2 Tim 4:3). A teachable person doesn’t get tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine (Eph 4:14). Rather, over time, his convictions will grow and stabilise.

What it Is

Being teachable is a hallmark of the wise. James 3:17 talks about being “open to reason”. In my experience, when Christians disagree on a subject, this is a rare virtue. Instead of being “open to reason”, there are high levels of defensiveness and/or attack. Proverbs is filled with exhortations from a father to his son to be receptive, attentive, and eager for his instructions (see Prov 2:1-5). It’s a mark of the Spirit of God’s work in our lives, when our hearts are like soft clay, easily impressed with the laws of God (Heb 8:10). The teachable person is eager to change his doctrine and practice when it’s out of step with Scripture. He will also (and only) be “immoveable” if asked to move away from Scripture (1 Cor 15:58).

[Editor’s note: This article is incomplete. The link (URL) to the original article at All Nations Church Ilford is unavailable and has been removed.]