One of the qualifications for any man wishing to serve as an elder in the church is that he be able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9). The KJ translates this trait in 1 Timothy 3:2 as “apt to teach”. But what exactly does that mean? Does it mean that an elder must be able to preach and teach in front of large assemblies all the time? It’s easy to assume “able to teach” must have something to do with preaching or teaching in front of an assembly, but it does not.
Looking at Titus 1:9, we find what being “able to teach” looks like. Titus 1:9 (NIV) He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
This focus on sound doctrine is prominent in 1-2 Timothy as well as Titus. An elder must not teach “different doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3) but should model and teach doctrine with the power to save (1 Timothy 4:16). He must rightly handle the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15), avoiding “irrelevant babble” that “will lead people into more and more ungodliness” (2 Timothy 2:16). His teaching should produce in his listeners “repentance” and “a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25).
“Apt to teach” is more about doctrinal integrity, than rhetorical ability—but it is a little bit about rhetorical ability. After all, you have to communicate sound doctrine to teach it. Elders must rightly divide the word but also explain it in a way that produces godliness (1 Timothy 4:16; 2 Timothy 2:25). The Greek word translated as “teach” in 1 Timothy 3:2 (didaktikos) means “skillful at instructing”.
Thus, being able to teach means you can communicate sound doctrine in ways that profit the church. There is nothing in the context of either passage that suggests a particular teaching format in mind. The point is, whether from the pulpit, a Bible class, a small group, or even in one-on-one discipling (where some of the best teaching takes place), elders need to be able to use words to clarify, not cloud, the meaning of Scripture.