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Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?”

Acts 8:30,31

Do we really need someone to teach us the Bible? Here in Acts, the Ethiopian was struggling to understand just what Isaiah was talking about in chapter 53. When asked by Philip if he understood, his comment was the above quote. Someone was needed to explain exactly what the Scripture meant.

Today we have all sorts of resources at our fingertips. The information age is as close as your phone. So, do we still need teachers of Scripture? Can’t we just figure it out on our own? Perhaps, but having a God-sent teacher to come and explain God’s plan seems to be a Biblical way of learning exactly what God means in His Book of Life.

The two dynamics at work in this story about a man reading in a chariot (how cool is that?) are God sending teachers and people needing teachers. First, the Holy Spirit directed Philip to go to the “desert road.” Have you ever felt like you were sent to the “desert road” to wait for something? I know I have. And while we may not be the most competent teachers in the world, God sends us where we are needed. He puts us in the dusty, desert road to meet those in need of the gospel. Notice this was not a waste of Philip’s time. God had a plan and sent Philip to teach the Ethiopian eunuch. God sends people to teach His Scripture.

Next, we have the Ethiopian treasurer who came to Jerusalem to worship God seeking answers in Scripture. Think about it. He could have been looking at the sports page or doing a crossword puzzle or just daydreaming as the chariot rolled along. But no, he was actually trying to study Isaiah and figure out who the prophet was actually talking about ala the suffering servant. But the Ethiopian was savvy enough to understand that he needed help. He needed a teacher to guide him in understanding just what Isaiah was talking about.

So, we have this example of God putting resources where they are needed. In other words, God fulfills our needs especially in terms of teaching His will. Yes, there are false teachers focused only on themselves, and yes, we should be like the Bereans who looked for themselves to see if what they were taught was true. But we need teachers to help us understand Scripture. I have learned much from ACU professors, N.T. Wright, and others who seek to make the Bible understandable.

We need teachers now more than ever, and we also need to be people who desire teaching.

Scripture: Acts 8:26-39