Bible Dictionaries
Instruct, Instruction, Instructor

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

"to teach orally, inform, instruct," is translated by the verb "to instruct" in Luke 1:4; Acts 18:25 (RV marg., "taught by word of mouth"); Romans 2:18; 1 Corinthians 14:19 , RV (AV, "teach"). See INFORM , TEACH.

"to train children, teach," is rendered "was instructed," in Acts 7:22 , RV (AV, "learned"); "instructing" in 2 Timothy 2:25 , AV (RV, "correcting"); Titus 2:12 , RV, "instructing" (AV, "teaching"). The verb is used of the family discipline, as in Hebrews 12:6,7,10; cp. 1 Corinthians 11:32; 2 Corinthians 6:9; Revelation 3:19 . In 1 Timothy 1:20 (Passive Voice) it is translated "might be taught," RV (AV, "may learn"), but, "however the passage is to be understood, it is clear that not the impartation of knowledge but severe discipline is intended. In Luke 23:16,22 , Pilate, since he had declared the Lord guiltless of the charge brought against Him, and hence could not punish Him, weakly offered, as a concession to the Jews, to 'chastise, paideuo, Him, and let Him go.'" * [* From Notes on Galatians, by Hogg and Vine, p. 165.]

This sense of paideuo is confirmed by Hebrews 12:6 , where it is joined (in a quotation from the Sept. of Proverbs 3:12 ) with "to lash or scourge." Cp. the scene in the Pilgrim's Progress where a shining one with a whip of small cords "chastised sore" the pilgrims foolishly caught in the net of the flatterer and said to them, "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten" (paideuo). See CORRECT , TEACH.

used transitively, "to make a disciple," is translated "which is instructed" in Matthew 13:52 , AV (RV, "who hath been made a disciple"). See DISCIPLE.

"to initiate into the mysteries," is used in the Passive Voice, in Philippians 4:12 , AV, "I am instructed," RV, "have I learned the secret." See LEARN.

"to lead forward, lead on" (the casual of probaino, "to go forward;" pro, "forward," bibazo, "to lift up"), is used in the Passive Voice in Matthew 14:8 , and translated, AV, "being before instructed," RV, "being put forward." Some mss. have it in Acts 19:33 , instead of No. 6.

"to join, knit, unite" (sun, "with"), then, "to compare," and so, "to prove," hence, "to teach, instruct," is so rendered in 1 Corinthians 2:16; it is found in the best mss. in Acts 19:33 (RV marg., "instructed"). See COMPACTED , CONCLUDE , KNIT TOGETHER , PROVE.

* (INSTRUCTION)

"training, instruction," is translated "instruction" in 2 Timothy 3:16 . See CHASTEN.

* (INSTRUCTOR)

"a guide," or "guardian" or "trainer of boys," lit., "a child-leader" (pais, "a boy, or child," ago, "to lead"), "a tutor," is translated "instructors" in 1 Corinthians 4:15 , AV (RV, "tutors"); here the thought is that of pastors rather than teachers; in Galatians 3:24,25 , AV, "schoolmaster" (RV, "tutor,"), but here the idea of instruction is absent. "In this and allied words the idea is that of training, discipline, not of impartation of knowledge. The paidagogos was not the instructor of the child; he exercised a general supervision over him and was responsible for his moral and physical well-being. Thus understood, paidagogos is appropriately used with 'kept in ward' and 'shut up,' whereas to understand it as equivalent to 'teacher' introduces an idea entirely foreign to the passage, and throws the Apostle's argument into confusion." * [* From Notes on Galatians, by Hogg and Vine, pp. 163,164] Cp. epitropos, "a steward, guardian, tutor."

akin to A, No. 2, denotes (a) "an instructor, a teacher," Romans 2:20 , AV, "an instructor" (RV, "a corrector"); (b) "one who disciplines, corrects, chastens," Hebrews 12:9 , RV, "to chasten" [AV, "which corrected" (lit., "correctors")]. In (a) the discipline of the school is in view; in (b) that of the family. See CORRECTOR. Cp. epitropos, "a steward, guardian, tutor."