Answer
Jesus Christ refers to His followers as “disciples,” a term that means “learners,” making teachability an important characteristic of Christians. According to the Bible, the mind, which is central to learning, isn’t a blank slate at birth because sin has blinded, hardened, and perverted it (2 Corinthians 4:4; 3:14; Romans 1:28). Its corrupt condition is the basis of the apostle Paul’s instruction for Christians to be transformed by the renewal of their minds (Romans 12:2). This requires having a teachable spirit—an inner disposition that is eager and receptive to learning.
To be more precise, being “teachable” implies a readiness and openness to acquire knowledge, whether from individuals, such as preachers, or through various forms of media, like books. Teachable people seek godly, biblically based instruction (e.g., Acts 8:31; cf. 2 Timothy 3:16–17). In this context, the word spirit refers to the unseen qualities of a person, such as having an attitude that is receptive to learning and is marked by humility (Proverbs 11:2; 1 Peter 5:5).
The opposite of a teachable spirit is a frame of mind that is prideful, stubborn, and resistant to learning—attitudes that are sinful according to the Bible (Proverbs 1:7, 24–25). The book of Zechariah provides a clear example of an unteachable spirit, as certain Israelites “refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear” what God had to say through the prophet. Moreover, “they made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit” (Zechariah 7:11–12, ESV).
Furthermore, an unteachable person may have a know-it-all attitude, erroneously thinking that he has nothing to learn. As Proverbs 16:18 warns, this mindset leads to dire consequences: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Being unteachable can also manifest in a skeptical disposition, a critical and judgmental attitude, a bitterness toward learning, and an inclination to ignore sources of knowledge (Matthew 7:1). Individuals with this mentality are often convinced that no one has anything valuable to teach them (Proverbs 13:18).
In the Christian life, the foundation for being teachable is experiencing the transformative power of the Holy Spirit at conversion (cf. John 3:1–8). Paul notes that only through the Spirit’s indwelling can a person understand truth that God reveals (1 Corinthians 2:11–12). However, without the Spirit, even the most intelligent or open-minded individuals are unable to grasp God’s teachings, which are foolish to them (1 Corinthians 2:13–14).
Therefore, teachability isn’t a matter of having a high IQ or academic success. The Bible implies that a person could be a certified genius yet not have a teachable spirit. Conversely, a person could have little or no formal education and still be teachable. The Gospel of John records an example of this in which the Jewish leaders marveled at Jesus’ understanding despite His lack of formal academic training: “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?” they wondered (John 7:15).
Adding more insight, the Gospel of Luke recounts that, when Jesus was 12 years old, Joseph and Mary found Him “in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” People were “amazed at his understanding and his answers” (Luke 2:46–47). Growing up, “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52)—demonstrating that He had a teachable spirit that was eager and receptive to learning.
Having a teachable spirit is a defining characteristic of a disciple of Jesus. We are to love God with all our minds (Proverbs 9:9; Mark 12:30). We should strive to be not only receptive but proactive in learning about God (Proverbs 23:12). An eagerness to learn plays an important role in how a person cooperates with the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work of making him or her more like Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
