In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul encouraged his apprentice Timothy in “rightly handling the word of truth” (ESV). Teaching the Bible is an incredibly important endeavor. The Bible is the word of God, completely true, and has the potential, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to transform that lives of those we teach. That is why, regardless of how long you have been leading Bible study, as a Bible teacher you always need to keep growing in your ability to make the Bible clear for others.
How do you keep growing in your calling to teach the Word? Several areas of study are likely to help.
- Develop a deeper understanding of the Bible. Yes, you do need to understand the passage you are teaching, but I mean more than that. Develop a sense of the story of Scripture so that you see how the passage you are teaching fits into the broader message of the Bible. Understand the themes of Scripture and the various ways it develops those themes. While commentaries, Bible atlases, Bible handbooks, and theological dictionaries are incredibly helpful, none of these replaces time spent reading and studying the Bible.
- Grow in your understanding of learning. Bible teachers sometimes think that telling someone a truth from the Bible is the same as teaching them that truth. But teaching presumes learning. Until you have helped people to understand and utilize a truth, you have not taught them the truth. Develop your skills as a teacher, skills that help you to deeply engage people in the study of the Bible.
- Get to know your learners. Be a student of contemporary culture. Listen to how your learners think about life. What are they celebrating and what challenges are they facing? People learn better when they see connections of the truth to their lives.
Where do you get help to keep growing as a teacher? For the next ten months, Gateway’s Educational Leadership team is developing this blog: Teach the Truth. Each week, we will release a short article to help you develop in each of these areas and more. Teaching the Bible may be the most important thing you do most weeks. It has the potential to affect eternity for those you teach. Work at being as effective as you can, “rightly handling the word of truth.”
Read More
“Faith is a tree known by its fruits”: The Gisle Johnson Project
The Gisle Johnson Project is a new research endeavor spearheaded by Robb Torseth
Excerpt — Towards a Clearer Understanding of Jonathan Edwards’s Biblical Typology: A Case Study in the ‘Blank Bible’
Dr. Cameron Schweitzer provides new insights into Jonathan Edwards’s often mischaracterized typology.
Listen
Prophets | Jonah
If you haven’t watched the Veggie Tales movie…you should after listening to this episode.
While the book of Jonah is placed later in the section of Prophets in the Bible, it actually takes place first in the historical timeline. This week, Tyler and Dr. Wegner
Pastor of The King’s Church
Stephen Coppenrath, Pastor of The King’s Church in Ontario California, shares his opinion on the place of entertainment in church, being hospitable in Western culture, and including children of all ages in worship.
Check out The King’s Church current series on Y
Watch
Jonathan Edwards and the Asbury Revival
Chris Chun and Chris Woznicki discuss the signs of true revival, signs of the work of the Holy Spirit, and why it is important to critically assess the characteristics of revival in a spirit of charity.
Jonathan Edwards and the Baptists | Douglas Sweeney, Nathan Finn and Chris Chun
Dr. Douglas Sweeney and Dr. Nathan Finn joined Dr. Chris Chun for a panel discussion on Jonathan Edwards, recorded live at the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim.