How to Be An Effective Bible Teacher

How to Be An Effective Bible Teacher - By George M. Bowman

ISBN: 8.75521207e+08
Date Read: 2024-02-21
How Strongly I Recommend It: 3/5
(See my list of 6+ books, for more.)

I expected How To Be An Effective Bible Teacher by George M. Bowman to only contain instruction on how to teach the bible. But the book went above and beyond. It gave a job description for the role of a bible teacher. An effective bible teacher is someone you become and not something you do. That it is an office within the church that needs to be highly regarded. I particularly like the emphasis that an effective bible teacher need to have practical bible knowledge. Biblical knowledge that one can apply to people’s day to day lives. To be able to help and counsel people with. There is also detailed instruction on how to prepare and lead a bible study. The book was publish in 1982, and I do feel like some of the cultural stuff should be updated because the culture did shift and we’re dealing with different issues. But the office of a bible teacher didn’t change much, and I found it still gives solid advice today.

My Notes

As a bible teacher your accountable to 1) The Word of God 2) The Church 3) The Students, in their order of importance.
A general outline of a lesson would be:
- Question
- Discussion
  - Ensure that opinions are tested with the Word of God
- Declaration
  - Ending with God’s truth to get rid of any confusion from discussions and to help God’s truth linger for the rest of the day

Picking Bible Teachers

Familiarity with the Word of God
- Being able to use it practically and apply it
Mature understanding of the problem of life
- Learn and live!
- Learning from the experience of others -> Empathy
- Declaring ignorance!
- Emotional maturity, a group can rise no higher than its leader
Courage to use the Word of God as the last court of Appeal
- The Bible also speaks on different area of life, in law, economics, physical health, mental health and etc.
Don’t put someone in a leadership position without careful examination of their character. Use the characteristics described in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus.
Don’t put someone in a leadership position just because you “don’t want to lose him”
Church should have a job description as well as characteristics they are looking for, for a leadership position. Instead of “we gotta fill this position at all cost, if it breaths, we hire’em”
Look out for prideful leaders who are only seeking the title of office but not the dedication of service
Beware of nepotism when selecting candidates
A-B-C: Ability to do the job, Behaviour pattern in his life which set a good example for others, and Creed that motivates to unselfish service to the Lord
What you believe (not what you think you believe) is what you really are
Faith have 4 components: Knowledge, believe, conviction, commitment (2 Tim 1:12)
Solid knowledge on the Doctrine of God, of His sovereignty
Never make the position of bible teaching easy to get
Live up to the calling that God has called you to.
1. Think Right
  - Feeding your new nature with the Word of God
2. Act Right
  - Kill sin through love of God and love of other and replacing sin with their moral opposites
3. Dress Right (Colossians)
  - compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love
  - Forgiveness is dependent on justice, the repentence or the ignorance of the individual
What knowledge should a teacher training course cover?
- The Authority of the Bible
- The doctrinal structure of the Christian faith
- How to interpret the bible
- How to use Bible helps
- How to outline a Bible lesson
- How to speak in public
- Prayer (both private and public)
- Family relations
- The Christian at his work
- Education (methods of teaching)
- False religions
- Entertainment and the Christian
- Christian stewardship and money
- Law and the Bible
- Health and the Bible
- Political science and the Bible
- Psychology
- Alcoholism, drug addiction and other vices
- Crime and punishment
- Old age – its problems and values
- Poverty and wealth
- Race relations
- Youth – its problems and values

Lesson Planning

Have a one sentence thesis (lesson objective) before planning your outline for your lesson
Only read what other have written about the passage or issue only after you have done the outline and one sentence thesis.
- This is to minimize notes needed when you are teaching
You will spend a lot of time preparing. You’re struggle as a good bible teacher shouldn’t be finding things to say, but finding the time to say it.
Generate questions from the outline <- objectives
- Think of question that the students will have, make sure that you can answer exhaustively all the questions that could arrive through the passage
Search for answer to those questions
Once you have all your materials, organize them into an outline with subordinate points
Write you intro and conclusion with the Lesson Objective in mind
Then look through your major and subordinate points and see if they support your Lesson Objective
Finally, find illustrations or anecdotes to support your Lesson objective
Don’t read your lessons, your outline should be just enough to jog your memory

Presentation

Don’t change your voice from your normal conversational voice
If you don’t know Greek or Hebrew don’t sound like your know Greek or Hebrew, quote an authoritative source
Don’t shout
Keep eye contact and don’t stare at your notes
Always think critically when using considering other resources and your own ideas as well
Don’t use overly casual register that can make it seem like you are making fun of God’s word. The audience should get a sense of deep respect for the holiness and authority of God from you.

Lei Yu