So you’d like to teach the Bible? How do you get started? How do you decide if Bible teaching is your calling? Here’s my advice for aspiring teachers.
First and foremost you need to learn to study the Bible well. Start with Bible Study 101. Then progress to the topics below.
Jump to: ** Reading List; ** Biblical Greek; **Next **
Learn to teach the Bible
I need an overview of the Bible
Just as it’s helpful to know something about the culture and history of Jane Austin before you read Pride and Prejudice, it’s helpful to know the culture and history of each book of the Bible. These resources will give you the big picture.
“Has God said?” The role of personal revelation in Bible teaching
You’ve probably heard a teacher, pastor or preacher say something to the effect “and then God told me.” What’s up with that? What role does personal experience and/or personal revelation play in Bible study? For me, the bottom line is: Scripture takes precedence over emotions and experience; and teachers ought to strive for accuracy and precision in their language. Here are the guidelines I use when teaching.
Continue Reading “Has God said?” The role of personal revelation in Bible teaching
Marks of False Teachers
A vital part of your Bible study arsenal is learning to recognize false teachers. Here are three interesting lists — both modern and classic — on how to discern a true teacher from a false teacher. Notice the similarities.
How to format teaching notes
Ultimately, how you handle your speaking notes will depend on personal preference. As you experiment, here are some ideas that may help you find your style and prepare like a pro.
4 people you need to improve your teaching
One speaker claimed everyone needs 3 people to become a better writer. His list applies to Bible teachers — with one addition.
Becoming a Bible teacher
So you’d like to teach the Bible? How do you get started? How do you decide if Bible teaching is your calling? Here’s my advice for aspiring teachers.
When to tell a story
Teaching through stories is increasingly popular. But there is a downside. Here’s how to avoid the pitfalls.
Plagiarism and Bible Teaching
You’ve probably heard the joke that the greatest insult you can give a Bible teacher is that your work is both original and good. Why is that funny? The part that’s original is not good, and the part that’s good is not original. The goal of Bible study is to be right, not original.
08 James 3:1-12 Warnings to Teachers
Since Bible teachers presume to explain the word of God to others, James warns them to seriously consider the responsibility before seeking the job.
Why I love the Bible and hate sermons
I can spend 20 hour a week in Bible study without complaint but I’d rather shovel rocks than sit through most 20 minute sermons. Transformation without information has all the nourishment of whipped cream.
Greek for Bible Teachers
How to use e-sword to parse a word
Even if you don’t know biblical Greek or Hebrew, you can do a lot with the original languages, if you understand some basic grammar and have a few good tools.
Punctuation & Accents – Biblical Greek
Even if you’re using an interlinear Bible, it’s helpful to understand the basic punctuation marks and accents.
Word Studies – Greek
A listener asked for help with word studies. These resources pages give you links to tools to help your word studies.
Cases – Biblical Greek
The different functions words can perform in a sentence are called cases. In Greek, case — not word order — indicates the word’s function in a sentence, making it important to understand cases.
Prepositions – Biblical Greek
Here’s my running summary of Greek prepositions and their main meanings depending on case.
Grammar for Biblical Greek students
One way to understand Biblical Greek is comparing and contrasting it with English grammar. Lack of knowledge of English grammar can be an unexpected obstacle to learning biblical Greek. Here are some basics you may want to review before embarking on learning biblical Greek.
Should I learn Greek & Hebrew?
After a few years of Bible study, students often begin asking, “Should I learn biblical Greek and Hebrew?” While the tools for English readers continue to improve and less people are learning the original languages, knowing the original languages can be helpful. You can learn enough to widen the tools available to you and/or learn to read Scripture in the original language.
Verbs – Biblical Greek
Bible Study software has made biblical Greek more accessible for those who never learned the language. Now with 1 click you can access the Greek word and its conjugation but what are you looking at? Here’s a helpful primer on Greek verbs.
Reading List
1 Corinthians 1-4
Every Bible teacher should understand the first 4 chapters of Paul’s first letter to Corinth, and should take the content to hear.
Teaching to Change Lives: Seven Proven Ways to Make Your Teaching Come Alive by Dr. Howard Hendricks
Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, by Bryan Chapell
Preaching Christ in All Scripture, by Edmund P Clowney
Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching, multiple authors
It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It, by Joan Detz (secular)
How to Talk so People Will Listen, by Stephen D Brown
The Word Became Fresh: How to Preach from Old Testament Narratives, by Dale Ralph Davis
How to Give a Pretty Good Presentation: A speaking Survival Guide for the Rest of Us by TJ Walker
Foundations: An Overview of Systematic Theology (DVD series) by RC Sproul
Communicating for Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication by Andy Stanley
Creative Bible Teaching by Lawrence O. Richards & Gary J. Bredfeldt
NextPhoto by Ben White on Unsplash
