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.
I avoided teaching 1&2Thessalonians for a long time, because of the passages on the end times (e.g 1Thessalonians 4 and 2Thessalonians 2). But I wanted to teach them because of Paul’s advice for living your life now in 1Thessalonians 4-5. Those passages seem particularly applicable in today’s upside world. I hope you learn as much as I did.
In 1Thessalonians 4, Paul addresses specific questions and issues in the Thessalonian church. First, Paul addresses how Christians should handle their sexuality. Then he tackles work.
At a writing conference, one speaker claimed everyone needs 3 people to become a better writer. His list applies to Bible teachers — with one addition.
While Paul laments his inability to visit the Thessalonians, he rejoices over their faithful response to the gospel. Paul claims his crowning joy is seeing people like them respond to the gospel.
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.
Paul explains how he conducted himself at Thessalonica and why his message his trustworthy. Today we face the same choice: whether or not to believe Paul.
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.
In their first year of faith, Paul sees three changes that confirm the genuine belief of the Thessalonians: their “work of faith,” “labor of love,” and “steadfastness of hope.”
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.
Paul is writing to a very young church of people from different ethnic groups in a city that is intensely hostile to them. Paul wants to encourage them to persevere in the faith and clarify some issues that confuse them.
In March I’ll be starting a new series on 1&2Thessalonians. In his letters to the Thessalonians, Paul teaches a young church facing persecution how to live between the first and second coming of Christ. I hope you’ll join me.
Krisan Marotta is a Bible teacher and host of Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.