Bible Teaching is a Special Divine Empowerment

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Bible Teaching Needs Divine EmpowermentWhat God’s Word Says about Teaching

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; (Rom. 12:6-7)

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Pet. 4:10)

Spiritually Gifted to Teach

A spiritual gift is “a special divine empowerment bestowed on each believer by the Holy Spirit.” (Click here to learn more about this definition.) When using our spiritual gifts we are therefore operating according to God’s power.

Implications for Leaders who are Recruiting Bible teachers:

Since God has gifted people to teach, it only makes sense that we would look for people who have spiritual gifts that empower them to teach. While we might think of Bible teachers as those with the spiritual gift of teaching, that is not necessarily the case. Some who teach could have the spiritual gifts of exhortation. Others could have the gift of prophecy. And, some have a combination of these gifts.

People with the spiritual gift of teaching will tend to be more systematic in their approach.

People with the gift of exhortation will tend to be more applicational in their approach.

People with the spiritual gifts of prophecy will tend to be more confrontational in their approach.

The Holy Spirit can impart divine power and use people who are not gifted to teach, but God obviously intends for spiritual gifts to be an indication of where we should serve.

  • Understand the way God has empowered the people you recruit and help them understand it as well.

Implications for Teachers:

  • If God has given you a spiritual gift for teaching, then find some way to use it.
  • If you have been gifted to teach, are you effectively using that gift? – Paul told Timothy to “fan into flame” the gift he had been given (2 Tim. 1:6).
  • If you are teaching but are not so gifted, rely on the Holy Spirit to work through you nonetheless, while seeking to find your best fit in ministry.
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Bible Verses for Bible Teachers

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Bible Verses for Teachers
What better way to encourage and train teachers than to use God’s Word. The following verses could be used as part of a teacher training session such as a previous post, Circle Response Teacher Training.

Or you can use these verses to send by e-mail, post on a Facebook page or other social media platform for your teachers, or put them in a note card. You could distribute these verses one by one, maybe posing a question or adding a word of encouragement, or as a whole. You could encourage your teachers to use them in a devotional time, meditating on the Scripture as it relates to their teaching.

Click on the links above to look at each of the points about Bible teaching, giving some questions or statements to pass on to your teachers.

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Circle Response Teacher Training

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Bible Teaching Methods
(Click to enlarge in Pinterest & repin.)

Circle response is a method you can use in teacher training to get everyone participating in a minimally threatening way. How personal the type of response you request could depend on how well your teachers know each other. Each person is permitted to only respond with one word, phrase, or sentence, depending on what you set as the criteria. You can use any statement or question for them to respond to that could possibly generate more than one kind of response.

1) Arrange seating in a circle. You would normally do this prior to the session.

2) Start with the person who tends to be more outgoing and go around the circle having each group member give his/her response to your statement or question. No comments may be made to what is said until you get around the circle.

3) Follow the circle response with a summary with observations of what was said and then instruction/discussion.

An Example of Circle Response in a Teacher Training Session

Here is an example of how you can use circle response in training your Bible teachers that helps them assess their teaching.

Do the Following Circle Response Statements:

  • In one word, express how you feel about your teaching.

(Go around the circle for their responses. Move on to the next statement immediately without providing any commentary on what they said.)

  • In one word, describe how you think your students feel about your teaching.

Make observations about responses:

You might be able to comment something like the following:

For some, the words you used to describe your teaching from both points of view were similar. For others, they were quite different.

Use the following questions to discuss responses:

  • What criteria did you use to determine your responses to each statement?
  • Now reflect on this: How do you think God feels about your teaching?
  • What criteria would He use? (Ask for some Scripture verses that have been meaningful to them to keep them on track in their teaching as God’s Word needs to be our standard.)

Go to the post, Bible Verses for Bible Teachers, for some Scripture that could enter into the above discussion.

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