Category Archives: Teaching Objectives

As Bible teachers we need the right message to take up residence in our teaching. We should zealously hold to the centrality of the Word, providing opportunity for the class to learn from one another, not just us, the teacher. The means we use should be directed by the Spirit, pointing students to the Lord and resulting in praise to God. All of this gets reinforced by the right attitudes formed within us and our students.

The Kind of Attitudes Generated as We Teach and Admonish in Accordance with Colossians 3:16

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (Col. 3:16)

If our teaching is rooted in “the message of Christ” and points to Him as the One worthy of all praise, it only makes sense that it is accompanied by the attitude of Christ who humbled Himself for our sake (Phil. 2:5-8) and willingly endured great hardship for the joy set before Him, knowing it would lead to our salvation (Heb. 12:1-2). When our teaching isn’t about us but rather Him, we will find ourselves “singing to God” rather than bemoaning the time it takes and the hardships that may come with it. When we consider Him, we “will not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb. 12:3).

Notice that we won’t just be singing but “singing to God with gratitude” in our hearts (Col. 3:16).

As teachers,

you will sing to God because you know that whatever happens as you teach and admonish one another is because of Him.

you will sing with gratitude because you realize it’s a privilege to be used by God in the teaching-learning process.

you will sing from the heart because teaching is a joy and not merely a duty or obligation.

When you’ve truly fostered the kind of environment in which you “let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit”, you should also see students “singing to God with gratitude” in their hearts (Col. 3:16).

They will sing to God because He is the One who provided all they need to navigate life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

They will sing with gratitude because of the difference He’s makes in their lives.

They will sing from the heart because they’ve learned more than head knowledge. They’re changing from the inside out.

That’s what happens when we let the message of Christ dwell richly among us!

Colossians 3:16 exhorts us to “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Let’s break down what this verse could mean for us as Bible teachers.

As Bible Teachers We Both Teach and Admonish

While this verse doesn’t zero in on classroom Bible teachers, we still can find instruction for teaching. As stated in Colossians 3:16, we’re to “teach and admonish one another”, meaning members of the Body of Christ among each other. Classroom Bible teachers do that in a more formal way.

As believers, one toward the other, we’re to not only communicate the truth of God’s Word but also challenge one another where we might not be putting it into practice. Bible teachers therefore need to see their role as more than disseminating truth. They must address the real issues of life and provide warning of what will happen if people don’t align with God’s Word. We’re talking about instruction (didasko) that is put in mind (noutheto) where it needs to be applied.

To teach comes from the Greek word didasko from which we get the term didactic. This is instructional teaching, intentionally designed to convey information.

To admonish comes from the Greek word noutheteo which literally means “to put in mind” such as we do when we warn someone.

We need to take an instructional approach but at times it also needs to be correctional. As teachers we must be open to adapting our teaching to what students most need, similar to the instruction in 1 Thessalonians 5:14. — “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

Truth will always be the foundation but if students don’t grab hold of that truth, all we have are Bible literate students. Being “filled with the knowledge of His will” is so we “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:9-10).

What Bible Teachers Need to Get Right to Effectively Teach and Admonish

Click on the links below to posts that address what is needed to effectively teach and admonish based on the remainder of Colossians 3:16.

Here’s what it will take:

The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to put an end to false teaching and divisive speculations, something Bible teachers still need to guard against in their classrooms. He said, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from …

a pure heart
and a good conscience
and a sincere faith.” (1 Tim. 1:5)

Click on the above links if you haven’t read those posts. Here we’ll focus on love from a sincere faith.

What It Means to Love from a Sincere Faith

The Oxford Dictionary defines sincere as “free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings” which is pretty much what the original Greek word means. Strong’s and Thayer’s biblical dictionaries use word like unfeigned, undisguised, undissembled, without dissimulation, without hypocrisy. Being sincere, then, is more about what we’re not as the Greek word, anypokritos, begins with a negative particle. — The opposite of not being fake or hypocritical is being genuine, real, sincere.

To have a sincere faith means we are truly trusting God. We’re not trusting in our own abilities. We acknowledge that the ability to really love our students comes from God, not our self-determination or good intentions. We love because He first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19) and so we know and rely on that love (1 Jn. 4:16), not what we try to generate within ourselves.

What Happens When We Don’t Love from a Sincere Faith

Without a sincere faith, trusting God to work in us what we can’t do for ourselves, we won’t have a pure heart and good conscience because on its own the heart is deceitfully wicked (Jer. 17:9-10; Rom. 3:10-12) and our consciences are seared (1 Tim. 4:2). And, hence, we might …

put on appearances.

We will be like the religious leaders in Jesus’ day whom Jesus warned against who were motivated more by pride than a true desire to minister to people (Matt. 6:1-18).

Reality Check: We’re to have the same attitude, or mindset, of Christ, in our relationships. Though equal with God, He humbled Himself to become a servant for us. (Phil. 2:5-8)

be hypocritical.

We will teach one thing and do another or we may do the right thing but inwardly not truly believe it (Matt. 23:15-28). — “on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matt. 23:28)

Reality Check: We’re to be an example for students which requires consistency between what we say and do. Otherwise, as Jesus said, we’ll be like blind guides (Matt. 23:16, 19).

send mixed messages.

We might have a degree of faith so we will sometimes point students in the right direction but fall into inconsistencies that contradict the whole counsel of God.

Reality Check: We’re to use Scripture as our tool, to equip students. We must remember that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful” and so it’s important if students are going to “be thoroughly equipped for every good work” that what we teach is the adulterated Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

If we do any of the above, we won’t truly connect students to the One who is Truth (Jn. 14:6), generating a sincere faith within them, “advancing God’s work—which is by faith” (1 Tim. 1:4). So, let’s genuinely trust God for that pure heart and good conscience that leads for genuine love.

When we love from a sincere faith, we’ll be in a better position to be servants and models who are equippers in their students’ live. Check out the Bible Teacher’s Role training resource for about these roles and more.

As Bible teachers who want to advance the work of God, we must set an example of what matters most to Him — that we love God with all of who we are which spills over into loving people. Is our goal truly love? Can we honestly say we have a good conscience about our teaching and how we treat students? Or, do we live in the realm of good intentions?

What It Means to Love from a Good Conscience

Goodness is seen in its beneficial effects. Can we look at our teaching as advancing the work of God and beneficial to our students’ lives? Will we be able to stand before God and hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” based on the way we prepare and present lessons and invest in students’ lives? Keep in mind that:

• Inadequate preparation goes against God’s desire for us to correctly handle His Word (2 Tim. 2:15) and shows a disregard for wanting the best for our students.
• Allowing the presentation of the lesson to get off on inconsequential and controversial issues points away from what’s most important to God (1 Tim. 1:3-5) and does little to build up the students.
• Failing to pray for God’s continued work in students’ lives and follow up with them suggests we’ve just done our duty and don’t really care about them and the advancement of God’s work in their lives (1 Thess. 2:7-8).

What Happens When We Don’t Love from a Good Conscience

We lack integrity.

We use manipulative tactics to get students’ cooperation or involvement. We twist truth, even if just a bit, to make it palatable to students so they keep coming.

Reality Check: “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Cor. 13:6)

We inwardly despise certain students.

We inwardly hate unruly, uncooperative, or belligerent students but put on a false front. But, we can only put on a front so long until what’s inside spills out (Lk. 6:43-45) into offensive behavior like overreacting in ways that are hurtful and demeaning

Reality Check: “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” (1 Jn. 4:20)

We become self-condemning.

We know we aren’t really approaching teaching in ways that please God and benefit students and feel guilty but still don’t change. The cycle perpetuates itself until we begrudge our responsibilities and want to quit or maybe even take it out on students.

Reality Check: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 Jn. 4:18)

Only when we have a pure heart will we have a good conscience resulting in having done our best to present ourselves to God “as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed” (2 Tim. 2:15).