How teachers view the Bible matters. It not only affects how we teacher but also how students perceive God.
Seeing the Bible as absolute truth is a starting point, something leaders should consider as a requirement in those they recruit to teach. But, even within that framework, teachers could skew the way their students approach the Christian life if they aren’t careful. The slant put on certain aspects of the Word could negatively affect students as well, affecting even their motivations.
Viewing the Bible as Primarily a Book of God’s Laws Affects Motivations
If the Bible is seen as merely God’s book of rules and regulations, then teachers will tend to teach for obedience, possibly presenting a more legalistic approach to the Christian life. They will be presenting a demanding God who will undoubtedly end up seeming distant to students.
Make no mistake: Obedience and morality are important but there is so much more to the Christian life than following a list of do’s and don’ts. God cares about the heart of people, not mere robotic conformity. He wants people to be motivated by love, not fear of condemnation for disobedience.
Look at the big picture: Jesus consolidated all the commandments into just two … love God, love people (Matt. 22:36-40). Jesus put love before obedience — “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (Jn. 14:15).
You’ll find the content of this post in the Teaching the Real Message of the Bible Teacher Training Resource along with an example of teaching the Bible with this kind of slant, emphasizing why a grasp of the big picture of the Bible is important.