Here are four agree / disagree statements you can use for a teacher training session to help stress the importance of working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit.
The Agree/Disagree Statements about the Holy Spirit & Bible Teaching:
- The Holy Spirit is the real teacher in a Bible lesson.
- Only the Spirit can enable students to know Jesus.
- Only by the Spirit will spiritual truths be understood.
- Only the Holy Spirit can produce change in a student.
Instructions for Using Agree/Disagree Statements:
- Make a statement (verbal, projected, on handout, written on white or chalk board).
- Ask group members to indicate whether they agree or disagree with the statement in some way. (I have used a variety of means … mere raise of hands, distributed set of cards to each student to hold up one with “agree” and other with “disagree”, go around room and ask everyone for their one word response, have them walk to designated area in room for agree or disagree, distribute handout with all statements and ask them to commit to their response by circling agree or disagree for each statement, etc. — How you do this could depend on the amount of time you have and/or the group size.)
- Provide opportunity for all or some group members to give their rational for which response they chose. (How many are able to share depends on size of group and/or time element.)
- Encourage them to discuss the issue further and provide any additional input needed as provided below. If everybody expresses agreement or disagreement, formulate questions to challenge their stance with input provided below.
- Do the above for each statement and then conclude with a summary and applicational step. A next step could be to order the reproducible version of The Holy Spirit and My Teaching Devotional. Distribute a copy to each of your teachers to do on their own as follow-up to this session.
Input on Each of the Statements about the Spirit and Teaching:
All of these statements are quite true yet if looked at from a different angle, could give room for some disagreement. In reality, both sides reconcile when looked at from the whole of Scripture.
- The Holy Spirit is the real teacher in a Bible lesson.
Agree, without the Spirit at work, people cannot understand spiritual truth (Jn. 14:26; 1 Cor. 2:9-16)
… yet the Spirit works through human teachers empowering them and teaching them what to say as His witnesses, as dispensers of His grace (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:4, 7; 2 Cor. 3:6; 1 Thess. 1:5-6; 1 Pet. 4:10). Bible teachers are real teachers in terms of their physical presence but if teaching by the wisdom and power of the Spirit, are His instruments or mouthpieces for communicating His truth.
- Only the Spirit can enable students to know Jesus.
Agree, the Spirit is the One who points people to Jesus, testifying of Him, speaking on His behalf, glorifying Him (Jn. 15:26; 16:13-15) and without Him no one can say Jesus is Lord (1 Cor. 12:3)
… yet the Spirit uses our lives and stories to give them a visible picture of Jesus (1 Cor. 11:1; 2 Cor. 3:3; Gal. 5:22-23). While the words and actions of teachers do enable students to know Jesus, teachers can only be an example of Jesus to students as they themselves follow Christ which the Holy Spirit enables them to do as they yield to Him.
- Only by the Spirit will spiritual truths be understood.
Agree, without the Spirit working in a person’s heart, they cannot accept and understand the things they hear from the Word (1 Cor. 2:9-14; Col. 1:9)
… yet teachers must present truths in ways that fit students’ age level abilities and open the door for understanding (1 Cor. 9:19-22; 1 Thess. 2:7-8, 11-13). If God recognizes that people are at varying places needing different approaches (1 Thess. 5:11-14; 1 Jn. 2:12-14), it is only a part of keeping pace with the Spirit to approach people in accordance with where they are as well to be used by Him in the process.
- Only the Holy Spirit can produce change in a student.
Agree, it is the Spirit’s work to convict and convince people (Jn. 16:7-11)
… yet the teacher has the responsibility of promoting an environment through which the Spirit is pleased to work (Col. 3:16). Faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17) which is where Bible teachers come in, leaving them with the responsibility of accurately presenting truth (2 Tim. 2:15) not only in the words they speak but also in how they structure lessons.
Summary: Without the work of the Holy Spirit, our teaching would be devoid of the supernatural. On our own, in the natural realm without the Spirit, we cannot produce real change, make spiritual truths sink into the hearts and minds, or enable students to know God. But, if the Spirit works in us, giving us the power and the words, we can be used by Him to make a difference in people’s lives. So, in a true sense the Spirit is the real teacher. Yet, He uses us to teach. We work in cooperation with Him, not the other way.