Physical age and spiritual age do not necessarily correspond. Some students who are adults physically could be infants spiritually. Some students who are children physically could be spiritual adults. Bible teachers must therefore teach in ways that consider both realities — where students are physically as well as spiritually.
Considerations about a Students’ Physical Age
Regardless of how spiritually mature people might seem, they still could have limitations due to physical age level development. Consequently, teachers must take the following into consideration so teaching fits within students’ mental, emotional, physical, and social abilities:
- Vocabulary (The younger the age, the simpler and smaller number of words they can understand and express.)
- Type of Content (The younger the age, the more concrete versus abstract their thinking.)
- Methodology (The younger the age, the less coordinated and socially apt they are.)
Teacher Training Resource: Age Level Characteristics
Realities about a Students’ Spiritual Age
Regardless of the physical age, students could still be crawling around spiritually, needing the milk of God’s Word.
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.(Heb. 5:12-14).
Consequently, we must understand that:
- Spiritual development involves training with God’s Word as our trainer. We must therefore accurately teach God’s Word and encourage students to study it on their own.
- Spiritual truth can only be spiritually discerned which requires the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14). We must therefore constantly pray for our students and encourage them to yield to the Spirit’s work in their lives.
If students aren’t growing spiritually, they could struggle with what is taught regardless of physical age level abilities and development.
Teacher Training Resource: Teacher’s Role in Discipling Students Toward Spiritual Growth