The Primacy of Teaching

The Sunday School Teacher 2 

One of the wonderful things about the the human race is its altruism, its built-in drive to do something to help somebody else. Even unsaved people have it. It manifests itself differently based on culture, aptitude, opportunity, health, and other factors. Sometimes, it produces volunteerism that is only marginally useful – for example, a chap who donates his time to help park cars at a local festival. But in other cases, it results in a monumental contribution – volunteer firefighters come to mind here. It is my considered belief perhaps the greatest example of this just might be Sunday School teachers. What could be more important?

          The primacy of teaching is rooted in biblical example and instruction. For the first, Jesus Himself immediately comes to mind. Early in Jesus' ministry, Nicodemus approached Him and, while seeking advice, expressed a clear understanding that Jesus was a teacher. Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God. (John 3.2) Yes, Jesus taught the multitudes, but He also mentored individuals extensively. How else did He transform a ragtag group of twelve Jewish commoners into men who would turn the world upside down? (Acts 17.6) He taught in the synagogues and on the streets. He taught in personal conversation and private interactions. He taught in sermons and parables. He taught each time He answered a question. He taught with words and works. He was everlastingly at it, ceaselessly offering the most helpful instruction in the most helpful way.

          Not only was Jesus a teacher, but the second greatest figure in the New Testament, Paul, was also a teacher. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. (I Timothy 2.7) It comes through quite often in his writing. He layers arguments like bakers layer cake, one balanced precisely on the other, raising us to truly tremendous heights. Clear, convincing writing comes only from careful thinking, distilled most often through numerous teaching repetitions. Paul knew how to make an argument, how to move a man from obstacle to skeptical to convert. He reasoned the man from one thought to the next, connecting them like steps in a staircase. Paul was a master teacher.

          In addition to both of these, Moses, the greatest figure in the Old Testament, was a teacher. And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them. (Exodus 24.12) His case is particularly interesting. He neither expected nor planned to be a teacher. He wanted to rule. It is quite obvious what he had prepared himself for and what he believed he was best suited to do. Yet along the way, by giving Moses the Law, God brought to him the responsibility and ministry of teaching. Whether you think you are suited to it or not, once you have custody of the Word of God, you have a responsibility to teach it to others.

          In point of fact, parents are a classic example of this very thing. When couples date, they rarely contemplate parenting at all, let alone factor in just how large a part of their life it will become. Yet to be a parent is, by definition, to be a teacher. Everything the child learns for the first few years of his life comes via his parents. Even when other teachers enter his life, his parents remain and will remain so for as long as they live. Even after his parents die, their teaching will continue to guide him, especially if they did it right.

          Parents teach their children how to talk, how to walk, and how to dress themselves. Parents teach their children letters and numbers. Parents teach their children manners and character. Parents teach their children how to care for themselves and how to befriend others. Parents teach their children about money and politics. Parents teach their children how to throw a baseball and catch a football. Parents teach their children consciously and unconsciously. Above all, parents are to teach their children the Word of God. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 6.6-7)

          As if the family responsibilities were not enough, the other institution God started, the church, also places a priority on teaching. It is specifically included in the three New Testament lists of spiritual gifts. (Romans 12.6-7, I Corinthians 12.28, Ephesians 4.11) The implications of that clearly identify teaching as an absolute necessity, just as much in the church as in the home. In fact, teaching is included twice in the church’s mission statement: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. (Matthew 28.19-20)

          There is not a single spiritual grace, doctrinal concept, or practical outworking of our faith that does not have to be taught. If we are instructed to do it we are instructed to teach someone else how to do it. Nor is anyone exempt from this. Naturally some will be better at it than others but if the Great Commission is for all Christians – and it is – then teaching is for all Christians.

          If God's people fail to understand this and apply it, Christianity will become extinct in one generation. Put another way round, the only reason we have Christianity in our generation is that every generation prior to ours, for the past two millennia, have lived up to their responsibility to teach their converts. Beloved, we dare not drop the ball in our generation or Christianity will die with us.

          Clarence Benson, in his 1940s-era book on Sunday School, summed it up this way: "Christ Himself was a great teacher. Sixty out of the ninety times He was addressed He was called 'Teacher.' In the 'Great Commission,' His last charge to the disciples, our Lord twice commands them to teach. In laying down the qualifications for the pastor, Paul stipulates that he should be 'apt to teach' (I Tim. 3:2). The apostles went everywhere teaching and preaching, and preaching and teaching. The early church was a teaching church."

          Teaching is not the only good thing we are called to do, but we are most certainly called to do it. Failure here will lead to failure everywhere in a matter of years. In a non-doctrinal context, it is a fundamental of the family and of the faith both.

          It is a wondrously good thing you do, Teacher. It is a marvelously wise thing to seek to grow in your ability to teach. May God long bless you in the doing of it.

The Sunday School Teacher: Introduction

 Note: The past two books I have published began as blog series and later were edited/expanded and published as books. In the case of this series, I am planning to do so upfront. In other words, what you will read on my blog over the balance of the next year is a serialized book. As I complete sections, I will post them on this blog. Eventually, it will be published as a book. 

The Sunday School Teacher 1, Introduction

I must confess something right here at the outset. I was tempted to title this book "Making Sunday School Great Again." I have not, primarily because this is not a book about organizing, promoting, or building a great Sunday School. I do not know how to write that book, and others in previous generations have already written it better than I could. Yet, in a sense, I am still tempted by that title, for in helping you to become a better teacher, the result will absolutely be a great Sunday School. Class. As Lee Roberson said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Your Sunday School class will rise or fall on you.

          …which is why you picked up this book, is it not? Perhaps I should say why this book was handed to you. Perhaps you have a desire to become a better Sunday School teacher, or perhaps someone else has that desire for you. I am grateful either way. God is honored when we seek to improve our usefulness for Him. While nothing will increase your ability to teach like actively teaching, it is also true that your teaching skills can be sharpened by studying a book like this. Like your students, you will encounter information you had not previously known, take ownership of that information, and then change your life. In the process, you may well help the lost to be saved and the saved to be edified. And if that happens, I am amply repaid for my labors.

          Having established that my desire is to perfect you for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4.12) and that your desire is to be perfected, let us turn now to how this book intends to do that.

On these pages, you will find three sections. First, there is the spiritual aspect of teaching Sunday School. While some teaching disciplines cross schools, teaching the Bible to people is definitively a spiritual process. In this section, we will examine the history and necessity of Sunday School, the primacy of teaching, the superiority of the traditional Sunday School over the trend of small groups, seek to answer whether you have the gift of teaching, expound on the qualifications necessary to teach, emphasize the spiritual purposes of Sunday School, explain how to be a spiritually powerful teacher, look at Christ as our example in teaching, and close with a discussion of the Sunday School teacher’s best aide, the Holy Spirit.

Second, we will examine the philosophy behind teaching as a craft. Drawing primarily from other men's work here, I will seek to show you how the teacher, the learner, the language, the lesson, the teaching process, the learning process, and the review all intersect to produce excellent teaching. We will close this section with a discussion of the proper mental approach a teacher needs, how to become a long-term teacher, the appropriate approach for an assistant teacher, whether team teaching is valid, and the benefits that fill a Sunday School teacher’s life.

Third, we will turn to the practical. How do you choose what to teach? How do you write a lesson plan? How do you emphasize specific applications? How do you build a relationship with your students? How do you create a class spirit? How do you get your students involved? How do you grow your class? How do you maintain control? How can you successfully tailor your teaching to little children, young children, older children, young teenagers, older teenagers, single adults, young married couples, mature Christians, a men's class, a women's class, etc.? How do you get the students to study at home during the week? How do you build a culture of Bible memorization? How should illustrations be used in your teaching? What about record keeping? Prayerfully, you will find help to deal with subjects such as these and more.

My overall intent is to keep each chapter or section of a chapter relatively short. I want you to be able to read this in quick snatches of time here and there throughout the week. I want it to provoke thought, yes, but more so to move you to action. I want you to consciously try something new each week or month over the next year. I want you to grow as you internalize what you read and gradually begin to put it into practice. I want your capacity and ability as a teacher to expand. I want you to be more useful to the Lord and more edifying to your students.

Finally, a brief word about sources. A number of good books are available that touch on different aspects of Sunday School, including teaching. I gathered several of them. As I read, I culled them for helpful ideas and applications, many of which have found their way into this work. I will list them for you below. In bold are the ones I found more helpful than not. 

 

-Spiritual Power in Your Teaching, Roy B. Zuck, Moody Press, 1963, 188 pages

-The Seven Laws of Teaching, John Milton Gregory, Baker Books, 2003, 128 pages

-The Sunday School In Action, Clarence H. Benson, The Bible Institute Colportage Association, 1941, 327 pages

-The Successful Sunday School and Teachers Guidebook, Elmer Towns, Creation House, 1980, 400 pages

-What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know, Elmer L. Towns, Gospel Light, 2001, 180 pages

-Youth and the Church, Roy G. Irving and Roy B. Zuck, Moody Press, 1972, 442 pages

-Mentoring and Modeling, Dr. John Goetsch and Dr. Mark Rasmussen, Striving Together Publications, 2002, 199 pages

-101 Tips For Teaching, Mark Rasmussen, Striving Together Publications, 2007, 205 pages

-Building A Standard Sunday School, Arthur Flake, The Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1934, 171 pages

-World's Largest Junior Church, Dr. Jim Vineyard, self-published, 1981, 133 pages

-Teachers That Teach, Amos R. Wells, The Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1924, 138 pages

-Biblical Youth Work, Jim Krohn, self-published, 2005, 355 pages

-May I Suggest; For Parents and Leaders of Teens, Thomas J. Vogel, Bird Publishing Company, 2000, 224 pages

-Teaching Sunday School Teachers to Teach, Dr. Jeff Owens, Owens Publications, 2012, 223 pages             

 

You can be an outstanding Sunday School teacher. Together, let us turn the page and learn how.