As they seek to improve at teaching the Bible, every pastor and teacher should consider these principles with every text they teach.
By Skylar Spradlin
Teaching the Bible is a great privilege that comes with tremendous responsibility. Not only does a teacher of the Bible form people’s spiritual health, but they also establish much of an individual’s understanding about the person, nature, and work of God. Therefore, pastors and teachers of the Bible should constantly evaluate their teaching and strive to grow in their capabilities. No pastor has arrived at a state of perfection in their teaching. It is wise and good for one to continue to grow in their ability to communicate God’s Word.
Below are 13 principles for teaching the Bible every pastor and teacher should consider for every Scriptural text they teach.
1. Center the text on Christ
What does this text have to do with Christ? How does it point to Christ? How can I help people see Christ in this text? The whole Bible points to Jesus. All the promises of God find their yes in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). Thus, every text focuses on, points to, and builds upon the person and work of Christ. A teacher should do the hard work of making known how a particular text points to Jesus. To teach a passage that does not center on Jesus is to fail in Bible teaching.
“To teach a passage that does not center on Jesus is to fail in Bible teaching.” — @SkylarSpradlin Share on X2. Stick to the point of the passage
What is the singular point of this passage? What are the secondary lessons that may be learned? How does everything in this text point to or flow from this singular point? How can I stick to the main point of the text? The Scriptures are not open to our own free interpretation. Our responsibility is to understand the truth. The singular point of the passage is the aim of our teaching.
What is the author saying? Why was this written? What is the point? These are all questions teachers must ask and strive to answer. Understanding a passage’s point helps clarify the truth and meaning of the other lessons in the text and guard against straying from the passage’s intended meaning.
3. Identify the purpose of the passage
Why is this passage here? What does it have to do with the larger context of God’s redemptive plan? What does this text have to do with the immediate surrounding context? How does this fit into the whole biblical context and theology? The Scriptures complement and clarify one another.
Though written by numerous authors over the span of about 1,700 years, the 66 books of the Bible function as one cohesive book. No part contradicts another. Therefore, teachers should make clear why God chose a certain passage to be included in the whole work of the Bible. More than furthering a narrative, teachers should ask what the text teaches about God, His works, humanity, and salvation. How does this particular passage further the redemptive narrative?
4. Answer anticipated questions
What questions should I anticipate being asked? Have I answered all potential questions? Part of being a good teacher is putting yourself in the place of listeners. What do they need to know? What will help them to grasp the meaning of the text? Or what questions need answering?
Sometimes, a teacher must decide if a question should be answered or avoided. At other times, a teacher should attempt to address anything that might hinder a person from understanding a passage. Often, this means anticipating and answering potential questions.
5. Understand the difficult portions
What dangers should I be aware of? Does the text address any difficult doctrines? Is there a danger of missing the forest for the trees? Teaching involves the wisdom of discerning what should be avoided and what should be discussed. Not everything in the Bible is within our scope of understanding.
If we’re not careful, we can become so consumed with unanswerable or debatable subjects that we miss the passage’s point. A teacher should be prepared to address those difficulties, anticipate how to deal with them, and be able to remind the listener of what is most important.
“If we’re not careful, we can become so consumed with unanswerable or debatable subjects that we miss the passage’s point.” — @SkylarSpradlin Share on X6. Adorn the passage with beauty
How can I present this text in a compelling and attractive way? A teacher should not embellish the truth or distract from Scripture with charisma or drama. Neither should a teacher make Scripture sound boring with unengaged, passionless teaching. Strive to let the glories of the Scriptures shine forth through compelling teaching. Adorn the passage, don’t cover it up with unengaging talk.
7. Highlight the logical flow of the text
Will others be able to clearly see the logical flow of the text? Will they see faithfulness and accuracy to the passage in my teaching? Part of being a faithful teacher is not just telling listeners the truth but also showing them the truth. A teacher shows the truth by directing the audience’s eyes to Scripture and exposing the line of thought and reasoning from the author.
Teachers must show how a text goes together, how it is interconnected, what its main themes are, where it is taking them, and what its point is. Remember, the Bible was written by inspired people. It has a cognitive and logical flow to it. Teachers should show their listeners what that flow is.
8. Strive for the main goal
Will people walk away with a greater understanding of the passage and a greater devotion, appreciation, and adoration of God? People should not walk away saying they got nothing out of the teaching. They should also not walk away only thinking about how great the teacher was. Rather, good teachers help listeners walk away with a greater understanding of Scripture and a greater understanding of God.
9. Explicitly show the gospel
How can I share the gospel from this passage? Will I call unbelievers to faith through this text without merely adding a gospel presentation to the end? Will I encourage Christians with the gospel in this text? Am I assuming others will see the gospel here? The gospel must always be shared.
Christians are Great Commission people left on earth to advance the gospel. Furthermore, God’s people need regular reminders of the glories of the gospel. God set the whole Bible in His grand plan of redemption. Make sure you are showing how any given text leads to the gospel.
10. Make your teaching timeless
The Scriptures are timeless. They reach every generation and age. Our teaching, if based on the timeless nature of the Bible, should also be timeless. Yes, modern illustrations are helpful. But, the issues of the gospel and human nature are not isolated to our culture, context, etc. Making our teaching timeless will help us to reach a broader set of listeners without losing them in cultural or generational illustrations.
11. Be helpful
Am I going to be helpful in my teaching? Am I connecting with people from all sorts of backgrounds? Is my application helpful, clear, and realistic? Many teachers can convey a set of facts and a system of knowledge. Few teachers are good enough to make those facts helpful. This is what God’s people need. More than merely storing up knowledge, God’s people need assistance in applying that knowledge in a clear, helpful, and realistic way. This is the teacher’s job.
“More than merely storing up knowledge, God’s people need assistance in applying that knowledge in a clear, helpful, and realistic way. This is the teacher’s job.” — @SkylarSpradlin Share on X12. Avoid speculation in the text
Speculation is the fast road to error. Furthermore, it is entirely unhelpful. People need the clear truth of the Bible and not the teacher’s speculated scenarios. At best, speculation distracts instead of builds up (1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 2:16; Titus 3:9).
13. Promote spiritual growth
Am I helping people grow spiritually? Are they being ushered to Christlikeness? The teacher’s goal is to help disciple people into spiritual maturity (Colossians 1:28). It’s the teacher’s task to help people understand Scripture and grow into the likeness of Christ. Keeping this in mind will help you avoid unhelpful, foolish moments.
For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.
Skylar Spradlin
Skylar is the lead pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Weatherford, Oklahoma. He’s earning his Masters of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is the co-host of “Doctrine & Doxology” a weekly podcast geared toward helping Christians think biblically.
