The following is another excerpt of a book which we have recently completed about teaching the Bible which focuses on some techniques that may be little known and are certainly seldom practiced today. Here we present two more, “Everybody has a voice,” and an additional note on preparation. Enjoy!
Taken from “Hosea: A brief guide for those who are lead to teach the book of Hosea”
Everybody Has a Voice
The person who is teaching must recognize that they are not truly the teacher, per se, rather, that they are the intermediary who is delivering the Word of God afresh to minister to thirsty souls, amongst which they must find their own. As such, it is important to ask open ended questions of the audience and to give everyone in the room an opportunity to respond. It is equally important to understand that some questions do not have answers, in fact, the best questions tend to lead to further questions rather than answers.
And it is good. Remember, as you are speaking the Word, the Holy Spirit is ministering about the room. As the audience listens to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is ministering, it becomes apparent that everyone in the room is a teacher and one person’s response to your question or comment may minister to another in the room without either of you being aware of it. The healing that occurs when this take place is amazing, and should be expected to be a constant part of the class when the Holy Spirit is leading.
There are no set rules, but as the intermediary (read teacher), the person in charge of the class has the responsibility to maintain the classroom environment as holy. If a question or comment carries on it can become more of a distraction than an aid to the healing that is taking place.
There is a fine line between teaching the Word of God and expressing one’s own opinions. It will be clear when it has been crossed, as the teacher, you are responsible for discerning when it has been crossed and steering the class back to the Holy Place.
A Brief Note on Preparation
While we have provided a number of questions and historical background to facilitate the study, we encourage you to read the entire Biblical text which you will teach, in this case Hosea, at least five times before presenting it. Each time, write down key questions which the Word begs the reader to answer. We have provided space for you to do this on page 19, and it is expected that this space will not be adequate.
Some of these questions will simply appear verbatim in the Biblical text, as is often the case when Jesus is teaching. Some of them will come to you through the Holy Spirit as you read and prepare. All of these questions are valid, and the Holy Spirit will guide you as to which questions to ask. Even simple questions such as, “what are you hearing?” or “what is happening out there, would anyone like to comment?” can lead to great healing amongst those in the class.
Stay tuned for more teaching tips and the release of the book itself here at The Mint. Trust Jesus and stay fresh!