Bible Teachers

I’ve been thinking about the importance of Bible teachers or Sunday School teachers. What an amazingly important function they serve!  Think of how important it is for preschoolers, elementary age children, pre-teens, teens, young adults, couples, singles and seniors to properly discern what God has revealed to His children through His Word.  We know that Christ is the hope of the world, and Bible teachers are on the front lines in the warfare against spiritual darkness and confusion about the Bible.  We know that a spiritual vacuum is fertile ground for tyranny and the decline of society. We know that Satan perpetually tries to distort the Truth.  In my experience in the church, we have placed a great deal of emphasis on the selection of deacons, but not that much for Bible teachers.  Yet Bible teachers are impacting many lives in the church on a weekly basis. I think we need to pray for effective, Christ-centered, Holy Spirit- led Bible teachers.  And I think that church leaders should be careful in selecting and mentoring them.

What should be the basic qualifications for Bible teachers?

Obviously they should be “born again” Christians. They should have a “testimony”—the story of how they came to receive Christ as the Messiah.

They should be serious Bible students. They should be delving deeply into God’s Word, and not just to prepare for the upcoming lesson.

They should have a clear and unshakable grasp of the basics of the Christian faith: The Triune Singular God, man’s need for redemption, the reality of Satan and the sinful nature, Jesus as the Messiah and Savior of the world; His virgin birth, His atoning sacrifice at Calvary, the Resurrection, God’s Love for the human family and His desire that none should perish; Christ’s ordination of all believer’s to love people with His love and invite them into the Kingdom  [i.e., evangelize] etc.

       They should not be new Christians. They should have had some time to mature in the Word.

They should have a palpable love for God and for people.

They should be good communicators. They should be able to connect with the people they are teaching at their level, and without criticism or condemnation, facilitate growth in Christ.

Their zeal should not outpace their maturity.

They should be accountable to a mature Christian [pastor, Sunday School superintendent, etc.] who loves them and wants to see them grow in Christ.

They should bear the fruit of a mature Christian and be aware of the example they set in the community.

They should be motivated by the Love of God for people, and not for the prestige of the position.

They should have a servant’s heart.

They should be aware of their own imperfections and willing to confess their own failures and short-comings when it is appropriate to do so. In other words, they should not practice hypocrisy.

They should possess humility and be authentic and sincere Christ-followers.

       They should have a “we are all fellow strugglers” rather than a “holier than thou” or “I have 
       arrived “attitude.

They should consider themselves as much a “learner” as a “teacher”.

They should maintain an awareness of the extra accountability they have to God because of their role as a Bible teacher.        

 Some verses for teachers:  Ezr 7:10, Eze 44:23, 1Sam 12:23, Psa 25:9, 86:10, 51:13; Mt 28:19-20, 5:19; Lk 24:27, 12:12; Jhn 21:15, 13:34; Ac 5:42; Rm 2:19-24, 12:3, 14:12; 1Cr 12:28-29; Eph 4:11; Heb 5:12-14, 13:17,35; 1Tim 4:15, 6:3-5;  Tit 1:9.