Standing up before a group and teaching the Bible is rather scary on several fronts. Perhaps that is as it should be, considering James’ admonition to weigh things out carefully before even becoming a teacher of the Bible. He reminds us that teachers will indeed incur a stricter judgment. (James 3:1) Ouch.
Over twenty years ago when I first began teaching Bible studies to women, I pulled from 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 five commitments that I wanted to keep as I taught God’s Word. I wrote those pledges in the front of my Bible and review them occasionally. Still, there are times when I realize I have been amiss in keeping one or more of them. It’s easy to get full of self, over confident, and off on the wrong track as a teacher, isn’t it?
If you’re a teacher of God’s Word on any level — in a children’s Sunday School class, to young girls, in a women’s Bible study, or one-on-one — you might benefit from adopting these commitments too. Here they are, straight from where I recorded them on the first blank page of my Bible. But they’re also straight from Scripture.
- I commit to teach with humility and simplicity, always seeking truly to teach, never to impress (1 Corinthians 2:1).
- I commit to only teach Jesus — His Word, His ways, His saving act of dying for us. I will not teach my own vain philosophies or psychology of the day. (1 Corinthians 2:2)
- I commit to be transparent and vulnerable before my students so that in my weakness He may be shown to be strong. (1 Corinthians 2:3)
- I commit to always invoke the Holy Spirit’s presence and power, both as I prepare my lessons and as I teach. (1 Corinthians 2:4)
- I commit not to seek to build my own kingdom, but only the kingdom of God. I will not encourage dependency or even loyalty from my students. (1 Corinthians 2:5)
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