What makes a great Bible teacher? (Hint: It's not perfect theology)

Teaching Ministry

Feb 5

When we allow our minds to formulate an image that includes a “student” and a “teacher,” many of us return to a specific classroom. At the front of that classroom is the person who shaped that space. Depending on your experience, you’ll find someone amazing or someone terrible. You can probably visualize the classroom, smell the textbooks, and recall the graffiti etched into the desk.

Whether you return to a horrific class with that sub-par teacher or the most glorious classroom with the teacher who set the bar for all others, you can probably formulate a list of likes and dislikes. There are words that define each teacher or learning situation - both good and bad. We might use words like engaging, fun, caring, encouraging, terrible, inattentive, cruel, or boring.

Whatever words came to mind, they probably were used to define a general education school. Did you even consider your Sunday school teacher from all those years ago? Did your small group leader even cross your mind?

Why we Overlook Church Teachers

We don’t often think of the teachers in our churches because “they’re only volunteers.” We usually only see our Bible teachers a few hours a week rather than Monday through Friday.

Our Bible teachers might not come to mind but, if you’re on this page then you probably follow the teachings of a Great Teacher!

Jesus the Teacher

Yes, Jesus considered the role of “Teacher” so important for the building of His Church that he came as one!

Full of wisdom and divine insight, Jesus didn't lecture or tell crowds to take notes. He didn't lead a sinner's prayer. Yet His disciples consistently called Him "Teacher." And just in case you missed it, disciple actually means student.

Jesus had the best theology. He wrote the Book! But Jesus also understood humanity. He knew how they learned best and he taught in a way that honored humanity.

We can’t view humanity as well as Jesus but we can be deliberate to blend Biblical wisdom with teacher knowledge. We can learn from those who understand learning styles, students, and teaching methods.

There are many resources available to help Bible teachers understand the Bible — and that is important! But it’s not the most important.

4 Things that Matter More

Here are four qualities that matter even more than perfect theology:

A consistent, healthy prayer life
You've probably heard it before but even Satan knows the Scripture. He quoted it to Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4). But head knowledge without heart transformation is useless - even dangerous. It’s not enough to know the Bible. It’s not enough to understand and interpret all Biblical prophecies. A good Bible teacher needs a Holy Spirit connection and that only comes through prayer.
The Holy Spirit connection brings more than just knowledge into a Biblical classroom, it brings the Author! When we bring the Holy Spirit into a Biblical classroom, we bring the One who makes the Word alive. We bring the Discerning One, the Giver of Peace, and the Spirit that draws people to the Father.
The Father’s heart toward humanity
If prayer connects us to the Holy Spirit, then understanding God's heart connects us to His mission. And God's mission is love.
He loves people so much that He sent His son to die. He didn’t die for a select few or a campaign or a perfect collection of mindless followers. Jesus became man and died so we could have a proper connection with the Father and an eternity with Him.
Someone may be able to quote the Bible with accuracy and recite a perfect Bible timeline, but without genuine, God-filled love, their knowledge means nothing. God doesn’t love with a blind acceptance of all things. God loves people as they are but He also lovingly encourages growth. The same applies to a good Bible teacher, they need to love people exactly where they are but also love the future person that’s growing.
A desire to learn & grow
Many Bible teachers are volunteers who are filling a void left when another volunteer resigns. Often, the new teacher follows the same methods and curriculum as the previous teacher. A cycle of teachers continues with no one giving fresh life to the teaching. It’s easy for the new volunteer but the information becomes dry and monotonous. I saw this happen many years ago, Sunday school teachers would change every few years but the teaching methods never changed. Attendance dropped but it was wrongly blamed on people’s lack of desire to learn.
The Holy Spirit is at work as much today as He was in the early Church. We don’t need “new revelation” we need to better steward the power in the old revelation.
Part of the way we do that is through a hunger to keep learning and growing. Biblical teachers need to be growing deeper in their relationship with God - this creates a passion for His Word which makes the teaching of His Word more engaging. Biblical teachers must keep learning Biblical concepts, discovering teaching methods, and exploring the wider world - this creates a broader knowledge base.
As Proverbs reminds us, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” (Proverbs 4:18). Continuous growth is God's design.Growth doesn’t have to be physical. Growth can be mental, emotional, or spiritual. Teachers should never quit growing. If we quit growing then it’s time to quit teaching.
Humility & attentiveness
Great teachers don't just talk, they listen. They pay attention to what students are really asking, even when the questions are uncomfortable or the student is afraid to voice them fully. It can get intimidating but those uncomfortable times can lead to some of the most fruitful or productive conversations.
A good Bible teacher needs to be attentive to the heart concerns of the students. If a topic keeps surfacing, the students are probably looking for answers about that topic. This applies to all age groups. Kids sometimes get curious about Hell but so do adults.
Teachers also need to be discerning and pay attention to less obvious cues. Sometimes students are fearful of asking a question or discussing a topic. Maybe they’ve never heard the topic discussed in church or maybe they’re afraid of rejection. What may sound like an innocent question is really a heart’s cry for someone to speak to that deep concern.
Biblical classrooms need to be safe spaces for questions. If the church is not a safe space, people will find another safe space but they won’t find Truth.
Sometimes, the topic or question is complex and the teacher may not have the knowledge to answer the question. Humility covers much more than you might think. A simple admission of “I don’t know” and a promise to “look into it” reflects Jesus’ humility and a willingness to learn. Humility is a respectable trait that many teachers overlook because we think we need to always be experts.

Good theology is important, but it's not enough. Bible teachers need to keep learning doctrine while also cultivating prayer, love, growth, and humility. Because the goal isn't to become Bible experts. The goal is to become disciple-makers.