There is an excellent movie about law school entitled THE PAPER CHASE. The film tells the story of James Hart, a law student at Harvard who is intimidated by one of his teachers, Professor Charles Kingsfield, a relationship made more difficult when Hart falls in love with Professor Kingsfield’s daughter. The movie opens on the first day of class when Kingsfield randomly chooses Hart to answer his questions. The experience is so overwhelming Hart rushes to the bathroom to throw up afterwards. During another class, Kingsfield berates the unprepared student:
“Mr. Hart, here is a dime. Take it, call your mother, and tell her there is serious doubt about you ever becoming a lawyer.”
Everything that happens in Kingsfield’s class is formal, professional, and detached—even the insults.
Perhaps you have known professors like that. It is possible to teach college courses in an impersonal manner. I had professors both in college and in law school who addressed their students as “Mr.” or “Ms.,” though such teachers were unusual. Nevertheless, college and graduate students are usually prepared for an arms-length relationship with teachers. Sometimes the nature of the content may even require a formal tone.
But we are to teach the Bible in a personal manner. This is not a set of irrelevant laws or neutral facts. Even the most obscure Bible content is PERSONAL. God’s Word can be APPLIED to your life and to the lives of those you teach. Not only that, Bible teachers are called to love people, and to love their students particularly:
“We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children. We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us” 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8.
One of my college majors was Christianity. My fellow students complained when they were exposed to things that caused them to question their faith. The professors defended the curriculum by arguing “this is not Sunday school.” There is some truth to that: if you cannot discuss hard topics in a college setting, where CAN you discuss them?
But one of the best protections against the risk of college Bible students losing their faith is a professor who can speak openly and personally about the strength of his or her own faith.
If you are a pastor, Bible study leader, or Sunday school teacher, are you sharing your life with your students? Do they see how strong your faith is? (And if your faith is not strong, should you really be teaching the Bible?) I believe the scripture should be the focus, occupying the majority of the discussion (your students did not get dressed to come hear you tell random stories, no matter how entertaining). But Bible teachers should share their personal experience of walking by faith. Paul did.
The Apostle Paul writes that he and his fellow teachers shared not only the gospel with the people of Thessalonica, but “also our own lives.” The key to teaching scripture well is to teach the word faithfully while also sharing the story of your own life of faith. Share your life, your struggles, your victories, your testimony of God’s faithfulness. Model a life of faith, so your students can imitate that life, 1 Thessalonians 1:6.
“Be imitators of me as I imitate Christ” 1 Corinthians 11:1.
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