Teacher Training Lesson One

Phil Benedict

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

United Indian Mission

Greeley, Colorado

After the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and before He went back to heaven, He gave the following instructions to his followers. The instructions in these three verses give us the overall purpose of the church.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

These instructions emphasize making disciples, baptizing, and teaching. In these verses, which are some of Jesus’ last instructions to his people, there is a tremendous emphasis on teaching. If a church does not have a solid teaching ministry, it is not fulfilling these instructions. The process of teaching is a lifelong process.

From these verses we can define the fundamental reason for all of the teaching ministries of the church.

Another way of stating these goals is simply----1. to win and 2. to train

Every teacher should know and understand the plan of salvation very clearly. If the teacher does not clearly understand the plan of salvation, then he/she will not be able to clearly explain it to his students. Teachers must be able to explain it so that students can clearly understand it. We need to be able to explain it without using any words that we understand but may not be understood by an unsaved student. Words like grace, sanctification, redemption, saved, eternal life, holy and even believe, may be understood by Christians but will likely confuse unsaved people, especially young ones. The plan of salvation should be a regular part of your teaching, and it should be made clear and understandable.

When explaining the plan of salvation, appropriate Scripture should be used and correctly explained. It is the recommendation of this writer that a Bible version that is more easily understood be used when talking to individuals with little or no Bible background. This is especially true of young children. For children the New International Readers Version is good.

Children can be genuinely saved. I personally (Phil Benedict) was saved as a five year old child. When the Spirit of God is drawing a child to Himself, he can be saved. However if he does not understand or is not ready, it is very important that he not be pressured. Kids may pray and "accept Jesus" just because an adult tells them they should, and still not have the slightest idea of what they are doing. That is not genuine salvation. Many an individual has grown up thinking he is saved because he prayed as a child, when in reality he was never actually saved.

When the Holy Spirit is drawing someone to Himself, every teacher should be able and eager to lead that individual (child or adult) to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is very important. We should not expect the pastor to be the only one who can lead a person to put their faith in Jesus Christ. It is not difficult and you may have only one chance.

Once an individual has accepted the Lord, then he should make a public profession of his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized. Then the training and teaching part begins.

Ephesians 4:11-16 are key verses in understanding the goal of teaching.

Read this whole passage very carefully.

Now read verses 11 and 12 again very carefully.

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up... Ephesians 4:11-12

Notice from this passage that God calls people to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Today in the church we have evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

In the next phrase the goal of evangelists, pastors, and teachers is stated.

This is extremely important. The purpose for teaching is to prepare God’s people to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. If an evangelist, pastor, or teacher is not teaching God’s people to be good servants, he is not doing what God called him to do.

Teachers need to continually keep in mind this purpose for teaching. Our preparation for teaching and our classroom activities should all be done with this goal in mind. Anything short of this is simply not what God intends.

Ephesians 4:12b-16 tell us what happens when evangelists, pastors, and teachers prepare God’s people for works of service.

....so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:12b-16

This is a description of a healthy church. And it all comes about from evangelists, pastors and teachers preparing God’s people to serve the Lord.

Notice that teachers are put in the same context with evangelists and pastors. Teaching is a high and very serious calling. It is not to be taken lightly or casually. Accomplishing these goals requires a teacher who is very serious about teaching. Very young or immature Christians should never be expected or allowed to serve as a teacher.

Since training God’s people to serve the Lord Jesus Christ is so important we need to ask,

Again Scripture gives us the answer.

Carefully read 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

...and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:15-17

These are very important verses. Let’s look at what Scriptures do.

In verse 15, Paul tells Timothy, "...you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation." It is the Scriptures which tell us how to be saved. When we explain the plan of salvation, we need to use the Scripture. It is the Scriptures which develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse 16, we learn that Scripture is "...useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

Teaching in this verse is the same word as doctrine. The teacher is to teach correct doctrine.

Rebuke is to convict of sin. The teacher needs to teach right and wrong or what is a violation of God’s law.

Correcting is to set on the right course of behavior. Teachers need to set their students on a right course or direction.

Training in righteousness is to very carefully and patiently give instruction and training in the right way to live.

Verse 17 gives the results of teaching Scripture in this way.

When this process of teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness is going on in a person’s life, according to verse 17, he is equipped to do the work of God.

Notice how similar verse 17 and Ephesians 4:12 are.

2 Timothy 3:17, ..."so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Ephesians 4:11, "...to prepare God's people for works of service..."

The way "to prepare God's people for works of service..." is to teach them the Word of God so that the process of teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness can function in one’s life, resulting in God’s people being "thoroughly equipped for every good work."

In conclusion, we see that it is the Word of God which equips us to do the work of God. Therefore, teachers are to teach the students the Word of God. This is true of all ages, preschool through senior citizens.

In the coming lessons we will learn more about effectively teaching the Word of God.

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September, 2003