Teaching Methods Used in the New Testament (Part 2)

“Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” (John 1:49)

“The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” (John 3:2)

As seen in these verses, Jesus was known as a Master Teacher, or Rabbi. A recent post explained how Jesus and certain Scriptures used different educational methods. The idea came from Chapter 5 of The Philosophy of Christian School Education, edited by Dr. Paul A. Kienel. This article finishes the summary of a section in that textbook chapter, showing the teaching method used and giving an example of how this could be used in today’s classroom.

Parable

Jesus’ teachings were full of parables, or stories with a moral (sometimes called “earthly stories with heavenly meanings”). Luke 12:16-21 tells of the rich man who built his barns bigger, and the expressed teaching point is to not lay up treasures for oneself. The Christian teacher can use Christ’s actual parables or stories from the teacher’s own personal experience or even from nature to explain a spiritual truth.

Practice

In Philippians 4:9, the Philippians are told to put into practice the things they had learned from Paul. “Practice” in this case means learning by doing. Students often learn best by physically doing activities whenever possible, whether working in partners to do a science lab or making a map for geography class.

Question/Answer

Jesus asked his disciples in Matthew 16:13-18 who people were saying he was. The disciples answered with various names. Jesus then asked who the disciples said he was, a question which Peter answered with a strong statement of faith. This method of question and answer is a powerful way of teaching because it makes the student think for himself, moving beyond simple memorization. Questions and answers are also often used for review and testing; the teacher needs to be sure to correct wrong answers respectfully.

Quoting Scripture

As in many other places in the New Testament, Jesus quotes Old Testament Scripture in Luke 7:27 to explain to His followers who John the Baptist was. The Christian teacher can use Bible verses to explain what the class is discussing or to emphasize Truth, especially in disciplining. Specific Bible verses can be used as examples as well, such as showing certain grammatical principles or themes from a short story the class read.

Reading

In Luke 4:16, Jesus read the Scriptures in the synagogue. In I Timothy 4:13, Paul tells Timothy to give attention to reading. Reading is a fundamental method of teaching. The teacher can read to students, the students read to the teacher or the class, the students can read on their own–all of these assist not only learning but also student enjoyment.

Repetition

In Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; and 20:18-19, Jesus repeats the idea that he will be killed but will rise again on the third day. Philippians 4:4 repeats within the verse itself that a Christian should always rejoice. Repeating material in different ways aids greatly in student memorization. Whether the student repeats the material audibly or the teacher repeats to give students different contexts for class content, repetition is a powerful method of teaching and learning.

Review

Jesus reviews with His disciples in Luke 24:44 both the words He had spoken to them and the words of the Old Testament Scriptures. By going over these passages again, he re-examines and shows the importance of what he has taught them previously. Reviewing what has already been taught is a key part of learning since students need to refresh and strengthen concepts they have already learned.

Rhetorical Questions

In Luke 13:2-5, Jesus asks his disciples if two groups of people were sinners. Not expecting an answer from them, he answers his own question and continues teaching them about the need for repentance. Teachers can use rhetorical questions, or questions that don’t require an answer, for emphasis or to make a point, having the students think through the question/answer.

Visual Aids

Luke 13:19 gives a picture of mustard seed growing, representing the kingdom of God. In Matthew 22:19-21, Jesus uses a coin to represent the difference between what belongs to the government and what belongs to God. Both of these are examples of teaching with visual aids. In the current classroom, visual aids might range from samples to slides, models, experiments, posters, or simple objects. Whatever form, these concrete examples provide support and explanation for abstract teachings.

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