EFFECTIVE BIBLE TEACHING

second edition

James C. Wilhoit

Leland Ryken

a division of Baker Publishing Group

Grand Rapids, Michigan

© 1988, 2012 by James C. Wilhoit and Leland Ryken

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakeracademic.com

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

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Contents

Preface

Part 1: Effective Teaching

1: The Changing Landscape of Bible Study

2: The Church’s Unfinished Task

3: The Tasks of the Effective Teacher

4: The Teacher

Part 2: The Methods of Effective Bible Teaching

5: Discovering Unity in Biblical Passages

6: Thematic Unity in Biblical Passages

7: Bridging the Gap

8: Principles of Biblical Interpretation

9: Understanding the Methods of Inductive and Directed Bible Studies

10: Leading Inductive Bible Studies

Part 3: The Bible We Teach

11: What Kind of Book Is the Bible?

12: Types of Writing in the Bible

13: Teaching the Stories of the Bible

14: Teaching the Poetry of the Bible

15: Teaching Other Genres of the Bible

Subject Index

Author Index

Preface

From the time that Luther declared that “the entire life and being of the church lie in the word of God,” Protestantism has committed itself to the tasks of preaching and teaching the Word. Of the two, preaching has fared better than teaching.

Bible teaching is a subject of neglect in the contemporary church. Seminaries have required courses in homiletics, and nearly every month brings the publication of a new book on preaching. But where are the books and courses on teaching the Bible? No wonder a Gallup poll uncovered people who believe the Bible to be God’s inspired Word and yet cannot name four of the Ten Commandments. Effective Bible teaching heads the agenda of the church’s unfinished tasks.

Part of the problem is that the church has failed to equip laypeople to study and teach the Bible. Without intending to do so, it has handed over the task ...