Bible Teaching That Educates the Mind and Directs the Feet

Sid Cates, Ed.D.

Several years ago, as a beginning high school Bible teacher in a Christian school, I was concerned about some of my students' lack of interest in spiritual matters. Though I had many students who loved and lived God's Word, it seemed that my efforts and prayers were almost always centered on the ones who were spiritually aloof. In looking back on those days, it is easy to justify my apparent off-centered concern with my lack of maturity, but I find that even today my concern centers around those students who appear most indifferent. It is clear that all teachers in a Christian school desire, above everything else, to see their students live godly. And the Bible teacher, in particular, has a longing to see his students know and abide by the Word.

That first year as a discouraged Bible teacher I was seeking solutions to my desire to see my students know and exemplify God's Word. I looked for answers at the yearly Christian teachers' convention. The workshop title, "Teaching Students to Know and Live the Bible" caught my eye and from the title appeared to have the key to my problem. I attended and found that the proposed solution could be found in simply requiring my students to memorize verses. As a matter of fact the panacea involved placing the major emphasis in my class on verse memorization instead of factual teaching. The verse used by the workshop leader to support his theory was Psalm 119:11: "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Thrilled to have the answer, I returned to my classroom and developed a new direction for my Bible class. Students who were being tested on only one verse a week now would do much more: they would now be responsible to write from memory one verse (or verse group) of my choosing from the previous ten verses. In other words, students were required to know a new verse and the previous ten for each verse test. To add emphasis to the importance of the verse test and give an impetus to learn them, these tests counted three-fourths of the student's report grade. Needless to say, the students learned these verses!

After one year my discouragement returned as I saw no perceivable change in the number of students who evidenced indifference. I asked myself some hard questions: First, did I misunderstand the workshop leader's premise on Bible memory? Second, was I not putting enough emphasis on verse memorization? Third, was the Bible promise in the Psalms wrong?

After reviewing the workshop notes, I did understand his premise. Secondly, there is little doubt that three-fourths of the student's grade was a lot of emphasis. And the promise in Psalm 119--was it wrong? I began to study it and found that it did not say I have hid the Word in my mind, but in my heart. In other words, there is a great deal of difference between committing a verse to the mind and cementing it in the heart. It suddenly dawned on me (after a year) that knowing the Word centers in the mind but doing the Word comes from the heart. In my Bible class I needed to aim for the student's heart and not just his mind. Note the following verses:

Prov. 23:7--For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
Dan. 1:8--But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself
Luke 6:45--A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Rom. 10:10--For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

These verses point out the importance of a right heart in producing right actions. These verses do not discount the importance of hearing, learning, or memorizing God's Word. Nor do they imply that a "made-up mind" cannot produce right actions. There is no doubt that someone who makes up his mind to do right can do it, for a while. They clearly indicate, however, that a purposeful heart is the foundation for right actions, not a purposeful mind.

Nevertheless, the mind plays a vital part in right actions. The "gateway" to the heart is through the mind. If we as Bible teachers want our students to walk rightly, our teaching must not only educate the mind but reach the heart. But how?

The "But how?" can best be answered by looking at a portion of Scripture that examines a heart action of one who acts and walks wisely. In Psalm 119, 46 of the 176 verses show David's desire to exhibit a proper walk and his way of teaching that walk to others. The verbs "keeping" and "observing" are used by David in referring to obeying God's precepts, statutes, and Word. On the other hand, David used variations of the verbs "teach" and "learn" in reference to teaching someone to "keep" or "observe" God's precepts etc. There are a number of verses in the chapter we could examine for enlightenment on how to teach the "keeping" or "observing" of God's precepts; however, the verse we will look at most closely will be verse 66.

In Ps 119:66 David makes the request, "Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments." In a chapter filled with references to David's desire to walk rightly, he pleads for two academic features to be taught to him: good judgement and knowledge. Are these the secret element in teaching that affects the head AND the heart? There is no doubt that the average Bible teacher does a good job at instilling knowledge, but does he spend enough time on teaching good judgement? Which leads to another "But how?"

Before a discussion is begun on how to teach good judgment, two points must be made. First of all, David asks to be taught knowledge and good judgement after he "believed thy commandments." In other words, David's heart was right spiritually before he asked to be taught these two traits. Likewise, no student can walk the right walk without a heart in harmony with his Lord. Thus, no matter how well we teach the student knowledge and good judgement, an out-of-sorts heart with negate it all. Secondly, the teaching of Biblical knowledge is important to a right walk. It is the foundation to teaching good judgment. Therefore, the teaching of Biblical knowledge should never be minimized in the classroom. As will be seen, the teaching of good judgment should be done in conjunction with the teaching of Bible knowledge.

Good judgment as it relates to a godly walk can be defined as a process of decision making that involves the use of principles as guidance in a decision. Principles, as relating to day-to- day decisions, are codes of conduct established by God and proclaimed in Scripture. When David expressed in Psalm 119 that he desired to "keep" or "observe" God's statutes, laws, testimonies, etc., he is referring to a goal of being obedient to Bible principles. Therefore, the teaching of good judgment to the student involves incorporating the following three steps in the classroom:

Step 1. Expose students to Bible principles. This is an important first step, for without Bible knowledge of these principles no other step can be accomplished. Although memorization of the verses that teach the principle can be used effectively in this step, it is suggested that memorization should not be required until after step two is accomplished.
Step 2. Teach for understanding. Note Psalm 119:34 in which David says, "Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart." Again, it can be seen that right actions (keeping thy law) come from the heart. This verse reveals an essential ingredient of Bible teaching that reaches the heart: teaching for understanding. In other words, in order to live a principle, that principle must first be understood. Simple memorizing of a verse with a principle is not enough; that principle must also be understood. At this point it is easy for someone to inject that to memorize is to understand. Not so! It is a fact that students in the Christian high school memorize a multitude of verses containing principles for godly living but never truly understand them. It is imperative that the Bible teacher explain a verse before it is committed to memory. Interestingly, there is a side benefit of understanding a verse before memorizing: the verse is easier to learn. This is emphasized by David in Proverbs 14:6b, where he wrote, "Knowledge is easy to him that understandeth."
Step 3. Practice in class the application of a principle. This can come through demonstrations, case studies, written exercises, role playing, and student/teacher testimonies of the principle in action. One teaching method that can improve understanding and promote application is to have students rephrase in a personal diary a verse that teaches a Bible principle. In addition, this diary of "Principles in Action" should have examples the student is familiar with of Bible principles being fulfilled.

Note that right action begins with the Bible. According to Ps. 119:66, David asked to be taught good judgment and knowledge, which taken together generates right action. The process to good judgment begins with the Bible principle, proceeds to understanding of the principle, which leads to a heart understanding that culminates in good judgment. Likewise, knowledge of the Bible principle takes a different path that goes through memorization of the verse containing the principle, proceeding to a head knowledge of the principle. Note that understanding of the principle without Bible knowledge leads to weak resolve, while knowledge without understanding leads to opinion.

Again, it must be pointed out that when David asked to be taught good judgment and knowledge, this occurred after he had achieved a proper spiritual relationship with his Lord. Therefore, the challenge to all Bible teachers is to reach the student's heart first. Then expose the principles of God's Word to the students, help them understand these laws, require them to memorize the verses containing the principle, and finally, teach the students how to make applications.

Reprinted from Balance, a publication of the School of Education, Bob Jones University. Used with permission of Bob Jones University. Please write BJU Press, for permission to reproduce this article.