
This syllabus is designed to accompany the classroom of Principles in Biblical Teaching.
This is a course on the basic principles of biblical teaching. It is designed to give a basic overview of methods and principles of teaching biblical truth. In doing this, the course will attempt to give the student helpful feedback so that he or she can assess with more confidence God’s calling in his life.
Upon completion of this class, the student will have . . .
1. Gained greater confidence in determining his or her calling.
2. Developed a personal teaching philosophy by writing a philosophy of teaching paper.
3. Gained further understanding concerning the Holy Spirit’s role in the teaching process.
4. Learned about various teaching methods along with their effectiveness.
5. Become aware of the importance of the spiritual, intellectual, and homiletical preparation that biblical teaching requires.
6. Become thoroughly familiar with the homiletical process through lecture, discussion, and preparation of lessons.
7. Prepared and delivered a lesson using the principles learned.
8. Created a personal critique sheet which will be used by peers in evaluation of lessons.
9. Learned to humbly evaluate the critique of others.
Jim Wilhoit and Leland Ryken. Effective Bible Teaching. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988.
Howard Hindricks. Teaching to Change Lives. Multnomah: Sisters, OR, 1987.
Haddon Robinson. Biblical Preaching. Baker: Grand Rapids, 1980.
Richard Ramesh. Preparing Expository Sermons. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001.
William Yount. Called to Teach. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1999.
*Howard Hendricks. Color Outside the Lines. Dallas: Word, 2002.
Many handouts will be given by the instructor. The student is expected to read each one.
This course can be taken at three levels: enrichment, for a grade, or for a grade with honors.
1. Participation: This class is structured and designed in such a way that participation in in-class discussions and activities will take up the majority of the time. Participation is therefore essential.
2. Each student working for a grade will have assigned reading: See schedule for due dates.
3. Each student working for a grade will write a personal teaching philosophy paper: This paper should be one to five pages. You will ask the questions, “What constitutes an excellent teacher?” “What constitutes excellent teaching?” and “What type of teacher do I want to be?” Then you will write down the primary values that you believe constitute an excellent teacher with the view of exemplifying these values in yourself and your teaching.
4. Each student working for a grade will be required to prepare and teach one sermon or lesson: This is the high point of the class. It is at this time that you will apply the principles learned and subject yourself to the critique of the other members of the class.
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#1 10% |
#2 20% |
#3 20% |
#4 50% |
The formal class sessions will be held for four consecutive weeks (Saturdays 9am-1pm).
The structure of the course will tentatively be as follows:
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Class |
Subject |
Date |
Due |
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1 |
Developing a Teaching Philosophy |
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2 |
Homiletical Process |
Reading: TCL Teaching philosophy paper |
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3 |
Delivery Evaluation of Teaching |
Introductions |
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4 |
Lessons: Break up into rooms 241, 242, 243, 244 |
Reading: EBT Lesson/Sermon (15 min.) |
I. What constitutes excellence in teaching?
II. Developing your own teaching philosophy
III. Holy Spirit in Teaching
IV. Role of Man in Teaching
V. Different teaching methods
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Excellent Teaching |
Poor Teaching |


Write down your ten primary values. These values will constitute your excellence in teaching paper.
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10.
1. Holy Spirit as Persuader
The Holy Spirit is the only persuader of spiritual truth: Read 1 Cor. 2:1-16

2. Holy Spirit as Gift Giver
Although all people are commanded to teach (Deut. 6:7; Matt. 28:19-20), certain people are spiritually gifted to teach (Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:29).
Write a definition of the Spiritual gift of teaching:
What does the “gift” of teaching look like? In other words, what is the difference between natural ability and the gift of teaching?
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Natural Ability |
Gift of Teaching |
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1. Effectively transfer information 2. Assimilate information 3. Imparts Knowledge 4. Intellectual 5. Changed minds |
1. Effectively transfer spiritual truth 2. Applies information 3. Imparts Wisdom 4. Spiritual 5. Changed lives |
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Natural Ability |
Gift of Teaching |
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Effectively educates, persuades, and changes lives outside the Church. |
Effectively educates, persuades, and changes lives inside the Church. |
1. Is there an unusual thirst to learn spiritual things?
2. Is there and unusual ability to understand spiritual things?
3. Is there an unusual desire to teach (Jer 20:9)?
4. Is there a natural ability to teach?
5. Do people benefit spiritually from your teaching?


1. ______________ the gift (1 Tim 4:14).
2. _________________ others who are effective.
3. Get ____________ in the principles of teaching.
4. Have someone ___________ your teaching and make helpful suggestions.
Christ’s Example: Conflict, parables, sermons, dilemma, illustrative, and expository.
This is the “sacrifice-it-all” attitude that you bring with you to a lesson that tells your students that you believe what you are stating. This is evident in the way you stand, speak, move, what you say, and how you live. While passion is difficult to define and impossible to imitate, it will never be missed.
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Teaching |
Preaching |

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Least affective teaching methods |
Most effective teaching methods |

What is the difference between preaching and teaching?

1. Mini-Lecture.
2. Sermon.
3. Role playing.
4. Devils advocate.
1. Use visual illustrations.
2. Give handouts and outlines.
3. Use Power Point.
4. Use white board.
1. Large group discussion.
2. Small groups discussion.
3. Have the students give illustration to a point.
4. Continually ask questions and wait for the answers.
5. Neighbor nudge.
6. Create dilemmas.
7. Field trips.
8. Have student debate.

1. What are the goals of my lesson?
2. What method would work best for my goals?
3. How much time do I have? One week? Six months?
4. What method would work best in the venue that I am using?
5. What are the expectations/requirements of the group?
6. How many people are in my audience?
7. Can I limit my audience according to my goals?
8. Or do my goals have to be changed because of the size of my audience?
1 Adapted from DTS class notes: Howard Hendricks and Michael Lawson, “Teaching Process.”
Three audiences of the homiletical process:
1. Original Audience
2. Universal (timeless) Audience
3. Contemporary Audience

1. Choose a text that comprises a single unit of thought (pericope).

2. Discover the exegetical outline.

3. Discover the exegetical proposition from the viewpoint of the original audience.

1. Using your exegetical outline, discover the theological outline.
Ask the questions:
1. “What does this mean for all people?”
2. “What does this say about God?”
3. “What does this say about man?”
2. Using your exegetical proposition, discover the theological proposition.

1. From your theological outline, discover the homiletical outline.
2. From the theological proposition, discover the homiletical proposition.


Example: Matt. 18:20
Pericope:____________
Exegetical Proposition:
Theological Proposition:
Homiletical Proposition (Big Idea):
PRINCIPLES IN BIBLICAL TEACHING SIGN-UP SHEET
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Genesis Name 25:19-26 __________________ 25:27-34 __________________ 26:1-11 __________________ 26:12-33 __________________ 26:34-28:9 __________________ 28:10-22 __________________ 29:31-30:24 __________________ 30:25-43 __________________ 32:1-21 __________________ 32:22-32 __________________ 33:1-20 __________________ 34:1-31 __________________ 35:1-29 __________________ Proverbs 4:1 __________________ 5:15 __________________ 11:1 __________________ 11:13 __________________ 12:18 __________________ 14:27 __________________ 16:3 __________________ 17:9 __________________ |
Proverbs Name 20:19 __________________ 21:31 __________________ 25:26 __________________ 26:17 __________________ 26:20 __________________ 28:13 __________________ Mark 1:1-12 __________________ 2:1-13 __________________ 3:1-12 __________________ 4:35-41 __________________ 5:1-20 __________________ 6:1-6 __________________ 7:24-30 __________________ 8:1-21 __________________ 8:27-38 __________________ 9:30-37 __________________ 10:17-31 __________________ 11:27-33 __________________ 12:1-12 __________________ 14:22-31 __________________ 16:14-18 __________________ |
Next week: Prepare a 3min (AND WE MEAN 3 MINUTES) introduction to your passage. Remember, you must find the “Big Idea” of the passage in order to introduce it correctly. However you introduce it (personal illustration, general illustration, revelation of a problem, etc.), it must accomplish two things: 1) does it point to the “Big Idea” of the lesson/sermon? and 2) does it create an “itch” to where people want to hear it?
Gen. 25:27-34
25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth,33 there were34 twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish35 all over,36 like a hairy37 garment, so they named him Esau.38 25:26 When his brother came out with39 his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob.40 Isaac was sixty years old41 when they were born.
25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled42 hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents.43 25:28 Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for fresh game,44 but Rebekah loved45 Jacob.
25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew,46 and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed47 me some of the red stuff—yes, this red stuff—because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called48 Edom.)49
25:31 But Jacob replied, “First50 sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?”51 25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.”52 So Esau53 swore an oath to him and sold his birthright54 to Jacob.
25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out.55 So Esau despised his birthright.56
Gen. 25:27-34
I. Moses contrasts Jacob and Esau’s character by portraying Esau as a rugged hunter and Jacob as a more civilized man and gives this contrast in character as the background for the boy’s parent’s partiality (27-28).
A. As a grown man, Esau is said to be rugged and a great hunter while Jacob, by use of a disjunctive clause, is said to be civilized (27).
1. lit, “A man who knew hunting”
2. “Man of the field” found only here in the OT can only be defined by the contrastive statement that Jacob was a “tent dweller” meaning that he was civilized and therefore carry the meaning of “uncivilized.”
B. Because he loved the food that Esau brought, Isaac is said to love Esau, while Rebekah is said to love Jacob without explanation (28).
1. Again, a disjunctive clause is used here to juxtapose the partiality of the boys’ parents.
2. The explanation of Isaac preference for Esau is emphatic in that there is no explanation for Rebekah’s love for Jacob.
II. Esau foolishly gives up his inheritance of the family’s wealth by selling it to Jacob in exchange for a bowl of worthless “red stuff” in a time of extreme hunger and weakness (29-33).
A. Esau, having allowed himself to become starving, weak, and vulnerable while hunting, comes to Jacob’s house with an animal-like appetite and shouts for the first bit of food he sets his eyes on calling it “red-stuff” (29-30)
1. Word-play is used here to show how the hunter becomes the hunted.
2. The word “feed” used by Esau was used for feeding animals and portrays Esau’s weakness and appetite as animal-like.
3. The phrase “red-stuff” shows the barbaric nature of Esau’s hunger in which he is not concerned with what it is he just sees that it is edible and that he wants it.
B. Esau’s weak condition caused Jacob to use it to his advantage trading a worthless bowl of “red-stuff” for an invaluable birthright.
1. Explanation of the birthright.
2. Contrast between the birthright and the “red-stuff.”
III. Esau quickly ate the “red-stuff” and hated his birthright because of it.
Moses portrays Esau as a rugged animal-like person who satisfied his physical desire of hunger by trading something of immense value for something that was worthless.
I. People’s temptations are often hereditary (27-28)
II. People’s weaknesses are often set up by previous experience (29-30)
III. People will often give up things of immense value for things that are worthless in times of temptation (31-33)
IV. Giving in to temptations causes you to move further away from God (34)


1. Life Need
2. Bible Learning
3. Bible Application
4. Life Response2
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Into the lesson Into the Word Into life3 |
ü Receiving Information ü Exploring and Discovering ü Appropriating ü Assuming Responsibility4 |
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1. Stating the Aim 2. Securing purposeful Bible Study 3. Developing the lesson 4. Making the lesson personal 5. Securing the carryover5 |
FOCUS: Turning heart to hear God’s Word.
DISCOVER: Personal or group interaction into God’s Word.
RESPOND: Applying God’s Word to life.6



1. Introduction
a. Illustration (personal if possible)
b. Current events
c. Creation of a dilemma
2. Challenge the Audience
a. Moves from you to them
b. Creates the “itch” or the need
3. Reveal the Subject (Homiletical Proposition)
4. Preview (Outline)
5. Context of the passage
6. Tell people to turn to the passage (give them time!)
1. What does this tell us about God?
2. What does this tell us about man?
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Good Conclusion |
Bad Conclusion |
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“Let me give you four points of application” (5-10 min) |
“And may God apply these truths to our lives. Amen” |
Big Picture of a Sermon/Lesson
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Option One |
Option Two |
Option Three |
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Introduction I. Point #1 A. Exegetical B. Theological C. Homiletical II. Point #2 A. Exegetical B. Theological C. Homiletical III. Point #3 A. Exegetical B. Theological C. Homiletical Conclusion |
Introduction I. Exegetical II. Theological III. Homiletical Conclusion |
Combination of the two. Makes sure that each category is represented somewhere. |
33 tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”
34 tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinnēh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.
35 sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is ˒ad̄mōni (אַדְמרֹנִי), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.
36 tn Heb “all of him.”
37 sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is śē˓ār (שֵׂעָר); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.
38 tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” is not etymologically related to śē˓ār (שֵׂעָר), but it draws on some of the sounds.
39 tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.
40 tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.
sn The name Jacob is a play on the Hebrew word for “heel,” ˓āqēb̄ (עָקֵב). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. It did not have a negative connotation until Esau redefined it. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. After receiving such an oracle, the parents would have preserved in memory almost every detail of the unusual births.
41 tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”
42 tn Heb “knowing.”
43 tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (tām [תָּם], which normally has the idea of “blameless”).
44 tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.
45 tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.
46 sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is zid̄ (זִיד), which sounds like the word for “hunter,” ṣayid̄ (צַיִד). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word zid̄ (זִיד) means “to cook; to boil,” but by the soundplay with ṣayid̄ (צַיִד) it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).
47 tn The rare term לָעַט (lā˓aṭ), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.
48 tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.
49 sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”
50 tn Heb “today.”
51 tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”
52 tn Heb “Swear to me today.”
53 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
54 sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.
55 sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen. 3:1–7 for another example.
56 sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.
2 Dan Lioy, ed., Adult Teacher’s Guide, David C. Cook’s Bible in Life Curriculum (Colorado Springs: Cook Communications, June, July, August, 1997), 5.
3 Standard Publishing, Patricia Alderdice Senseman, ed. Christians in Action, Kiddler Curriculum (Cincinnati: Standard Publishing Company, Summer 1997), 2.
4 Lowell E. Brown, Sunday School Standards (Ventura, CA: Gospel Light Publications), 19-20.
5 Findley B. Edge, Teaching for Results (Nashville, Broadman and Holman Publishing, 1995), 106.
6 Scripture Press Teaching Guide, Studies in Ecclesiastes and Sing of Songs (Colorado Springs: Scripture Press, June, July, August, 1997).
1. Personal Illustrations.
2. Current event illustration (newspaper, magazine, etc).
3. Research polls (www.barna.org; magazines, Gallup).
4. Illustrations from an Illustration Book (www.bible.org, Tardy Oxcart, etc.).
I. Creating an Atmosphere.
II. A/V Techniques.
III. Evaluation Sheet.
IV. Setting a time to teach.
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Topic/Aim/“Big Idea” |
Development | |
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What was the topic of the introduction? |
How was the topic developed? | |
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Inductive? Deductive? Inductive-deductive? Undeveloped? To many topics to develop? | ||
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Was it clear: |
Introduction 1. Was there a need created? | |
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How badly were you “itching” to hear the lesson? | ||
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2. Was the clearly subject revealed (deductive only)? 3. Was the lesson previewed? | ||
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What was the topic of the teaching? |
Outline | |
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Was it clear: |
Topical |
Verses covered |
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What was the topic of the conclusion? |
I. II. III. |
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Was it clear: |
Conclusion/Application (Took) | |
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What was the “Big Idea” in one sentence? |
1. Did the lesson exhort you to act? How? | |
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Was it clear: |
2. Was there a summary/review given? | |
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Poor Average Good Excellent |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Poor Average Good Excellent | |
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Delivery |
Content |
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Mannerisms (gestures, hand movements, facial expressions) |
Was the lesson accurate? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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Engaging (questions, pauses, eye contact) |
Interesting? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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Voice (speed, tone, expressiveness) |
Relevant? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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Passion |
Do you feel like you learned something? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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Annoying habits |
Do you feel like you were challenged? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Poor Average Good Excellent |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Poor Average Good Excellent |
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