EPAPHRAS: AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER

I have started to look into Paul's letter to the Colossians again since it is the portion of Scripture I plan to use as the theological foundation for my dissertation project.

I want to highlight a prominent motif in the letter that can be overlooked too easily: teaching and understanding. 

It gets underway early - by the 6th verse - where Epaphras is recognized as teacher to the Colossians:

"5b Of this - (the hope laid up for them in heaven) - you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant."

Apparently, Epaphras was a GOOD teacher - the proof being the gospel bearing fruit and increasing in their midst.

The hearing AND understanding are both crucial here - just as in Jesus' parable of the 4 soils in Matthew 13 where the ultimate difference between the first and last soil is "understanding".  

Hearing doesn't automatically lead to understanding.

And without the people grasping the truth, the gospel would not advance.

While it's true that even the best of teachers cannot reach EVERY student, NO students are reached by the worst of teachers.

Epaphras apparently proved to be a good teacher.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRETESTING

This past weekend I had the opportunity to put some of my dissertation thoughts into an hourlong workshop at a youth retreat at nearby Southeastern Baptist Youth Camp. 

In keeping with one of the basic principles of good teaching practices, I decided to ask the teens a simple question on Friday night before my workshop on Saturday. I was planning to talk about the gospel being bigger than the typical "you're a sinner so Jesus died for you and if you believe in Him you can go to heaven when you die" concept, and I wanted to know what the kids already knew.

So I asked the retreat organizers to hand out these cards and ask the teens to give their best responses:

When I came in the next morning, the cards had been filled out AND the other adult leaders - local pastors and youth pastors - had read over the replies.

They were aghast!

I had received responses like these: 

• "The gospel is what helps you get closer to God, like listening to Christian music, praying, reading your Bible, or talking to someone."
• "The gospel is the story of Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world."
• "The gospel is a place where you learn about God and what he did for you because he loves you."

The responses prompted talk among the camp leadership of revamping the summer camp teaching for next season! They realized they were entirely overestimating what the teens already knew.

Basic teaching: Before the lesson, find out what your students already know, what they don't know, and what they think they know.

ANOTHER MISSING CLASS

Here's another class that I think should be required for every seminary student: Basic Psychology and Behavioral Science. 

I think a lot of burn out, stress, and conflict in the life of a pastor could be stopped in its tracks by familiarity with the realities of:

• Confirmation Bias
• Cognitive Dissonance
• Framing
• Habit Formation
• Logical Fallacies
• Reciprocation
• Social Proof
• The Dunning-Krueger Effect
• Etc.

The class would be an easy sell because this stuff is flat-out fascinating.

Plus, it could all be incredibly useful for the "marketing" aspect of church life. 

There would be plenty of real-world case studies to look at and it would be fun to find examples of all the various human quirks of thought and emotion in the Scriptures. 

Once you are familiar with the concepts, you see them illustrated left and right throughout the Bible. 

A MISSING CLASS

You can bet that every seminary offers plenty of classes on preaching and Bible study, but I am not aware of any seminary which requires a class on best teaching practices.

I would be curious to find out if any even offer such a class as an elective.

So, if I could wave a magic wand and change the seminary experience for the next generation of pastors, a required class on pedagogy would be at the top of my list. 

I haven't done in-depth analysis, but from glancing over online Bible dictionaries, the use of Greek and Hebrew words associated with the concept of "teaching" easily outnumber those associated with "preaching" in Scripture - even without throwing in all the instances of "knowing". 

Here are the main qualifications for an "overseer" of the church, according to the Apostle Paul himself:

"An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money." 1 Timothy 3:2-3 

Is it not interesting that "able to teach" gets included while "able to preach" does not?

LIKE ALGEBRA, BUT WORSE

Imagine if your high school math teacher approached algebra like the typical church approaches faith education.

First of all, class would only meet once or twice a week and there would be no expectation of students doing any learning outside of class.

The teacher's sole approach would be lecture. 

Correct answers would be supplied for every problem - no need for students to wrestle through any sort of practice exercises.  

Worst of all, the teacher would skip around the math book, pulling out random, disconnected lessons from week to week. Today from chapter 7, next week a single equation from chapter 13, and then back to chapter 2 the following week. 

The only thread tying the lessons together would be the fact that they all concern numbers.  

It's fair to say that the students sitting under that math teacher would be thoroughly confused and constantly frustrated. 

And bored.

Week after week, they would be no closer to comprehending math than when they started.

Along the way they may pick up some math terminology, but they would not grasp workable definitions.

At the end of the semester, the teacher would still be the only one in the room who truly understood math. 

(If even he did.)

And when all was said and done, most of the students would drop out of further math classes at the first opportunity - unless maybe they enjoyed hanging out with their friends in the class.  

OUT OF THE MIST

I thought of at least one more basic premise of good teaching since yesterday - and it is super basic, but in the pulpit it doesn't always happen.

So here it is: An effective teacher knows the material inside and out. 

If the teacher is confused or unsure, the students will be doubly so.

It has been said that "a mist in the pulpit becomes a fog in the pew". 

The best-case scenario, of course, is when the teacher is utterly fascinated by the subject matter. 

A preacher should be utterly impressed with the beauty, wisdom, and power of Scripture.

A genuine fascination can be contagious.

And one other premise that I am reminded of just now: A good teacher consciously teaches students HOW to think, not just WHAT to think. 

This can only be accomplished if the teacher makes a practice of critical thinking in his or her own study and preparation. 

BASIC TEACHING

If at all possible, I plan to avoid using words like "pedagogy" in my dissertation and keep to a straightforward exploration of "teaching". 

Because teaching doesn't HAVE to be complicated and learning how to teach doesn't HAVE to involve a bunch of $5 words or drawn-out explanations of esoteric philosophies. 

(Is "esoteric" worth at least $5?)

Teaching is a skill, a science, and an art - but the basics of competent and effective teaching are not beyond the reach of any ordinary person. 

Off the top of my head, here are some basics of teaching:

• Start with what the students already know - or think they know.
• Set objectives: what do the students need to know?
• Plan the "test" in advance: How will the students show they have learned the material?
• Determine a logical order of presentation.
• Provide some sort of road map up front. 
• Make the material relevant. You should have a good answer to the question in the back of every student's mind: "Why are we learning this?"
• Review frequently – learning requires repetition.
• Give students time and opportunity to process and practice, not just listen.
• Check comprehension periodically along the way – If you are losing them, you want to know ASAP. 

If you're a teacher or if you've ever sat under an expert teacher, I could use some feedback here: Which other aspects of teaching do you consider essential?