The Holy Bible is not just a book containing plenty of words; it is God's written message to us Towns (1997). The Book is both symbolic and spiritual and so must be viewed, read, learnt, taught and understood beyond the surface level. The Bible knowledge will be lacking expect one is guided by the Holy Spirit who is the guidance promised by Jesus to teach and guide the Christians to all truth. Since Christ is the truth and the life, learning of the Bible is likened to searching for the truth, and that could only be achieved with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
In his book, how to teach and understand the Bible, Towns (1997) explains that teaching, among other things, means “the preparation and guidance of learning activities.” A teacher is saddled with the responsibility to majorly guide the proceedings that motivate the learners to assimilate the context of the subject taught. Teaching, however, does not begin at the commencement of the class session; it starts immediately the teacher start the preparation of the lesson. This according to Towns’ definition of teaching, it can be categorized into two aspects – the preparation and the guidance. After the preparation, the next and second phase of teaching is the guidance of learning activities. In the guidance, it beholds on the teacher to lead the learner through the process. Contrary to the general belief, it is not in place of the teacher to make the pupils learn; the teacher can only guide the learning activities.

There is no way a Christian can grow without the daily study of the word of God. Some astounding results that can be achieved by the daily study of the Word include having it as a source of strength in one’s personal Christian life; it serves a way to strengthen one’s personal assurance and confidence of having a good relationship with God; it is the key to active prayer life; and ultimately, the power to overcome sins. Others benefits include giving inner joy and peace; being a guide to making good decisions about different issues in life; a help in explaining the faith to others; and be the source of success in all areas of a Christian’s endeavors in life. Towns (1997) explained.

Furthermore, the Bible establishes the trinity – God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Through the Bible, Towns (1992) revealed that we know many important things about God. The nature, the attributes and the works of God are some of the truths the Bible presents to a Christian. Additionally, the Bible builds a Christian faith in Christ and establishes the truth about Him. Through the daily study of the Word, a Christian is able to have the full knowledge of Christ. For instance, the Bible gives a clear picture of the incarnation, the atonement, and the resurrection of Christ. Through the Bible, we also get to understand the ascension of Christ, the present ministry of Christ, and the position of Christ in a Christian life. In completing the trinity, the Holy Bible revealed to believers the personality of the Holy Spirit and His impacts in a Christian’s life. The fruits and the gifts of the Spirits are some of the truths made known to a Christian about the Holy Spirit. The Bible also presents to Christians, the exploits of the Apostles who propagated the gospel when it “began as a seemingly obscure movement, one among many in the Roman world” Towns (1975). The Apostles and the early Christians suffered great persecutions and some of them paid the ultimate price in their work of the gospel. There are also the accounts of many early Christians who went astray and were punished. All these are recorded in the Bible as reference for a Christian to draw a lesson from.

Teaching the Bible must be taken from a divine perspective in order to have a grasp of the content read or learnt at any given time. Being a Bible teacher is a great ministry in the Christendom in which anyone occupying the office must appreciate the enormity of the grace to be so honored with such privilege. A Bible teacher cannot deliver effectively except he is equipped and approved of God in that capacity. (1 Tim 3:17). To this end, the teaching of the Word of God requires the relationship with the Word which is God himself (John 1:1). A Bible teacher begins the process of teaching by first learning to understand...…134 different locations. The commitment pioneered by the duo of the pastor (Dr Charles Wade) and the mission director (Tillie Burgin) would later have “over 300 workers travel out to 134 apartment complexes to lead weekly Bible studies-taking the Bible.”

Another example among several of the paradigm-changing Sunday schools cited by Towns was the Wesleyan Church, Lemon Groove in California. The church realized there was a need for growth and variety in the ministry, and went to make rooms for multiple Sunday schools within the same building for that purpose. This came as at the time it was against the tradition for a church to have more than one Sunday school session on a Sunday morning. However, the vision of the church leaders made them see beyond tradition but rather the great commission which was very impactful in their strategy for growth. With the commitment, the church was able to have five Sunday schools including a Saturday night session. Though space-bound, the church leadership did not that hinder the realization of the vision.

These and several other examples cited by Towns (1993) were testaments to the impact of the rich and balanced Word of God in church growth and edification of the body of Christ, which are the reflection of the right approach to the study and teaching of the Bible. When the leadership approaches the Word of God with an intense commitment and the leading of the Holy Spirit, there will be a growth within the Christian community, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

In conclusion, the Bible is a perfect gift from God to His children, which is meant to guide the believers in every area of their lives. It must, however, be regarded and learnt in adequacy. Otherwise, the study time might be an unfruitful adventure. While a lot of commitment is expected from a Christian in the teaching and studying of the Word, the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding to all truth cannot be overemphasized. Every Christian must know that by strength shall no man prevail. With the Holy Spirit leading the study and teaching process, the Bible study will be done in God’s will.

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