Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you–unless you believed in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NKJV)

Introduction

Preaching and teaching is the core of bible study. However, there are some people who think that only certain lessons should be taught (preached) to give the students more depth into the scriptures.

I’m talking about Expository teaching & preaching. Essentially, this is a verse-by-verse study of a certain chapter or an entire book of scripture. There are some who believe that they need to teach the entire bible before they depart from the mortal realm. But is it really necessary? And is expository teaching the only way to teach someone the truth of God’s word?

An Example of Expository Teaching & Preaching

Matthew chapter 23 is a good example to use for expository preaching. I once preached a lesson called “Sitting in Moses’ Seat” which covers the first 12 verses of the chapter. I went verse by verse and laid the groundwork of why titles are not to be used by preachers.

Then, beginning in verse 13, to the end of the chapter, you could preach a lesson called “The Seven Woes”. Again, you can go verse by verse and teach about the arrogance of the scribes and Pharisees and how they say one thing but do another. The fact that they take care of the physical appearance and needs and not the spiritual ones.

For teaching in expository form, it would be choosing a book of the bible, such as 1^st Corinthians, and going chapter by chapter and verse by verse. This gives the student a look into one of the congregations that the apostle Paul helped establish and the many problems they endured. Application can be applied by comparing it to today’s congregations.

Teaching and Preaching Topical Subjects

Another type of teaching is called Topical Teaching. You take a subject and look at all of the verses, or passages, which discuss this topic.

An example of Topical Teaching is on the subject of “No mechanical Instruments in the Worship Assembly”. Two verses which discuss this topic are: Ephesians 5:19, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, and Colossians 3:16, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

While these are the two main verses used on the subject, there are many others to prove that only singing was permitted in the New Testament assembly: Acts 16:25; 1 Corinthians 14:15; Hebrews 2:12; James 5:13 to name a few more.

The reason some do not like this type of teaching is that, to them, it doesn’t allow you to get deep into the scriptures and really understand what God is trying to convey to us. However, if you look at any of the sermons written out in scripture from Jesus, Paul, or others, all of them did topical teaching. Most students aren’t necessarily ready for an in-depth study just because you are.

Topical Sermons would be on subjects like baptism and the frequency of the Lord’s Supper. You’ll be taking from several passages and books of scripture to study these, and other, subjects.

Holistic Pharmacy for the Soul

Someone on social media described the bible as a pharmacy for the soul. In other words, you can’t expect someone take medicine for an illness that they don’t have. Grant it, sin is a universal problem (Rom. 3:23; 5:12), but not every subject covered in the bible is going to be applicable to every student.

If someone doesn’t have a drinking problem, you don’t need to hammer on the evils of alcohol and do an intense study on Prov. 23:29-35. You can reference it with other sins. If a further study is requested, then you can dig deeper into those verses. Don’t shove a study at someone who doesn’t need it, because you think they need it or it’s something you recently studied.

Where Should Teaching Begin?

First and foremost, any study of the bible should begin with the concept of authority. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18) Establish that if Jesus has ALL authority that leaves none for anyone else including the pope, a president of a church, modern day apostles, etc.

Secondly, discuss the plan of salvation (a topical study). Three times in scripture this question was asked:

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)

So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:6)

And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30)

This is crucial, as it is what leads to baptism (another topical study) and what makes an individual an actual Christian based on scripture.

Further Study Requires Topical Teaching

As the apostle Peter wrote, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18) Once someone becomes a Christian, you begin to show them the difference between the denominations and the true church (Mt. 16:18; Rom. 16:16). Study the structure of the worship assembly and why we do things differently.

The reason for this is because as they talk to family members, co-workers, classmates, etc. they need an understanding of why we do things differently and what scriptures there are to support it. As the psalmist wrote, The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. (Psalms 119:160) You can’t limit one’s study to a particular book of the bible if they have questions that can’t be answered there.

A new convert needs a foundation of topical subjects so that they can answer naysayers about any specific topic. You can’t teach them about Leviticus if they don’t have a basic grasp of why the apostles went to the Jews first and then to the gentiles (Rom. 1:16).

However, for a new convert a verse-by-verse study of the book of Acts would be highly valuable as it would show them the New Testament church in its early days and how it was not only established but spread to other countries.

If the new convert requests a verse-by-verse study of a book, it should be considered but also allow for room to study topical subjects when the need arises. Don’t force your student to study just the one book if a sudden issue comes to light. Most topical studies can take only one class and then you can resume the book study the following class.

Conclusion

Teaching someone the bible should be on a case-to-case basis. In other words, it has to do with how much knowledge a prospect has of the bible and not how much a teacher can shove at someone. Too much information at one time will drive a person away. But always start with Christ’ authority and go from there.