BIBLE TEACHING HELPS FOR WOMEN

by Alexis Smelker

For several weeks we have discussed the gift of teaching and how it can be used in the local church by women. Without a doubt, the unique gift of teaching is given to women to edify the local church. Although qualified men are given the primary responsibility of overseeing and teaching the church, women have a unique way to use their gifts.?

The last Titus 2 blog was “Leading a Women’s Bible Study” by a seasoned Bible study teacher who explained how she uses her teaching gift in her local church. Women are good evangelists, and multitudes of women have been saved by going to neighborhood Bible studies. In general, women are more dedicated to in-depth studies than most men.?

We also talked about how women can especially be used in Sunday school classes for children. The statistics consistently show a majority of people are saved before the age of 18.??

But how do we encourage women to become teachers, when often many are hesitant or ill-equipped? Even more, how do we equip women to read and rightly interpret the words of Scripture? Paul tells Timothy, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching” (1 Tim. 4:16). When we are handling the words of Scripture, Paul tells Timothy, it is essential to “rightly divid[e] the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

This was Paul’s expectation of any person who would be communicating the Bible. If in our churches we hold that Scripture is the sole authority of the Christian life, then we should emphasize that all who teach it are well-trained, man or woman. If you have women in your church who are gifted in teaching, your church will be missing something if their gifts are not used. But your church can easily be led astray by those who are not properly trained in the handling of God’s spoken Word.?

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WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY

When I was just a couple years out of high school, some of the women in my church took notice that I might have a gift in teaching. Our church was larger and multigenerational. At the time, we had about four different groups running on Thursday mornings. I was given a spot around the Bible study table alongside three other women of varying ages. Each year, the groups would change and I was given three other women to teach and guide in the Word. I had an incredible opportunity at a very young age to see different teaching styles and differing ways to communicate Scripture. Although I was already a deep studier of God’s Word, this experience lit a fire within me to go deeper in understanding, expositing, and applying the Word. My gift of teaching was being watched and developed starting very young. It was an incredible testimony of Titus 2, older women teaching the younger women how to grow in godliness.?

Having now taught in some capacity for over two decades, I’ve learned there are some essential pieces to training a younger generation of women in your local church. A Lifeway Research survey revealed “Americans do not prioritize reading their Bible, saying they ‘don’t have time.’ Only 11% of those surveyed said they’ve read all of the Bible once, while 30% said they’ve only read a few passages or stories.” That should be very alarming. If we intend to see the next generation of women growing in their gifts (this applies to all gifts), we better have a plan of how to educate them in the holy words.?

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TRAINING IN GODLINESS STARTS WITH A BIBLE

Like the statistics showed, people are not making time for Bible reading. A woman who teaches should have a clear Bible reading plan. Although that might sound very regimented, teachers are to be examples to those under their care. A woman should be able to clearly articulate recommendations of Bible reading strategies and plans so she can help other women become grounded in the Word. Her example of faithful Bible reading and her solid recommendations will encourage and help them to prioritize Bible reading. If she has not yet read through the entire Bible, that should be a priority.?

An additional suggestion regarding the Bible is for your teachers to have at least a couple of good versions of the Bible. Dr. S. Lewis Johnson writes,

“If you will get yourself two or three versions and apply yourself to the study of the Scriptures, the fact that you do not know Greek and Hebrew will not be much of a deterrent at all to the understanding of the Word of God in a deep sense. So do not get the impression because you do not know Greek or Hebrew, that you cannot discover the meaning of the Word of God. God has made it possible for all his saints to understand his Word if they will really apply themselves to it.”

MORE RESOURCES TO TRAIN IN GODLINESS

I went to a Bible school for one year after high school to receive a one-year Bible certificate. As with most Bible schools, I received a full year of survey of the Old and New Testaments. Understanding the big picture of the Bible is an essential step for anyone who would want to teach or wants to develop their Bible skills. This does not have to be done in the formal setting that I experienced; it can easily be done in other settings: a small group study in your church, an online course, a weekend course (many great organizations offer these), or books you can use at home. The bottom line is that no teacher should be teaching in a church if they do not have a full picture of the story of the entire Bible.?

Incredibly helpful as one reads through the Bible are good commentaries. Many are available in full volumes. I received The Bible Knowledge Commentary at around 17 years old from my parents. What a gift to give to young people to encourage them in their studies of the Bible. I continue to receive individual book commentaries every Christmas from my parents. If you see a young woman growing in her desire to teach or study the Bible, help start her Bible study library with excellent (solid) commentaries.?

Once one has a very good handle on the storyline of the Bible, an essential training tool is a full systematic theology book. Our local church requires all who serve to read a condensed systematic theology book (such as Paul Little’s Know What You Believe). Every Christian who is teaching should be able to answer all the core doctrines of the Christian faith. This is also great for training all women. But a teacher should have a much more in-depth resource like a full Systematic Theology book. A systematic theology book is an excellent tool for reference as one teaches the Word.?

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THE ROLE OF THE ELDERS

I heard of a church where the woman said the elders never oversaw what books she was teaching. She received no guidance or leadership from the elders. She was a lone teacher. That is not only discouraging but dangerous. This is why elders need to pay attention to the training of the women under their care.?

One of the elders in my church offers a study every summer for women. His goal is to see the women in his church growing in godliness and understanding of the Bible.? Here are the themes that he rotates through:

-Leadership

-Systematic theology

-New Testament theology

-Old Testament theology

Titus 2:1 says, “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” More and more, women are flocking to those outside of their local church to help them in their personal growth and gifting. But it is the responsibility of the elders to help equip all members of their local body to be using their gifts. Because of a woman’s ability to know and understand other women, elders should be actively watching and training mature women with the gift of teaching to help minister to other women and children in the body in order to “grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).?

Women have a vital role in the local church as it relates to teaching. Some of my favorite teachers as a child were women. What a blessing to be in a church where every person is practicing their gifts to the full potential. Elders should take special care to be developers and encouragers of the gift of teaching in women in the local church.?

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

This article first appeared here => https://www.biblicaleldership.com/2025/02/25/teaching-helps-for-women/?mc_cid=dfae3d649a&mc_eid=fe4e28fd4e?