My Journal

The past Sunday teaching the youth on Cults, Christian Cults to be more specific, I am troubled by my own teaching and approach.

I also noticed the complexity of dealing with different level of students with different Sunday School (plainly put, Biblical) knowledge. I am uncertain if I should be shocked as to the little knowledge of Biblical facts in them or am I being too hard on them. Were we that "shallow" at their age? after attending Sunday school for quite a while.

My emphasis on expository teaching rather than topical teaching is only started when I truly saw the importance of the Bible. Sure, I also loved topical studies before, I loved Study Bibles that have lots of topical references in the Appendixes and other materials pertaining to such. But now, topical study is more of a research rather than a means of teaching.

Nonetheless, since I had also gone through the same and do admit that I learned much from topical teachings too, I would not make it a strict rule, unless this prolongs far too long without the realization of the dominance in expository study over all other forms.

It is hard of course, to have to know if the students already knew the biblical passages I was referring to or certain terms used in Christianity. I do wonder sometimes what they learned in their regular Sunday Schools.

If I had my ways, I would rather go over from Genesis to Revelation (or somewhere close to Revelation) with them while relating to relevant topics as we expound from verse to verse. Instead of having to worry about whether or not they are already familiar with the general passages of the Bible while teaching them how to view today's world in a "Christian" perspective.

This is not a right or wrong problem. Just a matter of which is the better in the pool of majority. Not surprising I have to suffer this, for even the adult fellowships in today's world don't quite get it.