How do you handle scripture reading in Bible class?

A3M0N

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So, do you put your scripture quotes up on the screen and read them for the class? Or do you have the students find it themselves and read to the rest of the class?

I'm torn. On one hand, I want them to be in the pages of their Bibles, finding the passages and reading them out loud. On the other, I want to read the passages myself so they get emotion, feeling, and PUNCTUATION from the reading (kids seem to want to just run roughshod over the words with little to no feeling).

Some of them, who I know should know better, have to look in the table of contents to find the books! We're not talking un-churched or new families, kids that have been in Bible class for a long time. Any suggestions on how to handle that? Practice a few books at time before each class? Give them memory tests that go to the parents?

This a youth group class BTW, 9-12 grades on Sun AM, 5-12 on Wed PM.
 

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As an ex-theology professor, I know Hebrew and Greek. I ask adults to bring a variety of translations. Then I ask them to identity their version and read out the first verse of their translation. As everyone does so, I ask the group which version appeals to them the most. The New Living Translation usually wins this vote. Then I offer a very literal translation of the verse and ask them whether the key point is made in their translation. I find this is the best way to help Bible students determine the best translation for them. This approach also exposes the fact that most people relate to the text best when they can hear it expressed in many different ways, especially in paraphrases like the New Living Translation. If you can't express the point of the text in your own words, you don't really understand it.

For youth, I suggest that you not use just one translation, but that you include The Message as one of your translations. Despite its inaccuracies, it best relates to the mindset of a youthful audience.
 
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Thir7ySev3n

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So, do you put your scripture quotes up on the screen and read them for the class? Or do you have the students find it themselves and read to the rest of the class?

I'm torn. On one hand, I want them to be in the pages of their Bibles, finding the passages and reading them out loud. On the other, I want to read the passages myself so they get emotion, feeling, and PUNCTUATION from the reading (kids seem to want to just run roughshod over the words with little to no feeling).

Some of them, who I know should know better, have to look in the table of contents to find the books! We're not talking un-churched or new families, kids that have been in Bible class for a long time. Any suggestions on how to handle that? Practice a few books at time before each class? Give them memory tests that go to the parents?

This a youth group class BTW, 9-12 grades on Sun AM, 5-12 on Wed PM.

Why not employ both methods you mentioned (in different contexts)? Provide your students an impassioned reading of the subject Scriptures, then assign them the same reading at home and to return with considerations they derived from the text, which they can then share audibly with the class. To take an example of what I taught at my last Bible study, if you were reading Matthew 1, why do they suppose that Matthew introduces his Gospel with a genealogy? What is the significance? Why does he designate only a few women in a genealogy that otherwise traces the ancestry through the fathers?; what is notable about them, and what's his point? Or Matthew 4; what can we learn from the interactions of Jesus with the devil while He was being tempted in the desert? Etc., etc.

Compel them to passion with heart-felt, enthusiastic reading, and compel them to think by assigning them responses to the question of what wisdom and details can be apprehended from each section of Scripture. I find this to be successful with my group.

Edit: I should say that this strategy also leaves you in charge of the direct reading for the class, while encouraging them to repeatedly engage with the subject material at home and to develop a spirit of independant learning capacity.
 
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A3M0N

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Despite its inaccuracies...

To be honest I sometimes use The Message for my daily Bible reading, like you said, its easy to digest. But I can't use it for study or teaching because of this. I don't know how much Bible education some of these kids have so I don't want to lead them down the wrong paths because of inaccuracies they're not aware of. Same for the NIV, its easy to read, but with a Calvinistic slant. I use the ESV for almost everything I do with my group.

So do you read from the original language in class and translate on the fly? If so, thats awesome! I had a professor back in my first run at college (I'm still in school at 35 y/o, got married, had kids, joined the military, etc.) who had a Bible that was parallel languages, not sure what those were, I assume the OT was one part Hebrew and the NT was one part Greek, but he would do the same thing in class.

... then assign them the same reading at home...

I don't like bash people who came before me, but I will say that I don't think my predecessor had the teens do any kind of study at home. We did a topical study of Hosea and I asked them to read the chapter for next week ahead of time so that we could just read high points in class and stick to a topical discussion and not a verse-by-verse. I got deer in headlights and an audible scoff. "We're busy", "I have school work", "not enough time", were the answers I got. I couldn't believe it! 7 days, and you can't find time to read 26 verses of God's Word? When I was a kid (back in my day, youngins) we had a notebook we had to keep that our youth minister checked and gave to our parents. We also had tests, which were graded and went to our parents. I told them that and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads!

I'll definitely get working on them doing some personal reading/study and reflection.
 
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Thir7ySev3n

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I don't like bash people who came before me, but I will say that I don't think my predecessor had the teens do any kind of study at home. We did a topical study of Hosea and I asked them to read the chapter for next week ahead of time so that we could just read high points in class and stick to a topical discussion and not a verse-by-verse. I got deer in headlights and an audible scoff. "We're busy", "I have school work", "not enough time", were the answers I got. I couldn't believe it! 7 days, and you can't find time to read 26 verses of God's Word? When I was a kid (back in my day, youngins) we had a notebook we had to keep that our youth minister checked and gave to our parents. We also had tests, which were graded and went to our parents. I told them that and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads!

I'll definitely get working on them doing some personal reading/study and reflection.

Excuses, and horrible ones at that. Let me tell you what I would do, though you may prayerfully discover different strategies for your own group. Two weeks ago, I was 5 weeks in to teaching my study group the essential doctrines of the faith; that is, the doctrines necessary to accommodate the three stages of salvation (namely, justification, sanctification and glorification). I had believed we were ready to move onto doctrinal teachings and was zealous to prepare the group for understanding and defending these doctrines according to the command of Titus 1:9. The irritability, impatience and lack of passion I noticed in some of the members however made me realize that I needed to return to the raw Gospel directly, and use the following weeks that the divided sections of Gospel would endure as every opportunity to address the balanced message of God's grace in light of God's wrath, and how the Son satisfies so fearsome a requirement on our behalf.

I always remember Jesus' admonishment to "as shrewd as snakes, and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16)." Likewise, Jude's admonishment to "Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh (Jude 1:22-23)." It is important to remember, not knowing the hearts of anyone, but knowing only by their fruit (Matthew 7:16), that some, despite attending Bible class, have not believed unto salvation; others may sincerely know Christ, but have become slack and need encouragement (whether soft or tough love). Thus it helps to revitalize an appreciation for why the Gospel is such good news. This may require more of a "come to me, all you who are weary and burdened" orient (Matthew 11:28), or rather a "unless you repent, you too will all perish" orient (Luke 13:3). This may seem harsh, but we have to remember our Lord thought it fit to speak this way, and left His words as both comforts and warnings for our benefit.

It is difficult to feel the worth of grace until you feel the weight of what that grace saved you from. Was it merely from having the feeling of an insignificant life? Was it from bad conscience, or lack of substance or answers to life's questions? No, but it was from eternal separation from God. If this is truly and comprehensively understood, one can not help but respond with joy and gratitude to the word of God (Psalms 30:5, Psalms 84:2, Psalms 119:20). So it will be on the basis of God's love, grace and mercy in light of God's righteous judgement against sin that one will find their stone heart transformed into a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19), to be impassioned for their saviour or to know Him for the first time.

If they grasp this message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it penetrates into their heart, excuses will disappear and you might find yourself instead burdened with the ministry requirements of a group so hungry and thirsty for righteousness.

I want you to take note that I have no intention of appearing as though I think to instruct you ignorantly of your position. To me this is simply communicating and sharing prayerful thoughts from one brother to another. You will know your group best -- I know only what you have disclosed about them -- and can prayerfully consider strategies to accommodate their needs as God reveals necessary to you. Otherwise, I will pray for you and your group and that God enables them with humility to understand the importance of the service you are providing them in sharing God's Word.
 
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Hello, I have been a youth Evangelist for many years and have taught adult Sunday school classes for just as many, so I have a lot of experiences in this area. I like to mix it up. I do many of my lessons on power point or on a board of some sort. I will give different students bible verses to look up ahead of time so that they have time to find it and be ready. Then, as I go through the lesson, i'll call on each one as their verse comes up. After they read it, I'll either advance my power point to the verse and read it again with my personal expressions included, or flip my chart and read it. Sometimes, if I know a certain student can find the verse easy and will not be embarrassed, I'll call on them on the spot. Mix it up, have fun, and give God the glory.

Evangelist Paul Dodson
www.theclearword.org
 
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“Paisios”

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So, do you put your scripture quotes up on the screen and read them for the class? Or do you have the students find it themselves and read to the rest of the class?

I'm torn. On one hand, I want them to be in the pages of their Bibles, finding the passages and reading them out loud. On the other, I want to read the passages myself so they get emotion, feeling, and PUNCTUATION from the reading (kids seem to want to just run roughshod over the words with little to no feeling).

Some of them, who I know should know better, have to look in the table of contents to find the books! We're not talking un-churched or new families, kids that have been in Bible class for a long time. Any suggestions on how to handle that? Practice a few books at time before each class? Give them memory tests that go to the parents?

This a youth group class BTW, 9-12 grades on Sun AM, 5-12 on Wed PM.
We use our pew bibles - hardcover New King James Version copies in our youth group. I sometimes will read the longer passages, and will read a passage myself if there is a particular emphasis that I am trying to put across, but otherwise I ask for volunteers. If they don't know where in the Bible the passage is, I will tell them, whether they are new or seasoned, churched or unchurched. Help them find a passion for the content of God's Word, and the mechanical details will eventually follow.
 
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