Tips for Teachers
I’ve done some surfing around, looking for websites that might be helpful. Clearly, one of the best resources available to Bible teachers is the world wide web. No, not every site is a good one. But some sites are excellent. I want to point you in the direction of some of the better ones that I’ve found.
For starters, church education directors and adult Bible class teachers can get some inspiration from a short but important piece by Flavil R. Yeakley, Jr., one of the most trusted voices among the Churches of Christ. If this articles doesn’t renew your dedication to excellence in teaching, you should check your pulse. You can read the article at the following address: http://www.webminister.com/growth01/plan0226.htm
You might also check out the “Christian Classics Ethereal Library.” This site, sponsored by Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, MI, contains a tremendous amount of material in the public domain and is well organized. It includes the “Executable Outlines” section where teachers can find detailed study guides on various books of the Bible. The homepage can be found at the following:
Some people have already discovered that the World Wide Web contains many sites that feature the Bible in various translations. One of the better sites is Bible Gateway. It features a passage lookup and also a keyword search for concordance-type study. The home page address is:
The Jerusalem Archaeological Park is Israel’s most important place for the study of antiquity. But just in case you’re not planning a trip to the Middle East, the Park has an impressive web site where you can see, for example, a simulated panoramic view from the inside of the Second Temple, a place well known to Jesus and the Apostles. The site also features time lines, as well as maps and depictions of the city of Jerusalem and the two Temples through history. The home page can be found at:
Part of the ad for the Holman Bible Dictionary reads as follows: “The product of over 6 years of work by hundreds of people, the Holman Bible Dictionary manages to be readable and easy to use, yet take advantage of the finest modern Bible scholarship without heavy technical language.” Not only that, it’s thorough. For example, there are 606 entries under the letter “A.” http://studylight.org/dic/hbd/
Published in 1996, the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology was produced by an impressive group of conservative Bible scholars. The print edition of this resource runs to nearly 1000 pages packed with some deep, helpful articles.
When using these dictionaries, it is important to understand their differences. The first will provide definitions for most people and places named in the Bible. For example, Zebedee was the father of two Apostles, James and John (Mark 1:19). And you will find an entry under “Zebedee” in the Holman Bible Dictionary.
On the other hand, Baker’s Dictionary does not contain an article for “Zebedee” because it is a dictionary “of Biblical Theology.” Here the focus is on biblical concepts and doctrines. So in this dictionary you will find lengthy articles on subjects like “Faith” and “Salvation” and “Day of Judgment,” but, again, nothing on “Zebedee.”
One of my new favorite websites is Dr. Carl Rasmussen’s “Holy Land Photos.” This site currently contains some 2638 photos from a total of 257 biblical sites. It is regularly updated with additional photos. Each one is accompanied by notes written, apparently, by the scholar-photographer. The explanations are clear and accurate. It’s likely that visiting this site will become a requirement in my Bible courses.
You will also find a lot of great study resources at a site organized by another Old Testament scholar, Dr. Ralph W. Klein. This site organizes links into several categories including “Old Testament” and “Ancient Near East.”
Finally, I have to mention an old favorite of mine: the Restoration Movement Pages. The introduction reads as follows: “These pages are for your reading and viewing pleasure and feature historical texts, pictures, resources for historical research and links to other relevant pages dealing with the Restoration Movement. This nineteenth-century unity and restitution effort by Barton W. Stone and Thomas and Alexander Campbell spawned several distinct religious groups: the Churches of Christ, the Christian Churches, and the Disciples of Christ. The wider historical context also includes the Christian Churches of James O'Kelly and the Christian Connexion of Elias Smith and Abner Jones. The Restoration Movement pages seek to accommodate the historical heritage of all of these religious traditions.” For fans of Restoration History, this site is a must:
—Frank Bellizzi
