Teaching How to Study & Tackle Difficult Passages of Scripture
November 11, 2024
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ,
We are nearing the end of our first term of this academic year and things are progressing well, although we are tired and a little worn out. The Christmas season is just around the corner, and I am looking forward to it, although the Christmas season in Kenya is nothing like the Christmas season in the States.
I am teaching three classes this term – 1) General Principles of Interpretation, 2) The Pentateuch, and 3) Hebrews and General Epistles. I would like to focus this month on just the third one – Hebrews and General Epistles. This has been an excellent class so far and I have had good opportunities to have many great discussions and learning moments with my beloved students. If you have ever read through Hebrews and the General Epistles, and I know you have, I’m sure that you noticed there are a lot of difficult and challenging passages in these books. There have been lots of disputes about some of these passages over the last two thousand years and challenges about some of these passages have been presented from both unbelievers and those within Christianity. My students will soon be in churches preaching and teaching from these passages and they not only need to know what they are talking about and teaching, but they also need to know how to defend their teaching from possibly obstinate and even hostile opposition. I want to give them experience on studying and teaching these challenging passages and experience in facing “hostile” opposition. (In case you were wondering what kinds of challenging passages I have in mind, consider 1) How can Jesus be made perfect through suffering in Hebrews 2:10? 2) Is it possible to lose your salvation according to Hebrews 6:4-6? 3) Are people saved through faith or action and is James 2:14-25 in opposition to Paul’s teaching of faith alone? 4) Does the prayer of faith in James 5:13-15 always heal the sick and if the sick person is not healed does that mean someone is lacking faith? 5) Does baptism save us according to 1 Peter 3:21? 6) In what way has the Lord “bought” the false prophets of Peter 2:1? 7) Do believers reach a state of sinlessness according to 1 John 3:5-6 and 5:18? 8) Who are the angels who did not keep their positions of authority in Jude 6 and what exactly happened to them? 9) Why does Jude quote from Apocryphal books? And others). So, each student is going to get an opportunity to teach in class on one of these or other challenging passages and then field tough questions from the “hostile” and “opposing” members of the audience (meaning myself and the other students who are being tasked with being “obstinate opposers and schismatics”).
There is a definite purpose for this assignment. Not everyone that they will be speaking to in their churches, or in seminars, or even in people’s homes will agree with them. Some will oppose them vehemently, and my beloved students need to know how to deal with such situations and scenarios. Here is what I want them to learn. 1) I want them to learn how to deeply study the Scriptures and to be able to tackle and understand difficult and challenging passages. Not every passage of Scripture is easy to understand, and a good interpretation doesn’t always pop out at you when you first read it. Sometimes it takes a lot of work and sweat to understand a text. 2) I want them to be able to logically organize the defense of their position and to understand other people’s positions on those passages as well. 3) I want them to experience teaching through a passage that might make them feel a little uncomfortable. 4) I want them to experience opposition and hostility in a friendly environment and to learn how to lovingly and Biblically present and defend their position on the Word of God in a Christ-like way. Not every environment they encounter will be friendly and resistance can be hard to face. Better to learn how to face it amongst peers than amongst true enemies. 5) I want them to learn and then defend the truths of Scripture. 6) I want them to learn that they are not perfect followers of Christ, perfect Bible students, or perfect interpreters of Scripture. They could end up being wrong in their interpretation and presentation of their teaching and if they are wrong, I want them to learn to be open to the truth of Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, bless my beloved students and teach them the truths of Your Word and how to present and defend this truth to Your people and to the world.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Growth in the Last Year
April 10, 2024
Greetings to you all from me all the way over here in Kenya. As I do every year, I went back to read my letter from last year and was so excited to see that we are in a very different place this year! Last year, we were coming off more years than I want to count of severe stress, trauma, and struggle. We were learning how to lean hard into God’s grace and be okay with holding our joy in Christ in one hand while simultaneously holding struggle and grief in the other.
Though I won’t pretend we don’t still struggle (a lot) from day-to-day, the struggle has been different this year. God has given us a chance to take deeper breaths as the seasons of trauma seem fewer and farther between. Having said that, the seasons of trauma are still intense, and I often pray to see more spiritual and mental growth in our precious Chloe. When I take a step back, though, I see the tremendous growth that actually has occurred – not just in Chloe, but also in Roger and me. And I am so thankful.
Speaking of growth, there has also been a lot of physical growth in Chloe. She’s only nine years old, and she’s over five feet tall! That’s over six inches taller than the average girl her age! Her shoe size is even bigger than mine! LOL!
There have been other exciting changes for me personally this year. Last year I began teaching the elementary computer classes at RVA (Rift Valley Academy, for those who are unfamiliar). Over the course of the past 12 months, I’ve gone from teaching all the elementary computer classes…to actually rewriting the curriculum…to adding teaching 4th-6th grade Swahili to my job description…to actually writing a brand new children’s Swahili curriculum complete with books, activities, songs, interactive PowerPoint games, picture playing cards, and assessments! And having fun doing it! This is all while still doing the computer classes and getting my teaching certificate from Bob Jones University.
It hasn’t all been roses, however. God has had to really stretch me into these roles. I remember clearly the day I walked into my principal’s office in tears after my Swahili students had mostly failed a pretty big assessment using the original curriculum. I sat down and said, “Katy, I don’t think I’m the right person for this job.” She looked at me and said, in her wonderfully Scottish, straightforward manner, “You are exactly the right person for this job. Nobody else has the skills you bring to the table. You’ll figure it out.” That was it. There was no more discussion on the matter other than she was available to bounce ideas off of. Forty-eight hours later, an entirely new and mostly complete curriculum was in my head.
This has been a theme from God in my life this past year. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to Him with the heart cry of, “I’m not the right person for this job! I can’t do this!” And every time, He reminds me of two things. First, He reminds me that He chose me for this. Sure, there are probably reasons, but anything I bring to the table are things He built into me. I can’t take the credit for any of it – all the glory goes to Him. Second, he reminds me that His strength is made perfect in my weakness. I don’t have to pretend I have it all together. I don’t have to “fake-it-‘til-I-make-it,” I don’t have to give in to toxic positivity that totally ignores the entire book of the Psalms, of Lamentations, of Jeremiah…and so many others. Because it’s when I am most broken that I am most aware He must provide the strength for me to put one foot in front of the other. And when He does (which He always does) it’s so obviously Him, that I must praise Him!
Some quick prayer requests from my mother’s (and daughter’s) heart. 1. Pray for my parents. They are really struggling with their health. My older brother Jim and his wife were helping to care for them, but Jim suddenly lost his sight last summer. So, you can pray for him, too, please. 2. Pray for my adult children. Life isn’t always easy, but God is good. Pray that they will taste and see. 3. Pray for Chloe. The support worker who has been with her for two years suddenly quit (long story), and she has a new one who is learning the ropes. In some ways we’ve taken ten steps backward. Lynn leaving has left Chloe feeling like she’s trash – like she ruins everything. She often tells me how badly she feels about herself and that I should just throw her away. This absolutely breaks my heart. 4. Pray for a Western teacher for Chloe. I know that sounds terrible, but the educational system here simply isn’t great, and the mindset of educators is very harsh. I truly believe this would be a game changer for her.
Thank you for all your prayers and support! My love to you all!
Julie Tate
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
