It goes without saying that the best teachers will have several means at their disposal for making the Bible (or anything else, for that matter) come alive to their hearers.  It also goes without saying that far too many have a grasp on only one style or perhaps two, if in reality any at all.  It is doubtful that anyone has a good grasp of all the delivery styles that I mention below, though perhaps there might be several who come close.  At any rate, I offer below (sometimes with a bit of tongue-in-cheek) a summary of six basic styles—in no particular order—which are effective and/or very common in both ancient and modern use, not only in teaching and preaching, but in literature and other art forms, both within and outside of the church.

Prophetic (Declarative)

            A prophetic teaching style might have to do with predictions of the future or with warnings about the present state of things, but that is not necessarily so.  It is most likely employed when a teacher wishes to address a particular set of concerns that the group is facing, and how to apply the Word of God to those concerns.  It is generally very loosely structured, if it is structured at all; so in its construction it is comparable to the musical form of a rhapsody, which consists of several musical themes interwoven in different ways and in a more or less random fashion.

            Sometimes the speaker is aware of some of the various needs of the persons hearing the teaching.  But when this is not the case, the speaker will attempt to gain wisdom from the Spirit of the Lord to determine what direction to take the discourse, and then trust God to make the application.  As in the rhapsody, where the various themes are passed around and shared by the different instruments, so it is with this teaching style as the various scriptural applications are explored.  Creative illustrations add much to the arsenal of any teacher, as do personal stories and anecdotes, so that the greatest effect may be produced for the most people.

            In those cases where the message is clearly a type that a prophet or a prophetic-style teacher might deliver, the emphasis is once again on the personal application for the hearers.  If greater emphasis is needed, greater repetition is used to drive the most important points into the group’s memory.  Sometimes, a new analogy will be added, much like an author adding a new character to a story.  Then the illustrations will quite often be repeated for the sake of reinforcement, just as a composer will repeat a musical strain to make it more memorable.

            Free-form application of the Word of God is the goal of the prophetic teacher, and the rewards for those who hear and heed the message are numerous.  Just as a favorite musical passage is often hummed or whistled by an audience member as he drives home from the concert, the personally applied point of a lesson will be prayerfully meditated upon by the believer who seeks to gain from the continued functioning of the scriptures in any situation in life.  Over a long period of time, the cumulative effect of the teachings heard will interact together as characters in a story to produce a richness of spirituality often missed by single-dimensional approaches.

Homiletic (Sermon)

Title:  The Style of a Sermon

Text:  (Many experienced preachers suggest using a text relevant to a special occasion on the calendar such as a holiday, or possibly a special need in the congregation at the time, or perhaps a current event in the news or in the greater society that is on the minds of the congregation.  Others suggest using primarily expository book studies to promote consistency, deferring to special occasions as exceptions to the rule.)

Introduction:  In the world of preaching and presenting Gospel truth, one cannot confine it to a bumper sticker or a sound bite.  Solid, organized presentation is required to unravel many of the more profound mysteries of the Bible.  The homiletic method is a proven way of getting to the essence of a Scriptural passage, and is a useful technique in many situations.

Proposition:  Christians should be aware of how the homiletic way of preaching and teaching works so that information presented in this manner can be more easily grasped and retained by the hearer.

Interrogative:  What is the usefulness of the typical sermon, and how is it constructed?

Point #1:  A well-prepared sermon is All-encompassing.
            Sub-point:  Proper meditation on the text will help the preacher to unravel all the relevant aspects of the text and see that all angles are considered.
            Sub-point:  In order to keep the amount of material to a manageable level, the dominant thought of the passage should be isolated and further developed.
            Sub-point:  Any potential objections or refutations can be anticipated and addressed in advance.

Point #2:  A well-prepared sermon is Accessible.
            Sub-point:  Various mnemonic devices can be used which will help the hearers to remember the truth presented: for example, alliterating or alphabetizing your points.
            Sub-point:  Language should be used which can be understood by all those who are listening without insulting their intelligence.
            Sub-point:  Quotes, jokes, analogies, and personal or historical anecdotes can all help to keep the hearers engaged and interested and prevent daydreaming.

Point #3:  A well-prepared sermon is Applicable.
            Sub-point:  The hearers will see the practical value of the message.
            Sub-point:  They will have something to think about when they go home.
            Sub-point:  They will be motivated to make any necessary adjustments to their lives upon hearing the Word presented.

Conclusion:  So, in conclusion:
            If you can make your every doctrine rhyme,
            Some people will believe it every time;
            And if you spell it out from A to Z,
            They will remember it more easily.

Dialogue (Conversational)

Bible Study Teacher:  I’ve just got to figure out how to get these precepts across!

Dim Wit:  So what are you looking for?  My advice?

BST:  No, not really.  I just want someone to explain it to—you know, for the practice.

DW:  So it’s just to see if somebody would understand what you’re trying to say, then.

BST:  Well, sort of.  But mostly it’s to see how I can express it.

DW:  Express what?

BST:  Well, I just want people to see how sometimes talking out an idea with someone else is helpful in explaining an important point.

DW:  So you think that a conversation with someone might serve to make a point more clearly, do you?

BST:  It would make sense that there are times when a format that is like a conversation, or maybe a question and answer session, or even a skit would come across as more effective than the usual, dry, unimaginative old lecture.  Plus, it gives me a chance to think of possible questions or objections that might come up.

DW:  Yeah, that’s for sure.  You could even give it a good punch line—that is, if you can think of one …

BST (faking anger, but smiling):  Hey, are you calling my teaching style a joke?

DW:  Look, if I can get a good laugh out of it, you KNOW that somebody else is bound to remember more about it.

Q:  Is the question-and-answer format also a legitimate form of teaching?

A:  Yes, it is useful for many presentations such as catechisms, and is similar in general style to an interview.  It is a simplified variation on the dialogue, and can be conducive to better attention to detail.  However, concocting characters with personalities to hold the conversation is usually more interesting to a reader or listener.

Anecdotal (Illustrative)

            Meet Bible teacher I. C. Wright.  He just received a profound revelation of Biblical truth (or, as he refers to it, a “heavy revvy”) which he feels motivated to share with his church.  The only problem is that he isn’t sure which approach might be the best one for him to take in telling them about it.  He wants to do something a bit creative, but he is having a hard time narrowing it down to a way which might ensure that his church will receive this truth with all its potential.

            Happily, our friend is blessed with several resources.  He has in his home library a handful of good books which illustrate for him many ideas that he might use.  Some of them are novels—Christian fiction of various kinds written by some excellent authors.  He wonders if his “heavy revvy” could be turned into a parable, or perhaps some sort of Old Testament-style typology.  Then he realizes that sometimes a concept lends itself to that technique, but sometimes it doesn’t.

            Next he sees some old textbooks, and thinks that perhaps this type of highly organized presentation might get the facts across.  Another group of popular books simply declare the truth and use simple analogies to help keep it moving.  These could also work, but he would still like to have a way that he feels more comfortable with.  Over on his desk is a collection of sermons from some of the well-known preachers of the past, but he doesn’t really consider this the best way for him to go either.

            Down on the bottom shelf he notices a short stack of skits which are left over from previous special church services.  This gives him the notion that he might be able to go about it in a sort of “I said, he said” way.  This could breathe some life into the way he teaches his “heavy revvy,” but he decides to keep looking around.

            Eventually he notices his book of daily devotionals, and starts to think about how it is arranged.  Each day begins with a text from Scripture, followed by some kind of illustration taken either from nature, from the author’s (or another person’s) experience, or from a historical event, then followed by a prayer of application.  Finally he begins to smile, because now he sees that this is what he had been looking for; it would give his “heavy revvy” a bit of vitality without feeling forced.  He decides on a slight variation, a “donut-style” of presentation by which he presents the situation of his example first, then explains the idea and the Scriptural basis in its simplest form, and then goes on to talk about the way in which it applies to the situation that he started with.

            The church rejoiced with their teacher when they received the revelation of truth which he provided them at their next meeting—I. C. Wright had succeeded in bringing clearer vision to everyone there that day.

Didactic (Lecture)

Teaching in a didactic style

I.  Start by defining the topic and its scope
            A.  What are the time restraints or other limitations?
            B.  Can you give a reasonable treatment of the subject in that time?
                        1.  If your points can be communicated rather quickly, consider a wider topic or a different approach
                        2.  If the topic is too broad
                                    a.  break it into a series if allowed
                                    b.  change the topic into something of a manageable size

II.  Create an outline to work from that logically follows the progression of ideas
            A.  In order that they are presented in the scriptures
            B.  In chronological order
            C.  In order from the most simple to the most complex
            D.  Moving from one idea to the next one that develops out of it

III.  Add in explanatory items for each point in the outline
            A.  Reiteration (“in other words”) so that saying it a different way might make sense to some who might not have understood the first rendering; could include quotes or related scripture passages
            B.  Analogies or illustrations
            C.  Examples or anecdotes
                        1.  Humorous stories
                        2.  Personal incidents
                        3.  Historical events

IV.  Close with a primary point of application or practical relevance

Allegorical (Parable)

            Once upon a time there was a wise old woman who was invited to live with one of her married sons, because he and his wife needed her to assist them in raising their many children.  She loved her grandchildren, and of course she was happy to come and help.  She soon began a custom of gathering her grandchildren at the kitchen table every night at about a half an hour before bedtime, where they would work together on some craft project while she told them a story.  Sometimes they would all piece together a jigsaw puzzle, or sometimes the crafts were more individualized, as the boys would build models of ships or airplanes while the girls knitted and crocheted; but no matter what their hands were busy with, their ears would be enrapt with Grandmother’s tales.

            At first, when the children were young, the stories Grandmother told were simple fables about good character, common sense, and correct social behavior.  But as the children grew older and less attentive to her simpler stories, Grandmother began to get more comfortable (and more daring) in her storytelling abilities.  She began to weave more complicated tales with strange plot twists and interesting and complex characters, which might stretch out over many days and would conclude with morals that spoke of more grown-up matters of life.  The children once again marveled at her fantastic tales, and when they asked her where she came across such stories, she would just sweetly smile and credit them to the local grapevine.

            When the older children began approaching their teenage years, they began to grow restless during their times around the kitchen table, complaining that they had too many other things to do; and besides, this tradition was getting to be too boring and juvenile for them anymore.  Finally, Grandmother realized that these precious times around the table would soon slip away, so she told them that if they would consent to give her just one more week, they would all do one final project together, and she would tell them one final story.  They agreed, but reluctantly so—for though they had become impatient, they also reckoned that their freedom was at hand.

            Grandmother began this final story by talking about a little girl who grew up during the Great Depression.  She gave great detail about the girl’s parents, home, and school; and the children quickly realized that this tale was autobiographical.  But once the children thought that the story was going to become predictable, Grandmother began to open up about some previously unknown and profoundly personal information.  The children’s amazement grew when she told of her times of adolescent waywardness, including a quite risqué affair and one adventure involving a brush with the law; and of her mistakes, her regrets, and the bad times as well as the good.  She held nothing back as she told of the people who had influenced her the most when she was young, and of how she hoped she would be remembered after she died.

            The older children tended not to believe every tale that Grandmother had told them that week, thinking that some were fanciful and imaginative concoctions, or at the least highly exaggerated.  The younger ones believed all of what they were told, simply because Grandmother had said so.  One of the middle children decided that it didn’t really matter whether or not they were all true, as long as everyone had gotten the point each time.  But once the week was finished and their kitchen table times had ended, the children all spent their evenings following their own pursuits; and though there was no obvious or immediate difference in them, Grandmother knew that she could safely leave everything in God’s hands.