Improving Our Teaching Ability
1 As ministers of the good news, we have been entrusted with the responsibility of making disciples. (Matt. 28:19, 20) In the United States alone, over 150,000 new disciples have been baptized during just the last five years. This gives evidence of Jehovah’s blessing upon our efforts in the ministry. But have all these new disciples been adequately trained to teach others? Indeed, have we all been careful to maintain a high level of teaching ability in our disciple-making work? Are we making disciples who are firmly established in the truth, and have they been trained in the art of teaching so they can help others?
2 We now have two excellent new teaching aids, You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, for new ones, and United in Worship of the Only True God, for more advanced students. The effective use of these teaching aids will undoubtedly help more to become disciples of Christ. This emphasizes the need for us to give more attention to the various teaching qualities that will help us and those we teach to become complete in every respect as Christian disciples.—1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17.
JESUS WAS A TEACHER
3 The Great Teacher, Jesus Christ, set the model for us to follow in teaching others. He imitated his Father Jehovah God. (John 5:19; 6:45; 8:28) He showed great personal interest in those he taught. He loved his disciples and made personal sacrifices for their benefit. (Mark 6:31-34) His teaching was authoritative, based solidly on the inspired Word of God. (Matt. 7:28, 29) He demonstrated patience and was always kind, even when he was firm in dealing with those he taught. He was perfect in the art of teaching. He taught by example, practicing what he encouraged others to practice. And he used appropriate illustrations. (Matt. 13:34) He stimulated thinking ability through the skillful use of questions. (Matt. 17:24-26) He used repetition for emphasis and to make sure that his point would be well established in the minds of his hearers. (John 21:15-17) He taught, not just to convey knowledge but to sharpen understanding as well—helping his disciples to develop faith and a close relationship with Jehovah. He built up in his disciples the qualities they would need for them to be productive ministers and to remain steadfast in the faith.—Acts 1:8.
4 Whether we are among the thousands of new ones who have recently become Christian disciples or have many years of experience, we should all strive to imitate closely the example of Jesus, the Great Teacher. Articles in future issues of Our Kingdom Ministry will help us to improve our teaching ability.