It's been great to go through the entire Gospel of Mark. I like this approach in teaching our students, and here are some big reasons why:
It forces me as a pastor to work through some tough topics personally and publicly. When I only teach topically, I typically stick (sometimes subconsciously, sometimes not) to my "sweet spots." Teaching exegetically through a book makes me consider and teach on some issues I might not have ever thought of addressing. In the case of working through a Gospel, I am forced to deal with some parts of Jesus' life and teaching that perhaps I'm a bit uncomfortable with. This past Sunday, we were in Mark 6:1-6 where Jesus is mocked by his hometown and couldn't do as many mighty works there as other places. Definitely not a quick and clean passage!
It helps me keep the focus on Jesus. This is certainly true since we're studying an inspired biography of Jesus. But when I've gone through a book in the past--whether as an up-front teacher or a small group leader--I really see how all of the Bible (including the "boring" parts of the Old Testament) point to Jesus. When teaching on topics, I can start to focus on the accoutrements of the Christian faith, rather than the central thing--Jesus. It doesn't have to be this way when I teach on topics. It's just something I've noticed about myself.
It teaches students to see Scripture as a narrative, rather than a book of isolated verses and advice. When I teach only on topics, I can give the impression that the best way to read the Bible is to interpret it two or three verses at a time. Sometimes, it's important to really focus on just a couple of important verses, but when we start to do that often to support our view on a particular topic, we just end up getting into proof-texting, and that's terrible exegesis.
I'm not suggesting that we need to only teach through books of the Bible. Certainly there is a time or a place for addressing a particular topic and seeing what the Bible has to say about that topic. After all, to do so is simply pastoral theology, which is a good thing. However, I do think there are some great benefits to working through a book over a period of a time. If you've never done it, I'd suggest trying it out, perhaps starting with a section of a book (like Matthew 5-7, which is the Sermon on the Mount) or a minor prophet.
QUESTION: What do you think the pros and cons are to teaching through one book of the Bible over a longer period of time?
