Revised and Updated New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual
Seminary students throughout the world will study the New Testament in the coming year. A revised and updated New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual is now available to help teachers guide their students through their study of the New Testament.
If you have been called or appointed to teach seminary, the New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual will be a tremendous resource for lesson preparation. As you prayerfully study the chapters or verses you will teach in each lesson, you can refer to the teacher manual for help in understanding the context and content of the scripture block, including the story line, people, places, and events. The teacher manual will also help you identify doctrines and principles in each scripture block. In addition, the manual provides suggestions of methods, approaches, and activities that can help your students learn and apply the sacred truths found in the scriptures. The following components of the manual are designed to aid you in this process.
Book Introductions
Book introductions provide an overview of each book. Among other things, they explain who wrote each book, describe some distinctive features of each book, and provide a summary of the content of each book.
Scripture Block Introductions
Scripture block introductions give a brief overview of the context and content of the scripture block for each lesson.
Verse Grouping and Contextual Summaries
Scripture blocks are often divided into smaller segments or groups of verses that focus on a particular topic or action. The reference for each verse grouping is followed by a brief summary of the events or teachings within that group of verses.
Lesson Body
The body of the lesson contains guidance for you as you study and teach. It suggests teaching ideas, including questions, activities, quotations, diagrams, and charts.
Doctrines and Principles
As doctrines and principles naturally arise from the study of the scripture text, they are emphasized in bold to help you identify and focus on them in your discussion with students.
Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos
Links to The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos are provided in the teaching ideas for the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These links will help you recognize the best places to show the videos based on their association with the scriptural text.
Commentary and Background Information
Additional quotations and explanations are provided at the end of some lessons to add to your understanding of historical context, specific concepts, or scripture passages. Use the information in this section to prepare to answer questions or give additional insights as you teach.
Supplemental Teaching Ideas
Supplemental teaching ideas appear at the end of some lessons. These provide suggestions for teaching doctrines and principles that may not be identified or emphasized in the body of the lesson. They may also provide suggestions on using visual media, such as DVD presentations and videos on LDS.org.
Pictures of Church leaders and events from the scriptures represent visual aids you could display, if available, as you teach.
Teaching Helps
Teaching helps explain principles and methods of gospel teaching. They can assist you in your efforts to improve as a teacher.
Other Resources
In addition to the components within the teacher manual mentioned above, you might choose to use the Notes and Journal tools on LDS.org or in the Gospel Library for mobile devices during your lesson preparation. You can use these tools to mark scriptures, conference addresses, Church magazine articles, and lessons. You can also add and save notes for use during your lessons. To learn more about how to use these tools, see the Notes and Journal Help page on LDS.org.
Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that the New Testament “is the centerpiece of scriptural history, just as the Savior Himself should be the centerpiece of our lives” (“The Sabbath and the Sacrament,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 6). As your students study the Savior’s life and teachings, they will learn how to come unto Him to receive hope, forgiveness, peace, and eternal happiness. The content and design of the New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual will assist you in teaching the New Testament in a way that helps your students “understand and rely on the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ, qualify for the blessings of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven” (Gospel Teaching and Learning: A Handbook for Teachers and Leaders in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion [2012], 1).