How To Identify A Bad Ladies’ Bible Teacher

Women, just like men, need to study the Bible, but our ministries and studies directed toward women often make me feel like women are sitting at the spiritual children’s table. Christian women tend to follow teachers who fall woefully short. Furthermore, the Bible, itself, hardly makes an appearance in the most popular studies. This just won’t do. So, I’d like to help you out by sharing a eight ways to identify a bad ladies’ Bible teacher.

1. A Bad Ladies’ Bible Teacher Is Feelings-Oriented

Feelings are good. God gave us feelings, and He has them, too! We know that Jesus wept in sadness (John 11:35), felt angered over the money changers in the temple (Matthew 21:12), and had compassion on the blind (Matthew 20:30-34). We also know God experiences wrath (Romans 1:18), jealousy (Exodus 20:5), joy (Isaiah 62:5), and love (John 3:16).

However much good our feelings may bring to our lives, though, we should not be ruled by them. Our feelings are simply too inconsistent to be reliable. Not to mention, they are often rooted in our self-centeredness. We, as believers, cannot allow anything to rule over us other than the Lord.

In addition, allowing our feelings to guide our lives leaves us unstable and at the whim of any passing circumstantial emotion. Christians don’t need to live like that. God is greater than any temporal feelings we experience. We ought to lean on Him and not allow our emotions to cloud the reality of our lives. We are Christians, and God maintains us.

Any woman who focuses on the feelings we experience and ignores the care the Lord has for us is a bad ladies’ Bible teacher. She should teach women to put their faith in Christ, not emotion.

Scriptures For When Our Feelings Overwhelm

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

1 Peter 5:10

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 14:27

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.”

Psalm 18:6

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

2. A Bad Ladies’ Bible Teacher Focuses On Self-Actualization

If you think self-actualization sounds familiar, it might be because you remember Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Simply explained, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs was a pyramid, and the needs were listed from bottom to top. The idea is that the bottom needs must be met before needs higher on the pyramid can be met, too. The tiers, starting at the bottom, are: physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness and love needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization.

The top tier, self-actualization, is when an individual reaches her full potential from “internal drive.” When giving examples of self-actualization, people often describe doing the things in life that bring them joy. Love to paint? Be a painter. Have a hobby that makes you feel great? Engage in that hobby. Ultimately, this is often seen as fulfilling our purpose in life.

Do Bible Teachers Really Teach This?

Sadly, women’s Bible studies are rife with self-actualization rhetoric. The teacher is unlikely to quote Maslow, but she will definitely talk about the need to do what fulfills us. She may equate our life’s purpose with realizing our full potential.

Self-actualization is all about me, and Jesus is simply an aid in fulfilling my personal dreams. There’s a big problem, though. Maybe your dream stinks.

Seriously, though, maybe your dream is not God’s plan for you. It’s dangerous and unbiblical to teach women (or men for that matter) that God wants them to fulfill their dreams. It’s not realistic and very Disney.

Remember, the Bible has something to say about what happens to us when we are born again, and it is not, “Girl, you deserve to have everything you want.”

We die to self. We are crucified with Him. Believers should offer themselves as a sacrifice by living for Him and His will. Our life’s purpose is to glorify God in this life with our obedience to His will, not to serve our selfish desires.

The Bible Says It… Die To Self

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

Galatians 5:24

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Romans 12:1-2

3. A Bad Ladies’ Bible Teacher Sees Everything Through A Female Lens

As women, we do see things differently than men at times. For example, I see a huge mess in the house while my husband sees a “clean enough” home. That might not be a male and female issue, but my point remains. People see life from their own point of view. That doesn’t have to be bad. We can help each other understand things more deeply if we examine multiple points of view.

However, a point of view can’t change fact, truth, or history. Bad ladies’ Bible teachers frequently do that. An entire Bible study may be completely feminized, and thus, lose any of its intended meaning. Why, for example, does every woman’s group have to go over Ruth and Esther? Well, they “star” women, and those books are easy to feminize. Let me give an example from my personal experience.

Bible Study Or A Ted Talk?

Beth Moore. No, I don’t know her. My personal experience with her is going through her Esther study with a women’s Bible study early in my faith. I remember two distinct sections of Esther that I believe she was using to appeal to her audience’s feminine identity.

The first instance was in the second chapter of Esther. Moore focused on the beauty treatments the potential wives for King Xerxes had to go through. She made it sound like torture and unfair that women should be judged on their looks. As far as the study went, we spent a great deal of time breaking down this section. Was God trying to make a statement about the unequitable treatment of men and women concerning beauty standards? Nah.

The other major misstep Moore made concerning her female lens was when Queen Esther must approach King Xerxes without having first been invited by him (Esther 5). Esther’s life was literally in danger because popping in on the king was not allowed and punishable by death. (A steep sentence, to be sure!) An audience with him was by invitation only, even if you were the queen.

Moore’s big takeaway from this moment in Esther’s story of bravery went something like this. “Her husband hadn’t come to see her in some time. Imagine if your husband hasn’t looked at you for awhile. You’d be wondering if he still found you beautiful or had moved his affection to another woman.” Um, somebody missed the point…

This sort of interpretation of God’s Word is commonplace in women’s Bible studies. Instead of seeing the Word for what it is intending to say, these bad ladies’ Bible teachers look at things through their own female experiences, insecurities, and feelings.

The Bible does not exist as a way for women to get together in a group and work through their personal experiences as women in this modern age. It’s not therapy. It’s the study of God’s Word, and adding to or taking away from the Bible is expressly prohibited (Revelation 22:18-19).

4. A Bad Ladies’ Bible Teacher Uses Too Much Humor And Storytelling

Using a story or some jokes to draw a listener in or pull together the point being made can be quite profitable when speaking and teaching. However, we have to be careful about how far we take this approach.

Full disclosure: I struggle here. I’m not a public speaker, though, so I have limited opportunities to crash and burn in this particular arena. You probably can’t tell from my blog, but I am a total goofball. I love to laugh and joke around. Storytelling is one of my favorite activities. On the other hand, this can detract from important and serious conversations. One such conversation that requires a careful balance is any discussion of the Scriptures.

Some popular female Bible teachers are amazing speakers. They’ll have you laughing and crying by the end. If they spend too much time on jokes and stories, however, their audiences walk away remembering anecdotes and how the message or lesson made them feel. But they won’t remember the passage of the Bible being covered.

Bad ladies’ Bible teachers rely heavily on personality and entertainment over the rich truths of God’s Word. There is a time and place for entertainment, and I guarantee Bible studies are likely not it. When Bible teachers aim to entertain, they take the focus off God and place it on themselves.

5. A Bad Ladies’ Bible Teacher Plays On Emotions

As we already discussed, God designed us with feelings and emotions. He even has them, too. Nevertheless, we can’t let them rule over us. While some Bible teachers just focus on the emotional, others use those emotions in order to manipulate us.

Why might someone do this? Well, not to be a cynic, but improved revenue could be one reason. If I feel I have been moved by a woman’s study, then I am more apt to purchase another study and pay to see her speak in person. And don’t forget about how many of my friends I’ll talk to about this teacher.

Another reason could be to improve her reputation. Women talking about how they cried and laughed and bonded over a study makes other people think that teacher must be pretty great. It doesn’t take long for women to decide someone is a recommendable teacher, even without ever being taught anything valuable, because they were emotionally manipulated.

Does Emotional Manipulation Work?

You might think you can’t be manipulated so easily. Possibly not. You know what, though? A lot of women can be. A. Lot.

Think of churches that have the pianist play something reflective in the background while someone prays. Does God need a soundtrack to our prayers? No! But the leadership wants you to connect to the message, and thus the church, emotionally. That brings people back. Not for Jesus, mind you… They come back because they felt emotionally connected.

Bad ladies’ Bible teachers do the same kind of thing all the time. They tell emotionally-charged stories and add a pinch of truth about God to make it a “Bible study” or message. I was at a ladies’ retreat years ago where this was on full display. I believe the message in that segment of the retreat was about healing through all the hurts we have endured. OK. Sounds good. Jesus totally can offer healing.

Then, each woman was given a flower. An empty woven-looking cross was at the front of the room. The speaker began to talk about the scars from sexual abuse that many women silently carry with them. It was a timely message, and it was an appropriate time and place to have that discussion. However, that is when the play for emotional manipulation went into action.

Exploitation And Manipulation

The song “You Say” by Lauren Daigle began to play as the speaker invited all the women who had been sexually assaulted, abused, or been on the receiving end of an attempted assault to walk up to the cross and attach their flowers to it. Some women sat stunned at the brazen request to advertise sexual trauma in front of several hundred of their “closest friends.”

Women lined the aisle, some sobbing, to participate in that moment. All I could think was that these women would be back next year, money in hand, and spend the next several months talking about the amazing ladies’ retreat put on by that association.

God’s Word evokes emotion, but scenes like that one more closely resemble a group therapy session than teaching about the promises of God. How many of those women walked away with a deeper understanding of the Lord? How many have formed a strong emotional connection to that Christian association through the exploitation of their past sexual trauma? By the way, I have no problem calling it exploitation because later that day the association shared a video of women participating in that activity on Facebook. It was later wisely removed.

The female leadership at that retreat focused the event more on the women and their personal lives rather than teaching hurting women about the God who loves them and offers peace beyond all understanding. It was a wasted opportunity.

6. A Bad Ladies’ Bible Teacher Keeps Poor Company

Let’s say a Bible teacher seems pretty solid. You are leaving her studies believing yourself to be more equipped in your Christian walk, and she doesn’t seem to be doing anything from my list. One often forgotten area to check out in a Bible teacher’s life is the company she keeps. Specifically, I am talking about with what other teachers, preachers, and authors does she associate?

A popular example of this is Priscilla Schirer. She has been featured in two movies by the Kendrick brothers, War Room and Overcomer. This fact appears to give Shirer a pass with women. A closer examination will reveal red flags with her associations.

She associates herself, and sometimes partners with, the Osteens, T.D. Jakes, Joyce Meyer, and Christine Caine. All of these people are false teachers who propagate the prosperity gospel. Shirer is also friendly with Beth Moore who, as you may have noticed by now, is decidedly a false teacher.

Does it matter if we partner with false teachers? Yes! We validate them in the eyes of those who trust us. Plus, how could anyone who truly knows the Lord seek to partner with those who teach ideas antithetical to the Bible? Not to mention, the Bible speaks against it.

“Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” (emphasis mine)

2 John 8-11

Bad ladies’ Bible teachers sometimes give themselves away before their poor doctrine becomes apparent by simply partnering with or validating other false teachers.

7. A Bad Ladies’ Bible Teacher Teaches To Men

The go-to verse to explain why women can’t preach to men is First Timothy 2:12. We also see the qualifications for elders/pastors in Titus to be expressly referring to men. So, women can’t be pastors. Men are to be the spiritual leaders at home (Ephesians 5:22) and in the church. So, women can’t ever teach or speak? Not exactly.

These teachings frequently get misconstrued and overapplied. Women are not out of line when they have a blog, podcast, social media presence, or other public ministry. They should, however, be directing their teachings toward other women. Titus 2:3-5 instructs older women to teach the younger women in their walk with the Lord. So, clearly, following instructions from the Bible is all right.

On the other hand, bad ladies’ Bible teachers have no problem preaching a Sunday morning message, teaching a class of men, or directing their ministry to men and women, alike. We can’t always help who tunes into a podcast or reads a blog post, but we can make it clear who our intended audience is and refrain from taking speaking and teaching roles meant for men.

8. A Bad Ladies’ Bible Teacher Mishandles God’s Word

Eisegesis is a method of teaching the Bible that relies on the teacher starting with an idea and interpreting the Word through one’s ideas rather than by what the text actually says. A good ladies’ Bible teacher will take an exegetical approach, using the context of the writing and pulling out the intended meaning.

Eisegesis opens the door to many of the issues I have already addressed. Even if you have not seen other problems, a teacher’s use of eisegesis is a clue that you are listening to a bad ladies’ Bible teacher. She should teach what the Bible says, not what she wants it to say.

Final Thought

Choosing to listen to and follow sound Bible teachers is an essential part of a mature Christian walk. A ladies’ Bible teacher may make you feel good, be a gifted speaker, and make you laugh. She might emotionally resonate with you, and everyone you know might think she’s wonderful. But that’s simply not enough.

Whether we are discussing a nationally known Bible teacher or a women in your local church, the need for a biblically sound teacher is paramount. Don’t rely on anyone else to tell you who is a solid teacher and who is not. Take your spiritual growth into your own hands, and be ready to leave behind teachers you have followed in the past if they don’t measure up to God’s standards.

Have you discovered someone you used to follow or learn under was a bad ladies’ Bible teacher? What did you do?

Image courtesy of Joel Muniz via Unsplash.