Matthew
A Bible Study Using the Visual Bible Video Format

Video Use Considerations and Teaching Tips

  1. Matthew is part of The Visual Bible Series produced by GNN International and Visual Bible, LLC.  Matthew is available in VHS and DVD formats.  The retail version list for $99.95 but I have found copies of either format for a low as $20 on ebay or $40 at www.visual-bible.com (brand new).

  2. If possible, use DVD since video clips can be cued easier and you can enable the subtitle feature which will display scripture on the screen. This is a nice feature since the dialog is actual scripture, word for word from the New International Version (NIV).

  3. Using this video-based version of Matthew is great for making Jesus' life and teachings come alive but it's important to remind the class that it is merely a dramatization of Matthew's gospel. Though the dialog is 100% scripture, the emotions and reactions of the actors and the tone used in the dialog are simply interpretations of how the characters being portrayed might have looked like or sounded like in real life.

  4. Encourage class members to watch and listen with an open mind. Ask them to express what they like and don't like about certain segments. Find out how the video has confirmed or challenged their previous understanding of Matthew's gospel account.

  5. You may find that some people tend to have a one-dimensional view of Jesus. By creating a safe environment for open discussion, some positive teachable moments may develop which may bring up some important themes relating to Jesus. Below are a few questions that could be helpful to the class after watching the first video segment:

  • Do we tend to limit Jesus' emotional range when thinking of his life and teachings?  (Did he laugh?  Did he use much humor?  Was he always serious?)

  • Is it possible that Jesus expressed more emotion than we have allowed for in our own perception of certain accounts?

  • Is it possible that our perception of Jesus' emotional range is merely an extension of our own emotional range?

  • How much does our individual comfort zones affect the way we see Jesus?

  • If we have trouble seeing Jesus as one who did have a normal range of human emotion, does this mean that perhaps we still struggle with a Jesus who is both human and God?

  1. I found the Life Application Bible to be a great resource for finding bite-size statements and teaching charts to use for class introductions or to help frame key discussion questions.  Since copyright laws don't allow me to include them, you will need to refer to your copy of the Life Application Notes if you are interested in doing the same thing. However, I have provided a reference sheet for some of these items. Tip: I use the Life Application Notes in my WORDSearch computer program so I can copy and paste notes and charts to a Word file for my weekly teaching notes (this is much faster than typing it out).

  1. The teaching schedule provided is designed for a 13-week quarter. Notice the first class is mainly an overall introduction to Matthew's gospel, including a video segment from the video promotional found on the DVD (to pique interest).  The remaining twelve weeks is a breakdown of the actual video series.  Each class typically starts with a 20-25 minute video segment followed by 20-25 minutes of class discussion.  I purposely planned the last class with a shorter video clip, which includes the Great Commission scene, so we could conclude with a lesson on our response to the Great Commission.

Enjoy!  -- Eddie Mathews, Kerrville Church of Christ

Click here to return to the main web page of Matthew.