The Value of Questions

The Value of Questions

Who do you say that I am?  Why are you afraid? What does the Law say?  As demonstrated in Matthew 8:26, 16:15, Luke 10:26 and many other passages, Jesus knew the power of a good question. In contrast, in much of the teaching that occurs within churches today, the only question commonly asked of students is, Do you have any questions? In these cases, questions are viewed strictly as a problem for the teacher to solve rather than an essential tool in learning. What value do questions have in discipleship? Let's consider.

Questions are useful for engaging your audience. Listening is generally a passive activity. Though listening can be made more active through note-taking, often your audience will not be engaged in doing so. As much as we would like to hope that they hang on our every word, passivity can quickly turn into distraction. It's easy for an idle learner to drift in thought. Questions give the listener an outlet for participation, turning them from a passive participant into an active one. Even if a learner does not answer the question aloud, just thinking about their answers to the question is an active response keeping them attentive to the teaching. If we desire our audience to learn we must keep them engaged, and questions are the simplest rhetorical tool for promoting engagement.

As a teacher, how do you know when learning has occurred? When a listener can demonstrate practical application of the material that has been taught, that is the definition of successful learning. How do we know when a learner can practically apply the material? While observing the practical application by the person in everyday life would be an ideal demonstration, it's not feasible for a teacher to accomplish. Instead, by utilizing questions we can create immediate opportunities for learners to demonstrate their grasp of the teaching.

This is especially important regarding instruction from God's Word. A simple question like, "How can we demonstrate love for our neighbor like the good Samaritan did for his?" would allow the learner to show their understanding of the parable of the good Samaritan, our Christian duty to love our neighbors, and practical applications of performing that duty in a personal way. Good teachers are not just instructors, they are evaluators, continually checking if learning has occurred. Questions are the most feasible way for an instructor to quickly evaluate. 

One major evaluation Christian teachers often make is the distinction between head knowledge and heart knowledge. We know that it is not enough for a person to have a working understanding of spiritual teachings. These teachings must become personal to him. Perhaps you have heard someone say, "I know the Sunday School answer to that question, but..." meaning that they know the right answer biblically, but here is some feeling of divide between the biblical answer and his personal experience. Utilizing effective questions in his teaching can help to narrow that divide.

If learners are only told truths, it can feel as though all these doctrines are foreign to them. The teachings are not their own thoughts; they are thoughts given to them that they were told to believe. However, utilizing guiding questions such as, "what does this passage reveal to us about the character of Jesus?" will direct a learner into expressing those truths for themselves. It creates a personal attachment to those truths as something they have done work to understand. Understanding that is earned is more likely to be personally applied than instruction that is given. Questions allow the teacher to guide the learner while still allowing the learner to gain understanding personally.

Utilizing teacher-led questions as part of instruction is intimidating for some because it may feel like they are "letting go of their reigns." Who knows what people will say once you give them a chance to speak their perspectives? We understand our calling as spiritual leaders to instruct others in objetive spiritual truths and questions can feel like allowing too much subjectivity into the instruciton. Yet, Jesus was not afraid to utilize questions as He discipled. To truly make disciples, you must engage people, and you must lead them to understand doctrine practically and personally. As Christ shows us all throughout the gospels, questions are effective tools for accomplishing just that.

T.J. Blankinship graduated from Emmaus Baptist College with a Bachelors in Theology and a Bachelors in Elementary Education. While pursuing his degrees and following his graduation and T.J. Served as youth pastor at Riverview Heights Missionary Baptist Church for nine years, during which he was ordained. In 2021, he moved to Flint, MI. where he presently serves as pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. He is blessed to serve the Lord alongside his wonderful wife Leah and (soon to be joined by) his daughter Aletheia.