Recently in our Sunday morning Bible class on the Book of Genesis, one of our good deacons asked a question about the burial of Joseph’s body. I responded by saying that he was eventually buried in Timnath-serah in Mount Ephraim, as that was the city which he had built, and that is where he lived in the land of Canaan. What I said, unfortunately, was not true.

It was Joshua that lived and was buried in Timnath-serah, not Joseph (Joshua 19:50; 24:30). Joseph was embalmed in Egypt and placed in a coffin there (Genesis 50:26), his bones were brought out of Egypt by Moses and the Israelites (Exodus 13:19), and he was eventually buried in Shechem (Joshua 24:32). I have no clue as to why I made such a blunder and confused Joseph with Joshua, but I did [Just three days before this I had taught a special class on Joshua 24 – the very passage that records the burial of both Joseph and Joshua]. My brothers and sisters in the class, with the puzzled expressions on their faces and their questions for clarification, helped me "get the story straight." I was humiliated, but in the end, we got it all cleared up and moved on.

The mistake that I made while teaching a Bible class should serve as a reminder for all of us. Consider these truths:

1. All teachers are human, so they make mistakes. Do not expect perfection from them, because you will not get it. Jesus, the Master, was the only one that taught in a flawless manner (John 7:46; 8:45,46).

2. Because teachers make mistakes, students should not have the attitude which says, "He/she is the teacher, so whatever he/she says must be right." This is the very mistake that many in the religious world make. They hear a person teach, either in person, on TV, or through some other avenue, and they just assume that whatever he/she has to say is surely correct. Such an approach is, to say the least, extremely dangerous.

Some teachers make mistakes in all innocence – they know the truth and simply have a slip of the tongue when speaking. Others, however, are false prophets that pretend they are sheep (Matthew 7:15). They purposely pervert the gospel (Galatians 1:6,7). Whatever the case might be, those that hear a religious message are obligated before God and man to put the message to the test by comparing the message taught with what the Bible says. God says, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).

The more familiar and comfortable that people have become with a teacher, the more inclined they are to let down their guard and either not notice false statements that he/she might make, or simply disregard them. Note: There is a difference in (1) being on guard against mistakes and (2) listening/reading with the hope of finding a mistake in what someone has to say in order to be able to "skin" him/her. The first approach comes from a heart that desires to hear only the truth that sets us free, while the second sounds an awful lot like the first-century Pharisees.

3. When things are not stated clearly by a teacher, or when there is some question in the mind of the students about what is said, students should ask for clarification. More than once Jesus’ disciples asked Him for additional instruction about some matter that He had taught (cf. Mark 10:10; 4:10). Furthermore, we should encourage students of all ages to ask questions when they do not fully understand something. In our Bible classes, we need to cultivate an atmosphere that encourages questions, rather than one in which people are made to "feel dumb" for making inquiries.

4. By being well prepared, teachers can cut down on the number of mistakes that they make. As we have noted, teachers will never totally eliminate miscues on their part. It can be disheartening for students, though, when they feel like their teacher has a pattern of making frequent mistakes. There is no substitute for teachers spending time with the Bible in order to understand the truth and be able to communicate it properly. In addition, each individual lesson that a teacher is to teach requires earnest preparation

5. Teachers need to admit their mistakes. When? As soon as he/she is aware that a mistake has been made. It is always helpful to say, "I was wrong about this," then proceed to present the truth. Students are usually understanding when teachers make mistakes. What they do not appreciate, and rightfully so, is when teachers make mistakes but refuse to admit them.

6. Teachers need to be able to laugh at themselves when they are made aware of their mistakes. (Everyone else laughs at me when I mess up, so why shouldn’t I get to enjoy it, too?!). "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine" (Proverbs 17:22).