5 Things We Were Taught In Sunday School; We Need An Updated Knowledge About

Sunday school experience was life changing thanks to the teachers God gave us then.

However, I spent a lot of Sunday school mornings with my friends in a dimly lit area of our church, much like many other nineties kids did.

The stories of Jonah and the Whale, and of course David and Goliath made my Sunday School morning colourful.

The article below captures 5 Bible stories we were told in Sunday school we need to update our knowledge about.

5 Sunday School Stories Explained 

1) Eve Gave Adam Apple

Things we were taught in Sunday school were quite much,

While growing up in my church Sunday school,

 I was intrigued by the fact that just an apple eating spree can cause God to chase Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden.

I was taught in Sunday school that it was a very red supple looking apple that Eve gave to Adam.

That it was too sweet so Adam didn’t think twice as he munched away his destiny.

Not until, I got born again and began an intentional walk with God that I started studying my Bible for myself 

Just like the Berean church in Acts.17.11, I  delved deeper in my study and I stumbled on the story of God and His instructions to Adam. 

For one thing, I realized that what Eve ate and gave Adam was “fruit” just like the scripture mentioned, not really apple.

Gen.3.6 – And when the woman saw that “the tree” was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, 

and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,

and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

2) Cain and Abel’s Gift To God

Things we were taught in Sunday school that I later understood better after my consistent study of the Bible and trainings is this,

I used to think and be of the opinion that Abel’s Gift was physically beautiful and spotless.

In contrast Cain’s gift was a beetle and moth invested yam.

Fast forward down the years, now I know better because the Spirit has helped me know better.

Furthermore, I came to the knowledge that something made God reject Cain’s offering and accept Abel’s offering.

Consequently, my Sunday school teachings became clearer to me.

3) The Three wise Men/Magi

Additionally, another topic I was taught in Sunday school is the story of the three wise men.

Because of how much I loved this story of these three wise men, I was quite either to argue my lungs out.

The book of Matthew records the visit of the magi from the east in his gospel;

He also states that they brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt 2:1, 11). 

The number of magi or wise men who came to visit the newborn baby “Jesus” is not stated in the scripture.

Nevertheless, the Bible only references “magi” in its plural form (Gk, magoi), implying at least two gifts, there were at least three.

Because it would be just as easy for two guys to bring three gifts as for three or even thirty men. 

Despite the fact that the Bible is silent on the number of magi who visited Jesus, the legend of the three magi team is still spread.

4) Paul Changed His Name After His Conversion

Things we were taught in Sunday school are still green in my memory. 

The story of Paul’s conversion is another story that sends goose bumps on my skin anytime it was told when I was a teeneger.

I’ve always loved the charisma and efontry of Paul, he looked like someone who could be a youth’s role model.

Surprisingly, I was also of the opinion that his original name was Saul, but when he got born again he got a new name “Paul”

As a matter of fact, I was told in Sunday school that after his conversion God changed his name. 

First and foremost, this does not hold up to biblical scrutiny or even a cursory reading of the book of Acts.

Acts 12:26, Luke states that “Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem.”

In Acts 13, God called the missionary “Saul” when he instructed the believers to “set apart for me Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 13:2).

In actuality, the apostle’s name were both Saul and Paul. Saul was his name in Hebrew.

Paul was his Roman name which was Saul in Latin, his writings were to the Roman world which consisted of Hellenistic Jews and Gentiles.

Hence he went with the name Paul to capture the ministry of those he was sent to.

There was no name change related to Paul’s conversion and so you should know if not you will extrapolate a revelation.

5) Thomas Was The Only Disciple Who Doubted

Another key point to note in the Sunday school teachings is the fact that Thomas wasn’t the only one who doubted.

Compelling evidence shows that he wasn’t the only one who doubted the resurrection of the Lord.

As it was taught me in Sunday school, many are either told that Thomas was the only  disciple who doubted.

Did Thomas doubt Jesus’ physical resurrection? Yes (John 20:24-25). But so did the rest of them.

Luke records that the women, when they saw the empty tomb, were “perplexed” or “at a loss for words” (Luke 24:4). 

Mary Magdalene reported to Peter and John that someone stole the body (John 20:2).

Nevertheless, Thomas was the doubter of the group despite Scripture teaching that they all doubted.

Some might say that Thomas was the one that had to see Jesus’ physical body. 

However, John records that when Jesus appeared to the disciples who were in hiding,

 “He showed both His hands and His feet. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19, emphasis added).

Did Thomas doubt? Yes. Was he the only doubter? No, because they all doubted. 

Finally, you may wonder if any of these matters. They are minor issues that don’t affect the gospel message. 

True, but addressing these and other commonly believed Bible misconceptions matter for certain reasons:

Reasons For Addressing Scriptural Misconceptions

1) First, we are called to deal with God’s Word accurately and faithfully.

Paul wrote to Timothy that Christians are to be followers of Jesus “accurately handling the word of truth” 

If we misrepresent or casually accept factually wrong teachings regarding Scripture.

In other words, we are not only inaccurately handling God’s Word, we are promoting untruth.

2) It impacts our credibility in the eyes of the world.

The non-believing world is always looking for reasons to discredit Christianity and sometimes we give them ammunition with these.

It is expedient we get this right especially in our Sunday school.

Point often overlooked is that by teaching clearly inaccurate information or worse

only raises questions. 

Conclusion 

Christian teachers and leaders get these simple biblical facts incorrect especially in Sunday school.

Their ability to handle this might influence their ability to  accurately handle more complex issues such as the nature of the atonement.

Above all, as against some of what we were taught in Sunday school,

We’ve come to realize that Saul was Paul said in Hebrew or Greek.

Or that Cain’s offering was rejected not because he brought beetle infested yams but because of how he offered it.

May God help us learn to be students of the Word that we might rightly divide the word.

Be it in Sunday school, around us or wherever God sends us to. IJN 

Read my article on 7 Misinterpreted scriptures of the Bible 

References

The Bible

Apostle Edu Udechukwu