__________________ teaching is that which is clearly present in the story but not stated in so many words.

Implicit teaching refers to concepts or lessons that are present within a narrative but are not directly articulated or spelled out in explicit terms. This form of teaching often relies on the reader's or listener's ability to discern deeper meanings, moral lessons, or thematic elements that emerge from the context and characters' actions.

For instance, in many Old Testament stories, the behavior of characters or the outcomes of certain events can convey lessons about faith, obedience, or the consequences of sin without those lessons being overtly declared. This requires engagement from the audience to interpret and internalize the messages conveyed through the situational context and narrative nuances.

In contrast, explicit teaching would involve clear statements of the moral or lesson, while contextual teaching focuses on the surrounding circumstances that influence interpretation. Symbolic teaching employs metaphors or symbols to convey deeper meanings, but it is often more focused on the representation of ideas rather than the underlying messages that require interpretation.