Baptist Faith and Message Article 12 Education

Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence. In Jesus Christ abide all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All sound learning is, therefore, a part of our Christian heritage. The new birth opens all human faculties and creates a thirst for knowledge. Moreover, the cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support of the churches. An adequate system of Christian education is necessary to a complete spiritual program for Christ’s people.

In Christian education there should be a proper balance between academic freedom and academic responsibility. Freedom in any orderly relationship of human life is always limited and never absolute. The freedom of a teacher in a Christian school, college, or seminary is limited by the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, by the authoritative nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct purpose for which the school exists.

Deuteronomy 4:1,5,9,14; 6:1-10; 31:12-13; Nehemiah 8:1-8; Job 28:28; Psalms 19:7ff.; 119:11; Proverbs 3:13ff.; 4:1-10; 8:1-7,11; 15:14; Ecclesiastes 7:19; Matthew 5:2; 7:24ff.; 28:19-20; Luke 2:40; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 2:3,8-9; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17; Hebrews 5:12-6:3; James 1:5; 3:17.

Title: "Faithful Learning: Education in the Kingdom of Christ"

Key Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children..."

Big Idea: Christian education is vital for spiritual growth, cultural transformation, and generational faithfulness, as it aligns knowledge with God's truth and equips believers for Kingdom work.

I. Education as a Reflection of God’s Nature

Key Scripture: Proverbs 1:7; Colossians 2:3

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."

When you fall in love with someone you want to get to know them.

"In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

God has answers for our lives if we will mine out those answers. Amen.

OT

Deuteronomy 6:6–9 “6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Proverbs 1:7–9 “7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; 9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.”

Proverbs 22:6 “6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 3:11“11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction;”

NT

Colossians 3:16 “16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Explanation:

God is the source of all wisdom and knowledge. True education begins with a reverence for Him.

Jesus embodies truth, demonstrating that education is not merely academic but spiritual and relational.

The spiritual disciplines of Bible study, prayer, worship at times will be obligatory, our of duty, scholastic to the heart, but if you stay with it in the droughts, they will become spiritual and relational.

Christian education integrates faith and learning, showing that all truth is God’s truth.

Illustration:

Imagine a house being built. Without a solid foundation, it collapses. Likewise, education without God as the foundation leads to instability.

Matthew 7:24 “24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:”

Application:

Prioritize biblical literacy in your life. Are you seeking God’s wisdom in your learning?

Have you come up with a way of feeding your self the word with a regular routine? Would someone share?

Encourage integrating Scripture into all subjects, whether in homeschooling, Christian schools, or personal study.

How can we the church do a better job in encouraging our community to be biblically literate?

II. The Church’s Role in Education

Key Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20; Ephesians 4:11-13

"Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

Matthew 28:19–20 “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

"To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ."

Ephesians 4:11–13 “11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”

Explanation:

The church is responsible for equipping believers with sound doctrine and wisdom for ministry and life.

Education within the church—through preaching, Sunday School, small groups, and discipleship—helps believers mature in faith.

Supporting Christian schools and theological institutions furthers the Kingdom’s mission.

Illustration:

A candle passing its flame to others does not lose its light. Similarly, when the church educates and equips believers, the light of Christ spreads.

In the Bible, I think about young Jesus going to the synagogue at age 12:

Luke 2:46–47 “46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.”

Here on Sunday nights, I believe it is so well attended because of the informality yes, but the fact you can participate, you can ask questions, you can engage. All of these aspects of education are important.

Ill. Seminary-in class vs. online. Workshops in New Orleans. Coffee or eating with fellow students and discussing our classes, our assignments, sounding off of them. Critiquing my preaching, my critiquing theirs.

Application:

Get involved in the church’s educational efforts—attend Bible studies, volunteer to teach, or invest in Christian schools and seminaries.

I think there is three to four more sessions of this study. I am wanting someone to teach a DT class on Sunday nights for several reasons. You need to hear someone besides me. You grow by using your gift. Your willingness to teach encourages someone else that they can do it.

Ask yourself: How am I growing spiritually through the church’s teaching ministries?

III. Education’s Kingdom Impact

Key Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Deuteronomy 6:6-9

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching...that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

"You shall teach them diligently to your children..."

Deuteronomy 6:6–9 “6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

We hit on this this morning in our time together. Frequency deepens the message from our heads-scholastic, to our hearts-transformative.

Explanation:

Christian education equips believers to impact their families, communities, and culture for Christ.

Generational faithfulness is vital: teaching God’s Word ensures a legacy of faith that endures.

Education is a means of preparing believers to engage the world with the gospel and resist cultural drift.

Illustration:

Think of a relay race. Each generation hands off the baton of faith to the next. Without diligence, the baton may be dropped, leading to spiritual decline.

Application:

Parents: Take responsibility for discipling your children. Firstly parents, grandparents, it is not the church nor the school to teach right from wrong, it is the home. The church and the school support the parents in their endeavor. Create a home environment centered on God’s Word.

Individuals: View education as preparation for service. How are you using what you’ve learned to glorify God and advance His Kingdom?

Ill. Who wants to share the amount of time you have carried a child or grand child or niece or nephew to dance, volleyball, soccer, football, piano classes, basketball, etc? Those are temporal activities at best. Do they help? Sure. Do they develop them physically and to be team oriented? Sure. But, how does that compare to investing in something in their lives that will change them for eternity?

Closing Illustration and Challenge

Illustration:

Picture a tree planted by streams of water (Psalm 1:3). It flourishes because it draws from a life-giving source. Christian education is that stream, grounding us in God’s truth and helping us bear fruit in every area of life.

Challenge:

Examine your commitment to education in the Kingdom of Christ. Are you growing in your own knowledge of God? Are you supporting the church’s educational mission? Are you passing on the faith to others?

Conclusion and Prayer:

Summarize the three points:

Education reflects God’s nature and truth.

The church has a vital role in equipping believers.

Christian education has a transformative, generational impact.

Encourage action: Seek God’s wisdom, invest in education, and pass on the faith to the next generation.

Close with prayer for wisdom, diligence, and a commitment to glorify God through learning and teaching.