Christian Education

"We proclaim [Christ], admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me."-Apostle Paul, To the Colossians (1.28-29)
What is Bible class for? Is Bible class a right or a privilege?

Honestly, I think sometimes we've bought into a false bill of goods. We've seemingly bought into the idea that Bible class is a right, that it should be going on whether I am here or not, and that when I choose to show up it should be entertaining. As a right, I should not have to do anything other than show up. This thinking acts as though Bible class is not something we have to think about or put into practice in any way during the week. Some churches have done away with Bible classes for adults because of this type of thinking. Others have turned their small groups into Bible instruction, familiarization, and indoctrination.

I think we've done a disservice to the Bible and to Christian education's intent. I believe Bible class is a privilege. The teacher must view it that way as well as the students. If it's a privilege then I must be prepared for it, must participate in it, and must put it into practice. First, though, we need to understand what Bible class is for.

Bible class is one means of accomplishing what Paul spoke about above-presenting people perfect in Christ. Other verses talk about the same basic principle. Elsewhere Paul taught that people must attain maturity, which was attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4.13). The Corinthian church suffered from people who were still being worldly and chastised them for not yet attaining spirituality (1 Cor 3.2-4). Peter spoke about growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus (2 Pet 3.18), and taught us to add certain qualities so that we would be effective and productive Christians who would never fall (2 Pet 1.5-11). The Hebrew writer chastised his readers because they should have been teachers by the time he wrote to them, but they still needed "baby bottles" (Heb 5.11-6.3). Bible class, then, is one method of moving a person from non-Christlikeness to Christlikeness, of maturing new Christians into experienced Christians.

Granted, we do need to understand Biblical content. We have to understand the original readers' situations because those situations often times generate the Scripture we're reading. Remember, the Bible is written for us, not to us. If Christ is not being perfected in us, however, we need to adjust the approach to and participation in Bible class. The Revelation is one of those classes requiring a lot of contextual explanation, but its message to us is vital to developing a mature Christlikeness. We must resist the influence of "the world" and the forces the world brings to bear on us to make us surrender our loyalty to Jesus.

As teachers, do we have expectations of those participating in our classes? I don't do it every week, but I asked for people to do homework even studying the Revelation. The auditorium class is not really conducive to that which is why I don't think it's beneficial to teach there. As students, do we go to be entertained or do we go to be perfected?

I'm about to launch a class on Psalms on Wednesday evenings. Send me those wanting Christ to be more perfectly formed in them. Send me the artists, song writers, public speakers, counselors, prayer writers, etc. We're going to have class projects, times of worship, deep theological discussions, and learn something about our spiritual forefathers' earliest songbook, too!