Studies in Christian Education

Over this question, the relation the Word of God should sustain toward other subjects in the school curriculum, has been waged the war of educators for ages. The leader on each side in this controversy understands that his victory depends upon the position which the Bible holds in the school.

The story of this contest between the two forces over the position of God's Word in the education of the young may be read in the following Bible history:

"The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua... And there arose another generation after them which knew not the Lord... and they forsook the Lord God ... and followed other gods, the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them... And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them ... so they could not any longer stand before their enemies ... Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges that delivered them... And it came to pass when the judge was dead they returned and corrupted themselves in following other gods." (Joshua 2:7-19).

This is a condensed history of ancient Israel. When the Word of God held its proper place in home and school, Israel was prosperous, and worldly nations said of them, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." Then we read that they would "forget the things" of God, and fail to "teach their children" the Word. These untaught children "mingled among the heathen, and learned their works, and they served their idols: which were a snare unto them... Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions... And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them... Many times did he deliver them." (Psalm 106:35-43).

The student of the Bible can read in this history of ancient Israel a series of reforms which exalted the Word of God to its proper place in home and school. This was followed by carelessness in regard to Bible study and the practice of its principles in home and school. This meant that the ideas of worldly men took precedence of God's Word, resulting in such weakness that the very people whom Israel was so anxious to imitate despised them for their imitating, and regarded them with such disgust that they reduced Israel to abject slavery; and Israel lost the esteem of the world, in exchange for which she had neglected the Word of God. In the educational world she became the tail instead of the head. It has been a battle royal between Christ and Satan, Christ ever placing the wisdom of his Word before His people as "the principal thing," "a tree of life," while the god of this world holds us in bondage whenever the love of the truth dies out in our hearts. It has ever been his purpose to "spoil through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world." And so the question at issue between Christ and Satan in the educational controversy, past, present, and future, has been concerning the place of the Bible in the minds and lives of teachers and students. The history of modern Israel may be written in the same language as ancient Israel, substituting only modern terms and phases to impress more vividly the comparisons and the applications. The generation beguiled into preferring worldly literature to the Word of God has seldom been able to apply these lessons to itself, because "the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not."

"Above all other books, the Word of God must be our study, the great text book, the basis of all education; and our children are to be educated in the truths found therein, irrespective of previous habits and customs. In doing this, teachers and students will find the hidden treasure, the higher education. Bible rules are to be the guide of the daily life... A new purpose must be brought in and find place, and students must be aided in applying Bible principles in all they do. Whatever is crooked, whatever is twisted out of the right line is to be plainly pointed out and avoided, for it is iniquity not to be perpetuated." (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, pp. 127, 131).

Students in our Christian schools should test every fact and statement offered by the Word of God. All information that does not stand the test should be rejected as chaff, for it is not oil for their lamps, and will only hinder in giving the loud cry. "A different order of things must be brought" into our schools, and "crooked and twisted things" must be straightened by Bible principles. Had this principle been followed prior to 1844 students would have been Prepared to receive the midnight cry, and to carry the message to the ends of the earth.

The Bible in Oberlin

Oberlin College, established in Oberlin, Ohio, in the year 1833, had a most remarkable experience in the training of Christian workers. A historian of the institution writes,

"The Scriptures both in the English version and in the original tongues were considered to possess the highest educational value, and as such, they should be studied first, last, and everywhere between... The Bible is fit to be and ought to be at least upon a par with the classics, and should have a place in every scheme of education from the primary school to the university... Should not the theological students read the entire Bible in Hebrew and Greek? Oberlin decided to restore the Bible to its place as a permanent text book in the whole course... Christian education without the Bible! A monstrosity in the religious world, a stumbling block to unbelievers!" (Delavan L. Leonard, The Story of Oberlin, p. 233-235 [The Pilgrim Press, 1898]).

The following words sum up the conclusions of a large class of scholarly men of that time who were endeavoring to bring about a reform in education:

"In the dark ages the classics were first despised, then over-exalted, and the Scriptures belittled. Now, again, we see the Bible is good for style and taste... The Bible is overlooked and neglected in education.

Let the Bible have its place. Matters like these are not to be decided by the customs of the schools which are yet replete with many a usage which has come from the age of Cardinal Bembo." (Idem, p. 235).

An earnest effort was made by many educational reformers to place the Bible where it belonged in the schools. The power of God attended this effort. Had not teachers yielded to the pressure brought by leaders who were in sympathy with worldly education, the history of the popular churches would have been entirely different, and that of Seventh-day Adventists also.

Oberlin allowed the Bible to slip from its exalted position, and, after a lapse of sixty years, from the following words we judge that the Bible has not yet reached the place it should occupy even with our own students:

"The Bible has not been made a standard matter in their education, but books mixed with infidelity, and propagating unsound theories, have been placed before them." (Ellen G. White, Special Testimonies on Education, p. 149).