help in relating my academic study to my faith and experience. . . . My understanding of the Bible was limited, and my knowledge of the proper way to study the Bible was negligible. Such understanding and such knowledge could have been gained at a Chris tian college.” In a Christian school, the Scriptures are the foun dation on which Christian education is built, the back drop against which all other subjects are to be viewed, the framework within which all else is to be inter preted, and the core around which all other subjects are to be integrated. The Bible is to permeate and penetrate our approach and our interpretation of the truths in other fields of study. The Bible is not like a garage attached to the house, but it is the founda tion on which the house is built. It is for this reason that I greatly appreciate the requirement that all Biola College students take 32 hours of Bible and doctrine. Dr. John Blanchard, Executive Director of the Na tional Association of Christian Schools, has stated the following: “ Can education be to the glory of God if science makes no reference to the Creator? Can edu cation be Christian if history makes no reference to the King of kings? Can education glorify God if litera ture is studied apart from a Biblical critique of man’s writings?” I would add the following questions: Can educa tion be Christian if it causes a student to lose con fidence in the Bible rather than to gain confidence in it? Can education be desirable if it causes students to turn from God rather than to God? Can education be Christ-honoring if it teaches that man is inherently good, does not need salvation, that morals are rela tive, God is dead, the Bible is no longer needed, the church is passe, and heaven and hell are myths? There is a story of a man who, after a nuclear holocaust, picked his way past the rubble and over the scorched earth until he reached a huge deserted apartment building. He entered the building and climbed a staircase up to the top story in the build ing. He stumbled along a long corridor, and happened to turn off into a room. There, to his surprise, he saw a man sitting on the sink, holding a pole and fishing in the bathtub. He informed the fisherman, “ You won't catch any fish in there.” The man very calmly replied, "I know it,” and continued fishing. This is a picture of the secular world trying to find meaning and significance and perspective in life apart from the Word of God. The Christian college has a distinct advantage: It knows where to put the fishing line in for truth. As Dr. Vernon Grounds, president of the Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary, Denver, Colorado, has stated, “ We are not in pursuit of the truth; we are in possession of the tru th .” In a secular school a student generally learns only the secular viewpoint on life but in a Christian school he can view life from a Christian standpoint and at the same time analyze the secular world from that Biblical perspective. NOVEMBER, 1970
2. Spiritual Purpose in Life. Dr. Grayson Kirk, former president of Columbia University, has made this statement: “ The most im portant function of education at any level is to develop the personality of the individual.” But we would ask: To develop his personality in what ways and accord ing to what values? One of the distinctives of the Christian college is its capacity for helping to develop Christlike person ality, that is, for developing the character of Chris tian young people by instilling spiritual values. How unlike this are many young people today, who see no purpose in life and who are on the brink of despair. A 19-year-old wrote to the New York Times, “ I face the possibility of getting killed in the war. As an urban dweller, I face getting killed in riots or killed by a mad gunman. I face getting annihilated in a nuclear holocaust.” In other words he was exclaim ing, “ What’s there to live for?” George Wald, professor of biology at Harvard University, has written a frequently reprinted article entitled “ A Generation in Search of a Future.” In the article he summarized, “ What we are up against is a generation that is by no means sure it has a future.” According to Manning Patillo of the Danforth Foundation, “ All colleges are suposed to help stu dents forge a philosophy of life. It is the business of colleges to assist students to find meaning in human existence and to arrive at sound principles for the guidance of their lives.” But do all colleges fu lfill that function? I believe that only the Christian college can adequately fu lfill this need for spiritual purpose and the development of the spiritual life. But how can it do this? In three ways: A. By the application of Scripture to life. Not only is Scripture to be integrated into every subject of the curriculum; it is also to be integrated into every segment of the conduct. One is the primary respon sibility of the faculty and the other is the responsi bility of both the faculty and the students. A Chris tian college can and should help a student know the facts of the Bible and also lead him to live in con formity to and in harmony with its truths. B. By the cultivation of spiritual habits. Personal Bible study, prayer, worship, witnessing, etc., are spiritual exercises essential for the development of the soul. No doubt all Biola alumni could testify that their experience at Biola not only broadened their knowledge of God’s Word and world but also deepened their spiritual life. C. By the atmosphere of Christian friends, teach ers, and students. C. Hoyt Watson, referred to earlier, wrote the following regarding his lack of a Christian college training: “ When I talk with those who chose a Christian rather than a secular college, I am almost envious of them and their continued interest and contact with former fellow students. I feel the same way as I observe the wonderful friendships being formed each year on my own college campus. What 13
♦
Made with FlippingBook Online document