I have been thinking through some issues related to Ecclesiology lately, which in part is prompted by the fact that one of my courses this semester is Sanctification and Ecclesiology (although we recently started discussions on the Ecclesiology portion). Specifically, I have been pondering what the church’s responsibility is towards educating its people with respect to the Christian faith and making sure that they are fit for service. I particularly think of this passage that I believe speaks well to that onus:
It is he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature. So that we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes. But practicing truth in love, we will grow up into Christ, who is the head. From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body grows in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16 NET)
Now first I will acknowledge that using the word ‘church’ requires a little more specificity. I see in Ephesians 3:10-11 that the church has a function as the body of believers to accomplish the purpose of revealing Christ to the world. So the local assemblies as visible representations of the invisible church, carries out its mission through the inward working of the body of Christ growing into an organism that upholds the mandate of what the church is supposed to be. The first order of business, that I think this passage speaks to is the selection of gifts that are given for the purpose of equipping the saints. That is followed by the actual equipping. Next, that results in the individual members contributing to the process through who and what they should be to other members in the body of Christ.
Specifically with respect to how the body of Christ, the corporate entity that comprises individual members, seeks to engage in the mission of representing Christ in a fallen world and engaging those outside of the body in order to present his testimony to garner faith in Christ. That is a mission that is explicitly stated in Matthew 28:19 to make disciples and inferred throughout the New Testament letters, that engaging those who don’t believe in Christ is an important task and the purpose for which Christ came.
I think this creates a natural tension between an inward vs. an outward focus. The task of the church is represent Christ but also has a responsibility to grow up to maturity. This does not happen in a vacuum but in community with other believers, as all are being equipped for works of service. And yet there is the mandate to ‘go’ and be a witness to Christ.
So what does that have to do with education? I encounter from time to time, resistance to formalized education to learn catechesis (instruction in Christian doctrine). I hear often that bible studies are fine and needed but we have to be about the work we are to accomplish. I specifically hear this in reference to the great commission, that has a subtle hint of assigning greater importance to winning the lost than on equipping the saints for the work of service. We can become too knowledgeable without applying that knowledge to fruitful application. I do agree that this is a danger with education.
However, when I look at the complete witness of New Testament scripture, I see that the commission of the church outwardly is based on its foundation and stability inwardly. In other words, it is incumbent upon the body of Christ to represent Christ through its inward growth that will result in outward application. But what I fear is that we place greater emphasis on the outward application without proper attention to the inward structure.
Moreover, I don’t think it honors the witness of Christ when education concerning Him is not taken seriously. Experience is great but I believe insufficient. Drawing a rather crude analogy, if I were a salesperson, shouldn’t I know as much about the product as possible. I could speak to the benefits that I have obtained personally, but that would be inadequate in the face of questions related to how the product functions. Can you imagine my only retort being ‘it works for me personally’? Yet, that is what is espoused when we insist on our personal relationship with Christ not requiring extensive knowledge about him or about what he has built.
So how much education is enough? I would say that education concerning God and his plan for salvation could never be exhausted. Yet, I recognize that not everyone would be inclined for institutional or seminary level training. But I believe that Michael’s last post on essentials vs. non-essentials highlights the fact that all Christians should be engaged in some form of education to understand who and what they are better in order to grow in grace and the true knowledge of Jesus Christ as well as be equipped to represent their faith adequately. That does mean understanding the basis for key points of Christian doctrine and even the historical development. The Holy Spirit was just as much engaged with the church throughout history as he is now and we can learn from those who have gone before. I think that also means a systemized study of key doctrine to determine what the whole counsel of scripture would say on them. In this way, I don’t think just reading the Bible by itself is sufficient but extracting key points of doctrine from it to determine what is most honest to the biblical text. But I also believe that teaching Christians what the bible is and how to read it is equally as important.
I don’t believe that Sunday sermons alone are sufficient. Whether it be through lay institutes, weekly bible studies (in the true sense of working through books of the bible), or small group sessions there has to be continued instruction in pertinent points of doctrine within the context of community that engages believers in a continual growth process resulting in faithful representation of who they are as the body of Christ. The newest DVD set published by Reclaiming the Mind ministries on Essentials of the Christian Faith is a good place to start. Otherwise, ‘going’ and ‘doing’ will be undermined by not ‘being’, which is the whole point of serving as a witness to Christ to a fallen world.
“Instead set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess” (1 Peter 3:15 NET)
21 replies to "How Much Education Should Christians Obtain"
Lisa, good post. You do make very helpful points.
Christian Education and growth as a disciple are to be on-going processes. As you quoted, Matthew 28:19, Jesus command was to make disciples. Discipleship (education as a Christian begin at the moment of salvation, and ends at the moment we draw our last breath.
It helps to understand the gospel well (core doctrine) if you’re going to share it with others!
The mandate in Scriptures is to build disciples not just converts. I have been involved in situations where leadership has focused on making converts and had a superficial idea of teaching those converts to go on in Christ and seen those converts over and over being blow over by every wind of doctrine. If we want people who are to be solid in the faith we need to root them in the truths of God’s Word.
Great topic Lisa.
It is ironic that I came face to face with this topic in a HUGE way today. I like in OKC and attended an “ordaining service” of a friend at a local church. A guest Lady Apostle from Arkansas taught before the ceremony…Total dismantling of biblical text, historic facts, and essential Christian doctrine proceeded. The gross thing was how uneducated the speaker and congregation was who accepted the inaccurate teachings gladly. I was so outraged I had to leave before my friend (who meets none of the 1 Tim 3 criteria) was ordained (entirely different subject). I am frightened at the state of biblical illiteracy that is plaguing this nation. The church MUST place more initiative to provide education to ALL believers.
I have been pondering what the church’s responsibility is towards educating its people with respect to the Christian faith and making sure that they are fit for service.
I would say many churches have decided to take a pass on biblical education. What we have now is education by CCM in book form
Lisa, good thoughts. My wife and I have recently been discussing a similar issue in the church. We wonder why, it nearly always seems to be a one_or_the_other situation at churches.
We were viewing it from more of a “Inward vs. Outward” focus of a church’s ministries. So often you will find one or the other. Some focussed so much on their own members/functions/programs that they have nearly no impact on the community. Others have so much evangelical focus, that their own members lives are falling “between the cracks” and being left non-discipled. It’s so hard to find that middle ground. Thanks for your post.
I agree that christians should be taught, as long as it is made known how important to the faith each doctrine is so that ones faith in God doesn’t rest of important but non-essential things (eg: Biblical infalibility, an eternal firey hell).
Crazy,
Based on what I see in the NT, I would even say that we have an obligation to the body first before the outside. I am not necessarily advocating for ‘programs’ but about what we are supposed to be to one another and in this way grow in love so we can make an impact on the outside.
I woulod also like to note that when we worry about what to teach that we take care to teach what is supportable to nonbelievers. When Paul preached in Athens he used sources his listeners considered solid, not what he considered solid. How many of us can preach the gospel without using scripture and how many require our listeners to accept the scripture as factual like we do. If we require our listeners to accept scripture as factual, are we not placing a barricade in thier path?
William Mayor,
But how do we present essentials of the faith, like belief in Jesus resurrection and faith in Him for salvation to unbelievers without use of the Bible as factual?
I think I get William’s point. Sometimes you have to back it up a few steps and talk about the historical value of the Bible….that even secular historians of ancient history consider the Bible to be a valuable source of information…that the death of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection are events which can be investigated using ancient sources outside of the Bible etc..
Also, we can find common ground within their current belief system, which is what Paul did in Athens. Start by affirming, rather than correcting…
William,
You raise a valid point.
Unfortunately (for Christians), more people are becoming more educated about history and science, and are realizing that claims to Biblical factuality are absurd and untrue.
Thus the Christian of the 2w4t century doesn’t simply need to make her case to the uneducated, superstitious masses of 1st century Palestine, but to the educated, unsuperstitious masses of the 21st century.
Otherwise you risk populating the church (as is often the case now) with the undereducated, superstitious remnant of the world.
But perhaps that’s what Christianity is bound for anyway…
But of course Paul Copan’s just-in post on his own recent thread applies here too:
“The kind of methodology I am following is rooted in historian C. Behan McCullagh’s *Justifying Historical Descriptions* (Cambridge University Press)–utilizing the standard historical procedure of inference to the best explanation. (See also his “Bias in historical description, interpretation and explanation”, History and Theory, 39 [2000], 39-66). I’ve edited three books on the historical Jesus, where this standard historical methodology is utilized and applied to the events surrounding the claim that Jesus rose from the dead.
Ken, have you read these sources? What are you afraid of?
But what about the rotation of specific series on being a better parent, or having a better marriage, or on handling finances?
Focusing on the Christian faith will mess all that up.
Susan,
The fact that you regard Paul Copan’s out of date and largely unacademic approach to matters of Biblical historicity is a prime example of the sad state of affairs in the intellectual life of Christianity.
Paul has demonstrated himself (multiple times) wholly unaware – or simply in denial of – much of the contemporary knowledge and methodology of modern archaeology and the study of ancient history.
If your response to a challenge is to lean on work like Copan’s, you won’t get very far in the company of anyone educated in these topics.
(This of course is not a knock on Copan, but an inescapable observation.)
Dear Parchment and Pen and all readers. At the present I am involved
w/a ministry that corresponds w/folks who are incarcerated in a state
correctional facility. One particular inmate I correspond with was/is
very much involved w/the Jehovah Witnesses and claims the Trinity is
a false doctrine. I am not about beating him over the head w/Scriptures;
I need to find a logical way to share w/him God’s truth, (w/aid of HolySpirit)
of course. I know that his eyes can only be opened by God’s grace, yet
as a believer I need to show that faith is not blind; we as Christians do
think and yet are humble about it. Who wants to win an argumennt yet
drive away the very person we’re trying to win. I do have L. Berkhofs
Syst. Theo., as W. Gruems Syst. theol. along w/ Packer’s Concise Theo.,
but any help from you folks would be greatly appreciated.
thank you, God Bless you all Greg Smith
Ken, my observation is that you have an anti-God bias. No one will ever change that……except God’s Spirit.
Susan,
You are unable to observe that – you merely conveniently assume that. How do you know the evidence doesn’t support another position? You’re especially impaired in your actual studies if you’ve been listening to those whose a priori assumption is the truth of scripture.
It would be very sad if your entire worldview was founded on the false assertion that scripture was inspired and historically founded if it were not.
However, If I’m correctly embracing the truth/reality, then I will have eternal life….rather than facing the wrath of God which is due me. In your case, if you are wrong, you will face God’s eternal judgment for your rebellion against Him.
[…] Lisa Robinson on Christian education: “…it is incumbent upon the body of Christ to represent Christ through its inward growth that will result in outward application….Moreover, I don’t think it honors the witness of Christ when education concerning Him is not taken seriously….I don’t believe that Sunday sermons alone are sufficient. Whether it be through lay institutes, weekly bible studies (in the true sense of working through books of the bible), or small group sessions there has to be continued instruction in pertinent points of doctrine within the context of community that engages believers in a continual growth process resulting in faithful representation of who they are as the body of Christ….Otherwise, ‘going’ and ‘doing’ will be undermined by not ‘being’, which is the whole point of serving as a witness to Christ to a fallen world.” […]