There are a number of specific goals and objectives to be considered in a Bible curriculum. But we want to consider here what the overall purpose is in Bible instruction. What are we seeking to achieve, in a big-picture way?
First and most fundamental, the goal of our instruction is the glory of God. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). We seek to honor and promote the Lord God, to exalt Him, to lift Him up before men. Everything else we do in our Bible program (or in any other aspect of the school) is secondary to that overriding goal.
Second, a more proximate goal is the fulfillment of the Great Commission. “Jesus came and said to [his disciples], ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20). Jesus here gives His church the charge to make disciples. And how are we to make disciples?
Third, our goal for Bible instruction must present the Bible in the way it was given to us. How did God intend His Word to function? Fortunately, we have that definition in Scripture. Paul says, in 2 Tim. 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Paul here lists four purposes or uses for Scripture, with one goal.
So to sum up, if our Bible instruction is going to use the Bible the way God intended it to be used, it will teach students the truth of the Word of God (“teaching”), point out their sins (“reproof”), call them to confess and repent of those sins (“correction”), and teach them how to live a righteous and godly life (“training in righteousness”). The outcome will be students who are brought to maturity and are ready to obey God in every area of their lives (“complete and equipped for every good work”).
(This is adapted from the Bible curriculum study of Cherokee Christian School, Woodstock, GA, which was conducted in 2012-2013.)
image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/drgbb/2227885657
First and most fundamental, the goal of our instruction is the glory of God. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). We seek to honor and promote the Lord God, to exalt Him, to lift Him up before men. Everything else we do in our Bible program (or in any other aspect of the school) is secondary to that overriding goal.
Second, a more proximate goal is the fulfillment of the Great Commission. “Jesus came and said to [his disciples], ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20). Jesus here gives His church the charge to make disciples. And how are we to make disciples?
- By going. In our case, however, we do not have to go far – just into our classrooms! The Lord is bringing the students to us.
- Baptizing. The school is not the church, and so we do not have the authority to administer the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. However, we may think about what is implied by the command to baptize. Baptism is administered to those who enter into the Kingdom of God, to those who become members of His covenant body. And how does one enter into that covenant? In the context of the school setting, through professing faith in Christ. So we may say that, in our context, this refers to evangelism – presenting the gospel claims of Christ to our students and calling for saving faith and repentance.
- Teaching all that Christ has commanded. Notice that Christ did not limit His Great Commission to simply making converts or pressing for professions of faith. Those are vital, but they are only part of what Jesus commanded. In fact, His command was not to make converts or to press for a profession of faith – the command was to make disciples. One vital element of making disciples is evangelism. But the other vital element is teaching the whole counsel of God. If we believe that Christ, through the Holy Spirit, inspired the entire Bible, then it follows that the entire Bible is what He has commanded. If we are going to make disciples as Christ has instructed us, then it is necessary that we teach the entire Bible. We see a profession of faith, not as the conclusion of our work of making disciples, but as the starting point. If we are going to do as Christ has commanded, then we must teach all that Scripture teaches. Note also that “teaching all that Christ has commanded” is not some sort of “second step” in making disciples (as if we first evangelize and only afterward teach all the Bible). No, the way Christ has worded this command is that we make disciples precisely by teaching all He has commanded. As we teach the entire Bible, as we faithfully instruct our students in the whole counsel of God, we will be making disciples. In the case of some of our students, that instruction will be the tool that God uses to bring them to saving faith in Christ. For other students (those who already savingly believe), that same instruction will bring about their further growth in discipleship.
Third, our goal for Bible instruction must present the Bible in the way it was given to us. How did God intend His Word to function? Fortunately, we have that definition in Scripture. Paul says, in 2 Tim. 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Paul here lists four purposes or uses for Scripture, with one goal.
- Teaching – Scripture is given to us by God to provide instruction, teaching, knowledge, etc. It has been compared to a road map – when one begins a trip (at least in the pre-GPS days), he has a map showing the route from the starting point to the end. Scripture provides us with that map, showing us the route we should take in our lives.
- Reproof – There are times in a trip when we get lost, make a wrong turn, or take a detour. If that happens, the driver (or his wife) looks at the map and says, “We just passed Elm Street, and that is two miles from where we should have turned.” So the map points out the error. Scripture does the same thing – when we sin, the Word of God reproves us and shows us our sin. This is one of the historic uses of the Law – to show us our sin and our need of a Savior.
- Correction – After finding out that we are lost, the map is then useful to point out how to get back on the correct road. “If we turn left at the next street, we will get back to the interstate.” The Word of God does likewise. After revealing our sin to us, Scripture tells us what we need to do differently – how we need to repent and turn from our sins and turn to Christ.
- Training in righteousness – Now that we have gotten back on the correct route in our trip, the map can help us stay on the right road. “If we watch for signs for I-75 South, we will be right.” So it is with the Scriptures. After we see our sins, and after we confess and repent of them, then the Word of God instructs us in how to continue in the path of righteousness and avoid falling into the same sin again.
- The goal which Paul gives for all these uses of Scripture is that the man of God would be complete and equipped for every good work. To be “complete” means to be mature, to be well-equipped, to be thoroughly prepared. And for what is he prepared? For “every good work.” Whatever good works are to be done – whatever actions would be pleasing to God – those are informed by the Word of God. As the Westminster Confession of Faith says, “Good works are only such as God has commanded in His holy Word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intention” (XVI:1).
So to sum up, if our Bible instruction is going to use the Bible the way God intended it to be used, it will teach students the truth of the Word of God (“teaching”), point out their sins (“reproof”), call them to confess and repent of those sins (“correction”), and teach them how to live a righteous and godly life (“training in righteousness”). The outcome will be students who are brought to maturity and are ready to obey God in every area of their lives (“complete and equipped for every good work”).
(This is adapted from the Bible curriculum study of Cherokee Christian School, Woodstock, GA, which was conducted in 2012-2013.)
image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/drgbb/2227885657