M. E. KERN by M. E. KERN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 6, 1908

M. E. KERN

By M. E. KERN

The Bible in Education—No. 1

M. E. KERN

THE BIBLE is the book of God. Its central theme is the plan of redemption, which embraces the forgiveness of sin and the restoration of innocence in this life, and the gift of eternal life and a home in paradise when time here is no more. This scheme of human redemption presents before finite minds the grandest and loftiest themes which human beings can contemplate. It is a subject for study in the schools of the unfallen beings of the universe. The love of God has spanned the dark chasm that sin has made, and has again connected earth and heaven.

God’s life has touched sinful humanity, and out of that divine touch has come the Bible. Through the avenue of righteous men God has given to all humanity a revelation of his will, and the sincere study of this divine-human book brings the individual into touch with God. Such an individual is able to communicate that touch through his own life to the lives of others. And this is what is needed.

The Purpose of Education

God’s thought for the world, God’s thought for you and me, God’s thought for our children, is the restoration of righteous character. The energy of heaven is being expended to the end that we may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world.

Through the fall of man all his powers were weakened, especially the spiritual faculties. There is only one power that can restore man’s spiritual nature, and that is the power of God through Christ as manifested in the everlasting gospel. “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost,” and to bring man back where he can fulfil the purposes of his creation.

Now true education embraces the harmonious development of the whole man, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Let it be clearly understood that the purpose of education and redemption are one and the same. (See “Education,” page 13.) And when we truly comprehend this, we shall be well on the road to the solution of many of our educational problems. Thus Christian education, as we have been told, “prepares the student for the joy of service in this world, and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come.”—“Education,” page 13. Though we may have ever so many accomplishments, though we may understand all knowledge, and speak with the tongues of angels, if we have not love, the foundation of every right life, “the bond of perfectness,” it is nothing. This love, this unselfishness, lies at the very foundation of all true development. (“Education,” page 16.)

The present and future happiness of the race rests upon its recognition of this law of love, this dependence upon God, and mutual helpfulness to one another. Those who would have a part in the eternal plan of God must be fitted for it by being rooted and grounded in love.

The Bible the Basis

The objects of redemption and education being the same, God’s Book of redemption is his Book of education. In any system of Christian education, this Book of all books will be pre-eminent; and in the closing hours of the redemption work on earth there has been revealed to us most clearly the place that God would have his Book occupy in education. We have been told that “the Holy Scriptures are the perfect standard of truth, and as such should be given the highest place in education” (“Education,” page 17); that “the Bible should be made the foundation of study and of teaching” (“Ministry of Healing,” page 401); that “above all other books, the Word of God must be our study, the great text-book, the basis of all education” (“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VI, page 131); and to urge us on in the right way, this question is asked, “Will not teachers awake to their responsibility in this matter, and see that the Word of God has a larger place in the instruction given in our schools?”—Id., page 133.

This brings us squarely to face the problem, the Bible the basis of all education. Have we made it so? What does it mean? How can we do it? Does it mean that we are to study the Bible and nothing else? Does it mean that though we may use other text-books, we must use the Bible also as a text-book in every subject, or bring forth some direct statements from the Bible upon every artificial division of knowledge which we may pursue? I believe it has a deeper meaning than this. Surely there are new depths of meaning in Christian education which we have not fathomed, and new heights for us to attain. The perfected system of Christian education will stand out in bold contrast to that of the world. It will not be based on precedent, nor will there be anything that is true left out of it, because some one else may have discovered the truth before us. Through this system of education, and by the excellence and high character of the work done by its institutions, the attention of the world will be directed, not to our great men, but to “the last great effort to save the perishing” (Id., page 126), to the last mighty struggle between the forces of good and evil. And when this comes to pass, it will be because the Book of God has been made the basis of our education, because the Bible has become, as has been beautifully said, “the fountain light of all our day, the master light of all our seeing.”

College View, Neb.