p. 23 | The Educational Missionary Movement by S. B. Whitney

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 7, 1908

The Educational Missionary Movement

By S. B. Whitney

Education as Related to Missions

The relation of education to missions is a most important phase of the educational question. As the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God, so any course of study which is not related to our eternal interest and welfare, and made tributary to their advancement, can not be pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

The love of God is lavished upon this world to save men from perishing, and to give them eternal life; the mission of the Son of God to the world is to accomplish this purpose of the Father, and the Holy Spirit is given as the instructor of men in the great science of salvation. In connection with this sacred and solemn work is given to men and women and youth the exalted privilege of sharing in the “ministry of reconciliation,” as ambassadors on behalf of Christ, to beseech men to become reconciled to God. Read 2 Cor. 5:11 to 6:10, A. R. V.

To be efficient in this service, it is necessary that we be under the instruction of the Great Teacher, who will guide us into all truth. That this necessity is absolute and imperative, is shown by the fact that the eleven disciples, after having been three and one-half years under the personal ministry of the Saviour, still needed to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high by the Holy Spirit, before they were qualified to be his witnesses. See Luke 24:48, 49; Acts 1:8. From this it is evident that no amount of knowledge of science or literature, no degree of intellectual, social, or physical culture,—not even a theoretical understanding of the Scriptures,—without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, will fit one for the service of the Master as an ambassador, to carry to the world this last gospel message, upon which hangs the destiny of the world. Indeed, unless specially guarded, there is danger that the effort to obtain an education may prove an obstruction to one’s spiritual development and usefulness. Many instances illustrative of this liability might be drawn from the history of the past, and there never was a time when this point needed such careful attention as now. It is especially essential that this work should stand in the wisdom and counsel of God, not in the wisdom of men.

It may not be amiss again to call attention to recent utterances of the spirit of prophecy, as printed in the REVIEW AND HERALD of February 6: “God has revealed to me that we are in positive danger of bringing into our educational work the customs and fashions that prevail in the schools of the world. If the teachers are not guarded in their work, they will place on the necks of their students worldly yokes instead of the yoke of Christ. The plan of the schools we shall establish in these closing days of the work is to be of an entirely different order from those we have instituted in the past. . . . I have been shown that in our educational work we are not to follow the methods that have been adopted in our older established schools. There is among us too much clinging to old customs, and because of this we are far behind where we should be in the development of the third angel’s message. Because men could not comprehend the purpose of God in the plans laid before us for the education of our workers, methods have been followed in some of our schools which have retarded rather than advanced the work of God. Years have passed into eternity with small results, that might have shown the accomplishment of a great and sacred work. If the Lord’s will had been done by the workers in earth as the angels do it in heaven, much that now remains to be done would be already accomplished, and noble results would be seen to follow our missionary efforts.”

In the same article we read again: “But before this work can be accomplished, we must experience right here in our own country the work of the Holy Spirit upon our hearts. . . . Before we can carry the message of present truth in all fulness to other countries, we must first break every yoke. We must come into the line of true education, walking in the wisdom of God, and not in the wisdom of the world. God calls for messengers who will be true reformers. We must educate, educate, to prepare a people who will understand the message, and then give the message to the world.”

As far as these quotations relate to those preparing for this work, especially our young people, I would appeal to them not to neglect this most important part of their education, but to remember that the “grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared, . . . teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” Titus 2:11, 12. S. B. WHITNEY.