The Function of the Bible College

By Foy E. Wallace, Jr.

Thanksgiving Address Delivered at Cordell, Okla.

The subjects of man and education are very intimately related, if not inseparably connected. The interrogation of David, What is man? has become the question of the ages and the problem of the sages. But David did not leave it for the worldly-wise philosopher, by his own ratiocination, to determine; for he answers, 'Know ye Jehovah, that He is God; it is He that made us and we are His! Man is not the creature of chance evolution. Made in the "image of God" he possesses reason, affection and conscience. Lifted above the creature of automatic instinct, he is more than a creature; he is a Child of God. What, then, should his education be? And here, alongside with the question, What is man? is presented another but little less importance--What is education? The word signifies complete development. It does not consist merely in the art of learning to read and write, or to cipher. It is not the acquisition of languages, living or dead. it involves the development of the whole being, body, mind and soul.

The Bible, which is the most fruitful source of illustration, furnishes living examples of this threefold training. We read in the Old Testament of Samson, the man of extraordinary strength, a physical giant, but a mental pygmy. We do not consider him a model for our children. Then we have the life-story of Solomon, the man of wonderful wisdom, an intellectual giant, but a moral reprobate. Neither of these men represent the highest ideals of life and character. But the New Testament records an example of the three-fold man. We do not select the example, at this time, of the Perfect, Sinless One. But we select a man, a specimen of true education and complete development. He is the once Saul of Tarsus, but now the Apostle Paul, with his powerful mind and keen intellect, which received the best training his day and time afforded, a graduate of the renowned school of Gamaliel, he easily ranked among the highest of his contemporaries in the field of intellectual attainment. But Paul did not consider this the highest definition of a man and when he was called upon to define himself to the world then and now he chose the humble title, usually looked upon as a degradation, "Paul a servant of Jesus Christ." Intellectually great and morally excellent, the Apostle takes pre-iminence [sic] as the three-fold man.

With this view of man and his education in the mind let us now proceed to the subject of the "Bible College" -- its place and work in the field of true education. If education consists merely in the training of the intellect we need have no concern for the establishment and maintainence [sic] of such colleges. But it is the keenly felt need of heart training that has brought the "Bible College" into existence. Education has its degrees; and, gramatically [sic] speaking, physical culture is the positive degree, intellectual culture is the comparative degree, and moral culture is the superlative degree. Hence, the demand for schools that will give emphasis to the moral above every other line of human development. The Bible being the greatest textbook of morals in the universe, it is but matter of simple reason that it should be prescribed in the course of study by a school seeking to reach the heart, as the mind.

Because the Bible has thus been adopted by such schools as a text book they have been denominated "Bible Colleges," while, in fact every other branch of learning found in all colleges of arts and sciences are also taught.

But the name "Bible College" has caused much confusion in the minds of many so that it becomes necessary to discuss the relation of the school to the church.

Let us compare the work of the church with the work of the school in seeking to obtain the correct answer to the questions involved. The Bible teaches that the work of the church is twofold. First,, [sic] missionary, pertaining to the spread of the gospel--the salvation of souls. Hence, the church is called "the pillar and ground of truth." Second, benevolent, pertaining to the care of the poor, orphan, or aged. This is referred to as "pure religion." The Bible further teaches that the church is all-sufficient to carry out this divine mission without the aid of human machinery. Any organization larger or smaller than the local congregation is an unscriptural organization through which to do the work of the church. We will, therefore, permit no auxiliary to usurp the work of the church and take away from it the praise and glory. We, therefore, condemn the missionary society, as auxiliary to the church, a human machine seeking to do the work that God has commanded his church to do. We pronounce it, without further argument here, as unscriptural.

What, then is the "Bible College?" It is an auxiliary, indeed, but not to the church. Let us observe in this connection the mission of the home and the duty of parents toward their children. Solomon said, "Train up a child in the way it should go." Paul said, "Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." This is the solemn obligation of the parent and the sacred mission of the home. But when the child reaches a certain school-age, when it must pass from the home into the school, [p. 10]does the responsibility of the parent cease? Is it not still the serious duty of the parent to select the school where the influences of the home will be continued? In this matter, the, the school simply takes the place of the home and the teacher assumes the responsibility of the parent. So "The Bible College," or "The Christian College," or whatever you please to call it, is no more than an auxiliary of the home. Some who have not made proper discriminations have wrought confusion by associating the "Bible College" with the work of the church. Others have, therefore, opposed it on the ground that it is a "church school" while others think it wrong and sinful to teach the Bible in school. Such a conclusion would drive the Bible from our homes also and force the conclusion that it can be taught only in the meetinghouse on Sunday!

These principles are fundamental. Let us draw the lines clearly. We have pointed out the central thought of the subject, namely, the school is an auxiliary of the home. This being true it is not the business of the church to run it. The church is not in the school business. The only way the church can scripturally do its work is through elders of the local congregation. Appeals made to the churches, therefore, in behalf of the schools are wrong, fundamentally wrong, wrong in principle, and ought to be stopped. Let the school stand where it belongs, apart from the church, as an aid to the home.

Then let parents realize their duty and feel their responsibility in the support and maintainence [sic] of them thus making it possible for our children, and our neighbors children, to have the training and influence they so much need and deserve.

(Herald of Truth 2 [December 21-28, 1922]: 9-10; Transcribed by Bobby Valentine)