Kingdom Education      

By Dr. Ken Turnbull, ACU Executive Director 

  

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).

  

  

In the apostle Paul's letter 

to the Romans he lays out a treatise on God's historic redemptive plan in the gospel demonstrating its climax in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Paul's treatise draws together both Jews and Gentiles into the kingdom of God by grace through faith in Christ.  When Paul first came to Rome, he called the Jews together telling them why he was a prisoner, "it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain" (Act 28:20).  Note his emphasis on the kingdom of God: "From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets" (Act 28:23).  Some were convinced, but other disbelieved, so Paul turned to the Gentiles.  The book of Acts closes with Paul ministering in Rome, "proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance" (Act 28:31).  

 

Paul describes the kingdom of God to the Romans as, "not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."  He was well aware of the tendency, particularly for the Jewish converts but true for all of us, to make the kingdom of God about works in following rules and regulations, pridefully identifying ourselves as special in our own right rather than relying solely on Christ and our regeneration in Him.  The first 11 chapters of Paul's gospel-declaring treatise to the Romans constructs the foundation of our redemption by God's grace through faith.  "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified" (Rom 8:29-30).  Every aspect of our life in the kingdom of God is accomplished by God.  When we live life in Christ we are living in His kingdom.  It is this life in the Holy Spirit that enables our righteousness and peace and joy.  Chapter 12 of Paul's letter to the Romans initiates what life lived in the Spirit should look like with, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom 12:1-2).  

 

ACU seeks to develop kingdom education.  The objective is not to simply attempt to christianize secular curriculum, but to work from the presuppositions of the kingdom of God in doing all things as unto the Lord.  Please continue to pray with us that everything developed and instituted for education might acknowledge that, "from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen" (Rom 11:36).

 

ACU Education

by Ray Warwick, ACU Academic Dean   

Ray Warwick, Christian Education Seminar, Lusaka

We have come to Zambia to assist the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches in Lusaka with the establishment of African Christian University (ACU). The vision statement on the webpage states that "African Christian University seeks to transform Africa through a biblical worldview based education to the glory of God." That is, ACU seeks to be distinctively Christian in every facet of its program. 

The initial focus will be to formulate the preparatory year program, called the "Scholars Program".  The Scholars Program will be designed with two primary goals: to point unregenerate students to salvation by grace through faith in Christ, and to disciple the believing students through a gospel-saturated, historical-redemptive approach to an overview of the entire Scriptures as a foundation for developing a biblical worldview. Beyond that, the preparatory year is designed to offer academic preparation for the riggers of university level scholarship. These preparations will focus on communication skills (grammar, reading, composition, rhetoric), critical thinking skills (logic), maths, and computer skills. 

Additionally, ACU will be implementing the Student Labor Program - a relationship focused discipleship program which applies Scriptures to life. This program is designed to celebrate the dignity of work and develop a biblical work ethic by promoting technical skills in trade, crafts, businesses and services while emphasizing work that is honoring to God and beneficial to culture. Although somewhat radical in its scope, many, Africans and Americans alike, have told us this concept is what is desperately missing in much of contemporary higher education. 

Beyond the Scholars Program, as God enables, ACU will be establishing a full four-year bachelor's degree course of study and a five-year bachelor's-with-honors program. In all of this, the emphasis will be on biblical discernment and the practical application of a biblical worldview in study, interpretation, and application (including labor). 

There are countless institutions, in Africa and across the globe, that lay claim to being Christian. However, simply claiming the title "Christian" does not make it so. Nor does merely having Christian teachers, simply beginning class with prayer, nor even referring to Bible passages on occasion. Rather, a truly Christian approach must grow out of a thoroughly biblical worldview, starting with an understanding of the nature of ultimate truth and reality, how learners are to engage the truth, and the goal to which all those educated in truth must aspire. 

Ray, Isaac Makashinyi, Billy Sichone and David Wegener

Notice, that a truly biblically-based education is holistic; that is, it impacts not only the intellect, but the body and soul as well. In fact, intellectual achievement that dismisses God as the source and end of all truth is faulty and misguided at best. Godless education has proven itself to be devastating to cultures in the past. Furthermore, truly Christian education recognizes the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every sphere of existence, in academic training as well as vocational activity. 

Since Christian education has to do with the propagation of truth, and God is the Author, Sustainer, and Goal of all truth ("For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." Romans 11:36), it follows that true education is a sacred activity. All truth is God's truth. Colossians 2:2-3 tells us that "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are hidden in Christ. Further, because God is the Author of truth, the pursuit of truth in education is an act of worship. True education seeks to intentionally glorify God. Education that is not true, that is, education that is not Christian, is a flawed approach to knowledge. 

Another aspect to the sacredness of the educational endeavor is found in Proverbs 1:7 which says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Again, in Proverbs 9:10 we read, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." Do you see this? The fear of the Lord is where both knowledge and wisdom begin. There is no true knowledge to the exclusion of Jesus Christ. At best one might be partially informed about God's created truth, but there can be no eternal wisdom, no discernment. Romans 1 describes for us the results of those who "did not see fit to acknowledge God." Consider these words from Tony Reinke: "Discernment is the ability to do three things: the ability to 'test everything,' to 'hold fast what is good,' and to 'abstain from every form of evil (1 Thess. 5:21-22). It is the skill of comparing what we hear or read with God's Word to determine its authenticity according to God's revealed truth. Discernment is critical for evaluating everything said inside a church building, and it is equally critical for evaluating life experienced outside the church context. We need discernment to hear sermons, to watch movies, and to read books. Discernment protects the church, and discernment protects our hearts."¹ 

Psalm 33:12 says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!" African Christian University aspires to be a blessing to the nation of Zambia, the surrounding nations, and, eventually, the whole continent. Beginning with the Scholars Program, may the Sovereign God be pleased to bless our efforts as we labor to train up a new generation of scholars and laborers whose God is the Lord. 

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¹  Reinke, Tony, Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books (Wheaton, IL: Crossway,2011)

Seeking Help

"Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers 

into his harvest" 

 Do you have experience that would equip you to oversee campus construction projects at ACU? Please contact us or forward this request to someone who you may know that might serve with us as a construction project manager. Email: [email protected]