In 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, Paul underscored why Christians and non-Christians cannot be partners in God’s work. He pointed out that Christians and non-Christians are worlds apart by giving five areas of contrast: There must be no fellowship with unholy practices. “…what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?” A Christian has no business involving himself with unscriptural practices that are displeasing to the Lord, whether it be speeding, income tax evasion or some other unethical practice in the home, the church or the world. There must be no fellowship with unholy pleasures. “…what communion has light with darkness?” (cf. John 3:19; Ephesians 5:11). If pleasure cannot be enjoyed in the light of God’s Word and with His approval, then it is unclean, and we must avoid it! There must be no fellowship with unholy preachers. “…what accord has Christ with Belial?” Belial refers to Satan, but it also refers to Satan’s false preachers or prophets. The true proclaimer of God’s Word has no place compromising with those that preach and perform the works of Satan. There must be no fellowship with unholy people. “…what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” While we live in the world and try to win the lost, we are not to be of the world, subscribing to its false philosophies and practices of infidelity. We live in the world without the world living in us! There must be no fellowship with unholy places. “…what agreement has the temple of God with idols?” An idol is a substitute for God, and when anything takes …

The Scriptures teach that one’s attitude as he approaches God and those things that are holy is most important. Moses was commanded to “put off thy shoes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Jesus taught the woman of Samaria that “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). In both of these passages it is taught that as one approaches God he must do it with great reverence and respect. To fail or refuse to have such an attitude is to incur the holy wrath of God as did Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-2). Today, we approach God through the direction of His Word. Whether it is in becoming a Christian, worshiping God acceptably or serving God in our daily lives, if we are to do it in a way that is pleasing to Him, we must do it in accordance to His Word. To do otherwise would be to show contempt for what God has commanded us to do, and contempt for the proper attitude of heart that He demands and so justly deserves. Most of those who claim to love the Lord will agree with this statement. In the last few years, there has arisen a segment of the brotherhood that no longer has a scriptural view of the proper attitude toward God and His Word, especially as that Word relates to one’s attitude toward false teachers. These …

The 23rd Psalm is perhaps the most treasured, well known and most recited Psalm of all. Millions have committed it to memory. It is a Psalm that calms, a Psalm that strengthens the soul of the downtrodden, and a Psalm that refreshes and revives the heart when things seem to be out of control. We need to have a better understanding of the care, strength, comfort, and provisions our God and Shepherd offers to all. It’s likely that most of you are aware of all the wonderful things God provides, but I want us as individual Christians to take our understanding to another level. Let’s come out of our comfort zones and commit to bring others to our Great Shepherd. As we consider this great Psalm, let us do so with an appreciation for being His lambs with a stronger desire to bring more into the fold. My Shepherd Continually Cares for Me“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” The Lord is my shepherd, which means that it’s a very personal relationship. Jesus said in John 10:14-15; 27-28, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep…My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Jesus said that He is the “good” shepherd in …

Leviticus 1:2-3 reads, “Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I Jehovah your God am holy. Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: for I am Jehovah your God.” This command to Moses tells us a great deal. Leviticus is the record of many requirements that God gave to Israel for them to be holy. Right after His initial command to be holy, God told each Israelite to fear his or her mother and father. The fear is a reverential submission. There is a special relationship that parents have with their own children. God gives responsibilities to parents. It is their role to make sure their children reverence God. For children to understand a reverence for God they need to understand first a reverence for their parents. Notice that in our verses above the term “man” is used, not “child.” Moses was not instructed to only tell young children to fear their parents. He was instructed to tell “every man.” Every adult listening to Moses was to understand the requirement to reverence parents. It is a lifetime submission. This does not mean that the parents can command an adult child what to do. The stages of life change the parent-child relationship in the way the parent and child interact. However, change does not do away with the fact that there is a submission and honoring. There is much more that …

I, as some would say, “grew up in the church.” When I say that, what I mean is that my parents became Christians, and they took me to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday evening and pretty much any other function of the church (e.g., fellowships, youth functions, etc.). I watched my father preach, teach and lead the church in many ways. I witnessed my mother setting the wonderful example of what it means to be benevolent, kind, merciful and loving. I had every spiritual advantage one might be able to list. I left anyhow. Oh! I don’t mean I wasn’t at some building on the “appointed days, at the appointed hour.” What I mean is that years ago, I checked out mentally and was biding my time for—well, I didn’t know what, but I knew I hadn’t found it. I was a minimalistic Christian, which is kind of like saying, “I saw a jackalope or chupacabra.” I rode the faith of my parents hard for the benefits of social interaction with other girls and boys my age, but I had no faith of my own. I had not made the necessary jump from memorizing the list of facts doled out by my Bible class teachers to the place where I understood and embraced them. I had help, though, in reaching this comfortless, comfortable, meaningful, purposeless spiritual existence. Have you ever noticed that kids ask a lot of questions? Sure you have. However, have you ever noticed how those questions grow more …

Influence is a two-edged sword. On one side, influence can be and is a powerful tool for good. However, on the other side, influence can be and is a powerful tool for evil as demonstrated by the moral and spiritual condition of the nation in which we live. As Christians, we are in the world, but not of the world (John 17:12-16). We belong to Christ after having obeyed His Gospel. Therefore, we live in a Christ-like manner. We will not be conformed to the world, but we will transform ourselves into the image of the Christ our Savior (Romans 8:29). As Christians, we have been called out of the world of darkness of sin and into the marvelous light of Christ by the Gospel. Because we have answered the call of the Gospel, we are to make a difference in this world. We are to exert an influence for good in this world of sin and wickedness. Let’s examine some terms that describe the actions and power of Christian influence. First, our influence as Christians must be positive. It is possible for our influence as Christians to be negative or harmful. Our influence—positive or negative—is manifested by how we conduct ourselves in words, actions and dispositions toward others. It is possible to turn people away from the Gospel of Christ simply by conducting ourselves toward others in an un-Christ-like manner. There is no excuse for men rejecting the Gospel, but let it be also said there is no excuse for …

There was a young woman in her early thirties who was a wife and a mother. She was very dedicated to her family and a Christian worker. Yet inside, she found herself in a bad way. She was beginning to take a trip downward. She was heading for a certain kind of breakdown that some of us experience in life: the breakdown of her stubbornness and self-sufficiency. This woman had experienced some unexpected downturns in her life. She realized she couldn’t handle everything alone like she thought. Finally, she hit the bottom—the rock-bottom of it all. It turns out that she understood that there was a relief to this experience in the form of Christ. Jesus Christ was the rock on which she hit bottom. Being cast upon Christ, and casting all her cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7), she began to rebuild her life. She rebuilt herself as someone who was dependent upon God, rather than the person she had been. Hitting rock-bottom was perhaps the best thing that could have happened to her, and to us. Most people don’t realize how much they need the Savior until they have hit rock-bottom. It becomes a vital turning point in our spiritual development. Most people do not feel so spiritual when they hit the bottom. Some even become more miserable when they see Christians who are supposed to care but in reality take a very narrow and shortsighted view of the difficulties that the sufferer is having and why he …

The responsibility and effect of sin have been questioned by mankind from the beginning of time. As many have noted, Adam blamed God for causing him to sin and his descendants have perpetuated his error ever since (Genesis 3:12). In James 1:13-18, the inspired author commanded Christians not to err in this fashion (James 1:16). Instead, they should consider the true lineage of temptation and sin, which does not and cannot include God. James first identified who was not the father of temptation with these words, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God” (James 1:13a). The word “tempted” here is not an outward test (James 1:2) but an inward compulsion to do what is sinful. James commanded the “brethren” (James 1:2, 16) not to claim that God was the source of their temptation. James’ reasoning is simplistic and effective. Brethren should not claim that God is the source of temptation for one very important reason, “God cannot be tempted with evil” (James 1:13b). The implication seems to be that since God is not vulnerable to the desire to perform sin, He does not yearn to see mankind tempted with sin (James 1:13c). James identified the father of temptation with the use of these words, “every man” and “his own” (James 1:14). The source of temptation to do evil is not God; rather, the responsibility falls squarely upon the individual. Interestingly, James does not implicate Satan who is regarded as the ultimate source of temptation throughout Scripture …

On Sunday morning, April 24, 2005, Troy Driscoll, 15, and his best friend, Josh Long, 17, both high school students from North Charleston, SC., paddled out from Sullivan’s Island near their home for a day of fishing in a 15-ft. boat. They intended to put the boat between the beach and a sand bar, but they weren’t there 20 minutes when a riptide pulled them out, further away from the beach. They tried to put the anchor down, but it wouldn’t take hold. They drifted farther and farther away. Hours went by. They tried to wave people down, but nobody saw them. Josh said that the last thing he saw were the towers on shore that lead cargo ships in. When nightfall came, they couldn’t see anything. The next morning there was no land in sight. “All we could do was pray,” said Josh. By 10 p.m. on Sunday night, when the boys — who left Josh’s cell phone in his truck at the dock and had no radio or emergency equipment — hadn’t returned, their frantic parents called the Coast Guard. A rescue mission began which turned into a recovery mission 2 ½ days later when the teens weren’t found. Finally, on Saturday, April 30, the seventh day after they set out, two fisherman spotted them and brought them to safety. They were 7 miles off Cape Fear and 111 miles from where they had launched. While they were lost at sea, the teens battled the cold at night, …

“Various trials” grieved early Christians (1 Peter 1:6). Because of this, words of encouragement were offered: (T)hat the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than Gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:7- 9) There are times in history when collectively Christians suffered persecution and were tested. At other times the fire may be more of a personal nature. In either case, the faithful servant of God is reminded that devotion to the Savior is never, ever a guarantee of an easy ride. The Gospel of Christ is most decidedly not the health and wealth Gospel of the charlatan preachers often popular on television. Collectively, the church at Smyrna was warned, “Do not fear any of those things you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). There, apocalyptic language highlights that trials would be coming. The people would not be spared, but the living and powerful word of Christ (Hebrews 4:12) was given to exhort them to faithfulness. On the …

Most of you know that since brother Mack Lyon retired that brother Phil Sanders is the primary speaker on the Sunday morning presentation, “In Search of the Lord’s Way.” Although I didn’t hear all of his sermon that particular day, the title above came from a closing that Phil Sanders recently made on his Sunday morning TV lesson. I couldn’t help but think how simple but how profound that statement was. Let’s consider some of the ramifications of that advice. When we think of “giving up,” let’s consider a long distance runner in a race in which he could receive a big reward. That reward might be monetary, a trophy or simply recognition as being the best in the race. Whatever the reward, that runner will do everything within his power to prove to himself and to those around that he can endure and finish that race. He won’t easily give up, even at the expense of perhaps suffering physical issues. Consider that during the race the runner may develop severe pain in his extremities, or he may get too hot and exhausted. Perhaps he feels that he just can’t go on and feels he is too “given out” to continue in the race. Again, even if a runner doesn’t win or place in the race, most athletes will continue in the race just for the satisfaction of proving to themselves and others that they can run the full course. We’ve heard or witnessed runners “give in” at the end …

The Bible has much to say about our relationship with God. For example, we are to love God (Mark 12:30). We are to obey God (John 14:15), which is how we demonstrate our love for Him. Our relationship with God also includes reverence (Hebrews 12:28). Yet, the Bible has much to say about our relationships one with another. For a moment let’s focus on those words “one another.” Love One Another (John 15:12, 17) There are different kinds of love mentioned in the Bible. The word “love” in the Greek rendered “agapao” is defined as a love of action. We must have this type of love toward our brethren. It is a love of choice. I will choose to love my brother because he is a fellow citizen in the kingdom. Forbear One Another (Ephesians 4:2) To forbear means to bear or endure, in other words to put up with someone. In the context of my brethren, this means that I must love brethren that I do not even like, and put up with their misgivings and personality quirks that I may not appreciate. A church is a group of people with different backgrounds, interests and personalities. We are not all similar in these areas. However, we have a common bond and a common goal. Thus, we put up with differences of opinion and different temperaments at times because we are forbearing. Be Kindly Affectionate to One Another (Romans 12:10) This verse says we are to be affectionate. This means …

It is amazing how much time Americans spend on eating. We either prepare the food or discuss where we are going to eat. Then, we eat. Afterward, we discuss how it was and what we might do to make it even better the next time. There are even television channels devoted to food. Christians need to realize that what we put into our stomachs is not as important as what we put into our minds. Jesus said, Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man. (Matthew 15:17-20) Each child of God would be blessed by devoting time to consideration of what he is feeding his mind. The best “restaurant” for the mind is not found in popular music, magazines or television programs. Instead, it is found in a diligent search through God’s Word to discover how to be a proper workman for him (2 Timothy 2:15). Those who have been risen with Christ must put their focus on “those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). Paul gave …

“Lo, children are a heritage of Jehovah; and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm 127:3). These precious gifts come to us as tiny packages—pure, fresh and completely dependent. They are dependent on parents for feeding, protection and love. Commonly, parents provide for them the physical necessities of life. “And of which of you that is a father shall his son ask a loaf, and he give him a stone?” (Luke 11:11). To refuse meals to a hungry child would be criminal. We do not fully understand “how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child” (Ecclesiastes 11:5). Neither can we comprehend how God “forms the spirit of man within him” (Zechariah 12:1). Nevertheless, He does it. Every infant makes his or her debut with body and spirit. Bodily care is only part of the parental responsibility. What about spiritual feeding? “Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Neither adults nor youths learn the ways of God through osmosis. How often have we seen mothers struggling alone each Sunday to bring their children to worship? What role ought real men fulfill regarding their children’s spiritual wellbeing? “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Some men are good breadwinners. However, children with contented bellies are still in need of the bread of …

Recently, I bought a little book entitled Believe and Be Baptized. In it, the author vainly tried to show his readers that baptism follows conversion and that baptism is just an outward sign of an inward salvation. In one place, explaining Acts 2:38, he says, “They must REPENT in order to be forgiven and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” How brazen one could get to prove an error! Is this what Acts 2:38 in your Bible reads? The Bible clearly states: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” The Bible teaches one must both repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins—not just repent. Yet, in another place in his book he writes, “A person is not baptized to make him a Christian, but rather to show he is a Christian.” The Bible in Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Can one be a Christian without getting into Christ or without putting on Christ? How does one put on Christ? The Bible teaches, through baptism into Christ in whom we have redemption through His blood, one receives the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14). The apostle Peter, in his first epistle, linked baptism with salvation and used Noah’s ark and the floods as an illustration. He stated in 1 Peter …

Mel Gibson’s movie Passion of Christ brought about much interest in the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. There have been television specials concerning Jesus Christ and the crucifixion before and since, too. So-called biblical scholars have been featured to give an explanation, a commentary on the Gospels during these specials. Almost without exception the Bible scholars used in these specials are very liberal concerning the Word of God. The television hosts and such Bible commentators often respond in a matter of fact manner that there are contradictions in the Gospel accounts. Just because someone states in an unchallenged manner that there are contradictions in the Gospels, does not mean that there are, in fact, contradictions in God’s Word! Many of us have in our libraries works such as The Harmony of the Gospels. We suggest two classics should be studied before one buy’s into this “contradiction” charge: A Harmony of the Gospels by A. T. Robertson and The Testimony of the Evangelists by Simon Greenleaf. John William McGarvey wrote on July 30, 1898, “In the testimony of witnesses before a court, nothing is more common than for apparent contradictions to arise between credible witnesses or between different statements of the same witness. In all such cases, it is considered entirely logical and legitimate for counsel to show that on some reasonable hypothesis the statements can be harmonized” (John William McGarvey, Biblical Criticism 303). These television specials with their Bible scholars give a slanted and prejudiced view of the Word of God. They always go unchallenged with no discussion or debate concerning …

Many are aware that the word “fellowship” may come from the Greek word “koinonia” or from “metoche.” Although Thayer defines it in various ways, including association and joint participation, it is clear from an examination of all the Bible has to say on the subject that it does not mean merely associate with, but joint participation in such a fashion as to indicate approval or partnership in the activity. When Jesus ate with publicans and sinners (Matthew 9:10-11; Mark 2:15-16; Luke 5:29-30), He was associating with them, but since He commands us to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11), we know that the kind of fellowship He had, we can have. The idea is very similar to the admonition of 2 John 10 where we are not to bid Godspeed to a false teacher. We may associate with him in order to teach him better, but not associate with him in such a fashion that indicates approval of his actions. A related idea is found in 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 where Paul told those Christians not to keep company with fornicators and other wicked persons. He knew we had to keep company with ungodly people of the world, but to have that kind of fellowship with ungodly church members would show approval of their behavior, which is forbidden. Although the word “disfellowship” is not used in the Bible, Romans 16:17 shows that we are to mark and avoid those who cause divisions and offenses. First Corinthians …

Most will immediately recognize these words of Jesus that came from the cross, as recorded by Matthew (27:46) and Mark (15:34). What many may not realize is that Jesus is not the only person to ever utter these words. In fact, I believe Jesus, while in agony from His separation from the Father, was not saying these words for His own grief. Rather, I believe He was making a last attempt for people to open their eyes and open their hearts. Many may not realize this, but Jesus was calling to the attention of the Jewish witnesses Psalm 22 where David opened with these very words. It is unclear in what situation David was when he wrote these words, but the parallels with Jesus’ crucifixion should open our eyes. Compare verses 6-8 with Matthew 27:39-44 and Mark 15:29-32. Also, think about verses 14-18. Dislocated joints and severe dehydration were common side effects of crucifixion. Piercing of the hands and the feet were common ways to secure a criminal to a cross. A way to speed up death was to break the legs; if they could not push themselves up, they could not breathe. However, remember that Jesus died before that could happen to Him (John 19:31-37). When Jesus had been crucified, the soldiers cast lots for His clothing (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24). Jesus called to mind words written 1,000 years prior that were coming to pass before their very eyes; let us not miss it as …

It is easy to become discouraged while living the Christian life. Worldly pleasures, social pressures and physical afflictions all cause us to want to quit. However, we must not quit, because if we do, we lose everything for which we have labored. Becoming discouraged is nothing new, because some of the greatest men mentioned in the Bible became discouraged, such as Elijah and Jeremiah. Each wanted to quit serving God. How can we prevent becoming discouraged? In Hebrews 12:1-2, the writer gives some very encouraging words to anyone who might be tempted to quit. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Firstly, the writer tells us to put away some things. We must put away sin. Sin is all around us, and it seems difficult for some Christians to put it away. We must also put off the weight that can slow us down. Weights are those things that are not necessarily wrong in and of themselves, but they can draw us away from our true focus. We must put away anything that turns our attention away from …

God, through His Word, calls us to a high moral standard by which we should live. To Israel He repeatedly said, “Be holy for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). In like manner Peter urges us, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:14-16). We are to walk in purity of heart and lifestyle, as this sets us apart from the evil attitudes and actions characteristic of the world around us. Why has God required this kind of life from us? Is it so we can’t have fun or enjoy the pleasures of this life? The answer, of course, is, “No,” but so we can enjoy life as it should be. Only life in Christ is truly abundant (John 10:10), as it’s within the parameters for which God designed us and means for us live. For example, I read several years ago about an individual who, at that time, was fifty years old. As a result of alcoholism, he suffered sustained memory loss. He could remember in great detail events of his life until he was twenty, but after that everything was blank. Even more tragic than that was, whenever anything happened to him, he could remember it for only a few seconds. For this person, due to his following the pattern of …

God, our Creator and spiritual Father, has many amazing qualities that cannot be fully fathomed, adequately described, measured or appreciated. He is transcendent, the God above all. From our hearts we worship Him as we stand in awe before Him. It has been suggested that God’s greatest attribute is His character of holiness. Nothing else would matter if God wasn’t holy. All through human history God has not merely declared His holiness, but He has demonstrated it too many times to count. The Father, Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God are all infinitely holy (Isaiah 6:3). The natural response to God’s grace is one of holiness (Titus 2:11-14). Jesus suffered and died for you and me not only to save us, but to set us free from the stranglehold of sin and enable us to be holy now. Being called out of the world and translated into the kingdom of heaven, we are to renounce ungodliness, evil lusts and to live soberly, righteously and godly the remainder of our days. My friend, Jesus didn’t go through the shame and anguish of Calvary to give us immunity from an ongoing lifestyle of practicing unrighteousness (1 John 3:5-10). We must not buy into an old doctrine that says what we do in our bodies has no bearing on our spiritual being or our relationship with God. The Christian’s standard is one of holiness. If you and I think like the world, speak like the world, dress like the world and pursue …

The folks in Jesus’ day knew “that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him” (John 9:31). God will hear the prayers of the righteous. James tells us that the prayers of the righteous get results (James 5:16). How does God respond to our prayers? Sometimes God will say “Yes” to our requests as He did to Elijah (James 5:17). Elijah prayed that it would not rain, and God granted his request. There are occasions when God says “No.” Of course, if we are not doing His will, we should expect “No” for an answer to our prayers. Yet, even the righteous were sometimes told “No.” We have the example of our Lord pleading with the Father to “let this cup [of suffering and death] pass away from me…” (Matthew 26:39). It was needful for the sake of mankind that God say “No” to His Son (Hebrews 5:7). Then, there are times when God says “Wait a while.” For example, Judah’s leaders came to the prophet Jeremiah and asked him to pray for them. Jeremiah obliged, and 10 days later the response of Jehovah came to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 42:1-7). Occasionally, God may give us something different than what we asked. The apostle Paul had a thorn in the flesh and asked God three times to take it away. God did not do as Paul asked. Rather, God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee…” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Sometimes God may give us more than we asked. He …

Churches of Christ have been known through the years as “people of the Book.” Part of that description was surely a result of great Bible classes. However, I have been troubled about Bible classes among our fellowship for some time now. I know my observations will not be accurate of every congregation, but I do believe if one is honest, my observations will be true of many. Interestingly, in most schools that teach secular education there is a paradigm that is strictly enforced. Firstly, there is certification. Every teacher that steps into a secular classroom is certified in his or her particular field of expertise. Usually this certification has been preceded by no less than four years, often more, of intense study in that field. Even with the intense study, each teacher is required to shadow a seasoned teacher (i.e., student teaching). Sadly, this paradigm is grossly lacking when it comes to religious education. Often the only requirement of a Bible class teacher is a pulse! The idea of certification is a biblical principle. Paul reminded Timothy, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). We need to become serious about training every Bible class teacher who steps into a classroom! Simply putting in a willing (or often not so willing) volunteer will never make our students “people of the Book.” Secondly, there is expectation. In a secular setting, teachers are expected …