Public School Bible Course?

Recently The Collegian carried an editorial, “Bible course may be positive.” The thesis of the article was that the bill that the Texas Legislature passed granting the permission for public schools to teach the Bible as literature is a good thing and should be promoted. Further, the article writer stated that the course offered should be entirely academic while devotional content should not be presented that may proselytize the students.

The Christian who believes that God inspired the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, will surely have mixed thoughts about any courses offered purporting to be objective and non-religious. If unbelieving teachers try to teach the content of the Bible, they will probably reveal their anti-supernatural bias. On the other hand, if believing teachers lead such a class, they most assuredly must present what the Scriptures clearly present.

I refer to many basic truths, such as the literal 6-day creation of the heaven and earth (Genesis 1), the virgin birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26-35), the sinless life of Jesus (1 John 3:5-7), the sacrificial death of the Lord (Romans 5:6-11), the bodily resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-20), and the personal return of Jesus in power and glory (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17), to receive the believing righteous to His Kingdom and to condemn to eternal fire those who do not believe and obey Him (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10), as well as the inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Above the editorial was a picture depicting Jesus being expelled from a public school classroom as He gives a copy of the Bible to the teacher who rejected Him. This shows the kind of problem that inevitably will arise. The Bible was written to bring readers to faith in Jesus Christ so that they may have eternal life (John 20:30-31). It was not meant to merely give information to unbelieving inquirers, but to bring the sincere of heart to a life-long and eternal commitment to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have found Jesus to be “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) and I commend this to every Collegian reader—and every student who may enroll in such a course in school.

Richard Hollerman