(Judges 2:10 ESV)

This verse illustrates what often causes a generation to turn away from God–an education gap.  In this passage, the first generation saw mighty wonders from God as He delivered them victoriously into the Promised Land.  However, they failed to adequately pass these great works of God to their children, as it states that they did not “know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”  This failure to teach their children and grandchildren thrust Israel into a downward spiral of disobedience, illustrating for us today that great importance of properly educating the next generation. Therefore, careful attention must be given to proper Biblical education–in manner, methods, and content.

Since the time of creation, God has chosen to reveal knowledge of the world and of Himself through two venues:  general revelation (those things inherent in nature) and special revelation (those things revealed in by His Word). However, sin has “darkened the mind” and “suppressed the truth” (Rom 1:18 & 21), thusly distorting man’s ability to understand fully either form of revelation. Therefore redemption is needed, which begins the process of “renewing the mind” (Rom 12:1-2) and possessing a clear, enlightened understanding of God, the world, and others.  It is only with a renewed mind that true education can take place, for without it, the mind remains unable to fully understand either special or general revelation.

Scripture teaches the following concerning education:

The Role of God and the Holy Spirit

• God and the Holy Spirit are both described in Scripture as having a teaching function (See: Dt. 4:1, 14 & 14; Ps 32:8; Ps 94:10-12; Is 48:17; Is 54:13; Jn 14:26; Jn 16:8; 1 Cor 2:10 & 13)
• The Holy Spirit is described as the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord (Is 11:2-3, Eph 1:17).
• The fear of the Lord is described as “the beginning of all wisdom” (Pr 1:7), and God is source of all wisdom, knowledge and understanding (Pr 2:6; For an example of this see: Ex 28:3 & Dan 1:17 & 20).
• Rejecting God leads to futile thinking and darkened hearts (Ro 1:21).
• Proper instruction can lead to this fear of the Lord (2 Chr 26:5)

–>Therefore, educators (parents and the church), must recognize and pray for the Holy Spirit to be the teacher.

—> Educators must also seek to teach their students in a manner that will lead to the “fear of the Lord.”

Role of Scripture

• Everything written in the OT was for instructional purposes (Ro 15:14)
• Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:6)
• Scripture equips man of God for every good work (2 Tim 3:17)
• God has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Pe 1:5-9)
• God’s statutes bring more insight than possessed by the Psalmist’s teachers (Ps 119:99)

Need for Integration in Education

• Education is not to be separated from the rest of life:
  • God’s commands are to be taught as you “sit at home and when you walk along the road, and when you lie down and when you get up,” thusly encompassing all of life (Dt 6:6-9, 11:18-19)
  • Much of education occurs through modeling (Pr 23:26; 1 Ki 9:4; Lk 6:40; 1 Cor 4:16; 1 Cor 11:1; Phil 3:17; Phil 4:9; 2 Thes 3:7, 3:9; Ti 2:7; 1 Pe 5:3)
  • “Spiritual” education is not to be separate from “secular” education:
    • “Every thought” is to be captive to obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Phil 4:8 provided criterion for proper thoughts.
    • As stated above, the fear of the Lord (which can be taught) leads to “ALL wisdom.”
    • The skill, ability, knowledge and wisdom all all kinds of crafts comes from the Spirit of God (Ex 28:3; Ex 31:2-6)
    • “Intelligence” and scholars and philosophers of this world will be shown to be foolishness (1 Cor 1:19-20); The wisdom of the world does not lead to knowledge of God (1 Cor 1:21); God’s “foolishness” is wiser than man’s “wisdom.” (1 Cor 1:25); There is a sharp distinction between God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom (1 Cor 2:6)
    • All things were created and sustained by Him and all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Him (Col 1:16-17, 2:3).
  
  
• Commands for education of God’s people to be distinct from that of the World’s
  • Jeremiah 10:1-3: God’s command to not “learn the ways of the nations.”
  • Romans 12:1-2 Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
  • Colossians 2:8 Hollow and deceptive philosophies depending on human tradition and “basic principles of this world” can take you captive.
  • 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Command to stay away from brothers who do not live according to the teaching from Paul, Silas & Timothy
  • 1 Timothy 6:3-5 “turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing hae wandered from the faith.”

Additional Aspects of God’s Design for Education

• Formal times of instruction (Dt 4:1, 5:1, Joshua 8:35, Ro 10:17).
• Use of traditions, holidays, and symbols (Ex 12:26, 13:8; Dt 6:6-9, 11:18-19; Joshua 4:6-7)
• Recalling history and past experiences (Ex 10:1-2; Joshua 4:6-7; Is 48:19; Joel 1:3).
• Differentiated instruction for ages and life positions (Neh 8:1-8, 1 Cor 3:1, Tit 2:1-10).
• The teacher must be of solid character & godliness (2 Tim 3:14; Tit 2:7-10; 2 Thes 3:6; 1 Tim 6:3-5; 2 Pe 2:3).

God’s Institutes for Education

• The Family (Dt 4:1-14; 6:5-9; Eph 6:4; Col 3:21)
• The Community of Believers (Today, this would be the Church) (Josh 8:35; 1 Ki 12:2; Mat 18:5; Mark 16:25)

—————————————

More on A Biblical Look At Children, Families and Education

Understanding God’s design for education would be impossible without first studying His design and intent for the family.  Therefore, this is where our Biblical look at children and education will begin. After studying the Scriptures pertaining to the family, it is clear that the family is a purposeful institution with a key role to play in the redemptive history and daily discipleship.

On the sixth day of creation, God created man and woman, as husband and wife, and gave them the command to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28).  Thusly, the family is the first institution created by God and the central means of carrying out His purposes for mankind. This high purpose for the family did not change after the introduction of sin, as evidenced throughout God’s redemptive history (such as the selection of a family as His chosen people), the Law, the structuring of His chosen people, the provision He gives to those without a family, and finally the promises He gives regarding families.

Scriptural evidences of God’s high purpose for the family are seen:

• In creation
  • The institution of marriage (Genesis 2:21-24)
  • The first command given to mankind was to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28)
    • NOTE: This was repeated to Noah (Genesis 9:1) and while the Israelites were in exile (Jer 29:6); therefore God’s desire for reproduction in the context of marriage remains despite the introduction of sin into the world or hardships upon the people.

• In the Law
  • Two explicitly stated purposes of the Law are that:
    • the people and their children may know and fear God, and that they may consequently live long (Dt. 6:1-9, Psalm 78:5-8); and
    • Each generation would teach future generations (Dt. 6:1-9; Psalm 78:5-8)
  • God’s design for the important Passover celebration included the key component of children asking questions (Exodus 12:26, 13:8 & 14)
  • The Law required obedience to parents:
    • Within “The Ten Commandments,” the fifth commandment (and the first commandment with a promise) is to honour your parents (Exodus 20:12, Repeated: Dt 5:16, Dt 14:18).
    • In list of “various laws,” respecting parents is listed first (Exodus 19:3)
    • Contempt and disobedience towards parents is listed with other grievous sins such as bloodshed and eagerness to do evil (Micah 7:6)
    • Anyone who dishonours parents is cursed (Exodus 27:16; Dt 27:16)
    • The law included severe consequences for disobedience to the commands to honour/respect parents, as follows:
      • attacking father or mother = death (Exodus 21:15)
      • cursing father or mother = death (Exodus 21:17)
      • being a rebellious son = death, specifically stoning (Dt. 21:18-21)
  • The Shema, considered one of the most significant of the OT laws includes the purpose of deliberate education of children  (Dt 6:6-9, near repeat in Dt. 11:18-19)
  • Command to meet the physical needs of the fatherless and widow (Dt 24:20-21)
  • The command to obey the commandments yourself, and the command to teach children & grandchildren is woven intricately together (Dt 4:1-14; 6:1-9)
  • Command to not marry children off to foreigners (Ez 9:12)

• In Redemptive History
  • The woman’s “seed” would crush Satan (Genesis 3:15)
  • Abraham was called by God for the explicit purpose of commanding his children and household after him to follow the Lord (Genesis 18:19)
  • Pharaoh’s heart was hardened for the explicit purpose of showing God’s signs & that they could tell their children about it (Ex 10:1-2)
  • Recording of God’s word was for the benefit of next generation (Ps 102:18)
  • Jesus came as a baby to a family (Is 7:14)
  • The New Testament provides numerous examples of entire households receiving Christ together (Cornelius-Acts 11:14; Lydia-Acts 16:15, Jailer-Acts16:31-34; Ruler of the Synagogue-Acts 18:8; the household of Stephanas 1 Cor 1:16)

• In God’s structure of Israel for land, battle & worship
  • (see entire book of Numbers!)

• In the analogy of God as Father and His people as a family
  • God calls Himself “Father” to His people (Ex 4:22; Dt 32:6; 2 Sam 7:14; Is 1:2; Jer 3:19; Jer 31:9; Rom 8:14; Rom 9:4; 2 Cor 6:18).

• In God’s provisions for those without a family
  • Through the command to meet the physical needs of the fatherless and widow (Dt 24:20-21)
  • God promises that He
    • “sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6);
    • defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow (Dt 10:18); and
    • is a helper to the fatherless (Ps 10:14) (see also: Ps 27:10-11)
    • “Settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children” (Psalm 113:9)

• In God’s Promises
  • If you curse parents, your lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness (Pr 20:20)
  • Descendants of one who follows the Lord:
    • Will inherit the land (Ps 25:12-13, 37:28-29)
    • Will have great inheritance (Ps 69:36)
    • Will be mighty in the land (Ps 112:2)
    • Will be blessed (Ps 112:2, Pr 20:7, Is 44:3)
    • God will save the children of the needy (Ps 72:4)

• The above evidence is reaffirmed in New Testament:
  • Fifth commandment is repeated, with additional exhortation to fathers to bring children up in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord,” thusly summarizing and reaffirming previous commands of the OT (Eph 6:2-3, Col 3:20)
  • Command to care for fatherless and widow also repeated (James 1:27; 1 Tim 5:4-16)
  • Provision for own house is to be a priority (Lk 8:39; 1 Tim 5:4, 8 )
  • Disobeying parents remains listed among other grievous sins (Rom 10:30-31; 2 tim 3:2-5)
  • Requirements for Elders includes their children being believers and not wild or disobedient (Tit 1:6)

——————————-

Part 2: Value, Nature & Responsibility of Children

Hebrews 13:17 says that Elders will have to give an account for the members of their church. This is the most frightening passage that I’ve read about what it means to pastor God’s church. How can I stand before God and give an account of my pastoral ministry if no one has made a commitment to me to adhere to certain Biblical principles? How can I shepherd people who secretly refuse to be shepherded? I am asked, as a pastor, to make a huge commitment to people that will result in my greater judgment (James 3:1), but they are not asked to make any commitment to me, and they are not asked to make any commitment to the Bible. This is a farce and a lose-lose situation.

I’m basically screwing myself in this deal. I am voluntarily taking upon myself greater judgment and greater responsibility, and I’m not going to ask for anything in return? Hebrews 13:17 says that members of a church congregation should “Obey and submit to church leaders.” How does the church realistically ask people to submit to the leadership? How does the church ask people to obey? This is a two-way relationship after all. As pastors we have a good understanding of our coming judgment (at least I hope so). But church members need to be informed of their responsibility in the two-way relationship as well. They also need that understanding. As a result,  I personally need a signed membership covenant from the members of my congregation so that I can sleep a little easier at night knowing that we have a reciprocal relationship with each other and knowing that they know it too. I can’t even begin to explain to you the number of hours that I’ve stayed awake over various membership situations. I sometimes feel that in some way I have failed various members as their pastor. I take the burden of it all on myself.

My own mind, lured and enticed by the idolatry of being a people-pleaser and wanting everyone to like me, works very hard sometimes to believe the various lies, to take blame on myself, and to try and create a compromise situation where everyone can get their own way. In this situation -that I create in my own mind- I can be well-liked again, and everyone can live happily ever after -the only exception being God who is usually greatly dishonored in such compromise situations. But then I drive to work. I pull open my file drawer and I take out the membership covenant, and the bright shining light of truth floods the darkness, and I know that to compromise on the bedrock truth of Scripture would be a disservice to the church by allowing the cancer of sin to remain, and a disservice to churches all over the world. I’ve learned that a signed membership covenant protects the church from me in my weaknesses, and it protects me from my own self.

Without a signed membership covenant it would be hard for any church to do two things: 1.) hold individual members to any standard of accountability, and 2.) hold the church congregation to a standard of accountability in seeking to be reconciled with any wayward members.

In the Western Church, average church goer Joe and Sally live in blatant and unrepentant sin. They believe, erroneously, that they can do whatever they want with a subtle disregard for the interests of the church and the interests of Jesus Christ. They often make decisions that lead to subtle forms of idolatry – the most blatant and obvious being the inherent belief that they can leave the church whenever there is any disagreement and seek out a church that cators to their personal whims. Joe and Sally leave the church, abandon their family in Christ, and selfishly pursue whatever tickles their fancy. They should be held accountable for their decisions. A signed membership covenant PROVES that there was a clear understanding between various parties at the beginning of the relationship BEFORE there was any conflict. A church that utilizes a signed membership covenant can honestly say that Joe and Sally fully knew what they were doing when they joined the church. A signed membership covenant becomes a piece of evidence in a court of law when members violate the other members of the church and selfishly pursue their own interests. It helps to establish a baseline and the church can hold people accountable to that baseline because the church can prove that they explained that baseline of behavior to Joe and Sally before they joined the church. 

It also helps to hold the church to a standard of accountability. Many in the church may not know Joe or Sally or do not have a  relationship with them. As a result, many members in the church may be reluctant to pursue reconciliation with Joe and Sally. In the beginning, there was a tempting desire to allow Joe and Sally to go in peace without confrontation over their subtle idolatry. But every member will know that this is not an option that will carry water with the leadership. Why? Because they also signed a covenant that clearly articulated certain responsibilities that were incumbent upon them in moments of crises. The church KNOWS that they have a responsibility to Joe and Sally, to reach out to them and to love and care for them during this moment of crises. And so the church steps out in obedience and can call Joe and Sally back to church attendance and begin to appeal to Joe and Sally via the membership covenant to resolve their differences amicably. The church leadership is effectively able to hold the church to a standard of accountability to engage Joe and Sally in an act of reconciliation and redemption when few really want to. And this is very helpful. Because it further compounds Joe and Sally’s guilt for so flippantly disregarding their church. They have had a loving family reach out to them and appeal to them to repent and come back to the church. Any insistance upon departure is, in cold-hearted fashion, a rejection of the loving appeals of their fellow brothers and sisters. This makes church discipline really really easy at this point.

A signed covenant is a piece of evidence that can show to a watching world that there was a clear-cut understanding among various parties involved. As evidence, it cannot be denied! Therefore, it is useful in holding people to a standard of accountability.

I do believe in a signed membership covenant because I think it’s faithful to Biblical Koinonia Fellowship. With churches on every street corner it is way too easy for people to hop from church to church. They tend to hop from church to church for several reasons, and not all of them are necessarily bad. But at the end of the day the opportunity to church hop reinforces a mentality that church is nothing more than a country club that provides services and spiritual goods, and their interest is merely a consumer’s interest. When we approach the church of the Bible we find a brotherhood. There were not churches on every street corner. So these guys were bound to each other like survivors in a life-raft on a hurricane tossed ocean. They needed each other, they loved each other, and they protected each other. At the end of the day we should view ourselves in the same way as flesh and blood brothers, not patrons of the same country club. Our loyalty should be to each other as family, not to the institution.

One of the things that I’ve seen happen in the Life Groups these past few months is the formation of true Koinonia Fellowship. The church is starting to become a tight-knit family, and that’s awesome to see! There has been healthy debate, and some members have had some disagreements with other members about the right way to pursue ministry, but everyone understands that they’ve made a binding commitment to each other. And everyone is seriously trying to work through those issues TOGETHER.

The reason I like a signed membership covenant is because you can talk about the formation of koinonia fellowship, and people will nod their heads and think that they understand it when they really don’t. As long as you have it in the back of your head that you can casually check out and go somewhere else, then you are kept from forming that relationship. A marriage is no marriage at all as long as both parties keep the reservation in the back of their heads that they can always get a divorce. A signature on a piece of paper is a person giving his word to certain things. We can buy a car on financing with nothing more than a signature. We can buy a house on mortgage with a signature. In our culture today when we make a binding commitment to something… we sign our name to a piece of paper that commits us to that thing. But when it comes to making a binding commitment to a church, one of the MOST important decisions we could ever make, we do it with a verbal commitment, a nod of the head, and a wink of the eye. Every church on every street corner is attempting to lower the bar in terms of a binding commitment to a church because every church is trying to lure, entice, draw, and attract as many people as possible to their church. It’s the whole megachurch mentality run amok. Every pastor is attempting to build his own empire. So there are churches that are attempting to lure and entice our brothers away from our church so that they can build their own megachurches. In doing this, they are inadvertently tampering with our church’s ability to develop true koinonia fellowship with each other, because to develop this koinonia will take time and energy. Koinonia doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years… The megachurch culture is attempting to build a large building with a lot of attendees in total disregard of Koinonia fellowship. However, a signed covenant means that people can’t easily and flippantly disregard their commitment to koinonia fellowship at our church when the church down the street opens up a really cool new ministry.

Most churches today completely ignore the idea of a Membership Covenant. One of the questions that gets asked most often here at The Bridge Church is whether we have a biblical right to demand a Membership Covenant or not. Does this church really have the right to place expectations regarding belief and behavior on its members? Does the Bridge Church have the right to ask prospective members to adhere to a certian common faith and to live according to a certian moral ethic? The short answer is yes.

The book of Hebrews was written to a bunch of back-sliding Christianized Jews, and the author of Hebrews discusses the differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant in chapters 8-9. The author is clearly trying to persuade these back-slidden Jews not to continue in their backsliding. He couches almost ALL of his rhetoric in terms of covenant language. This is interesting. The sign of the Old Covenant was circumcision, and the sign of the New Covenant is Baptism. But both symbols have certain behavioral, doctrinal, and moral principles attached to those symbols. They both carry an ethical guideline and anticipate that individuals who engage in those symbols of mutual Covenant will be accountable to those symbols. This is the whole reason that the author of Hebrews is even writing the letter- because these Jews got baptized but decided to go on living like Jews. It’s comparable to a man getting married, putting a wedding ring on his finger, and going on to hit on other girls at Cactus Jack’s!

Because of their behavior the author of Hebrews starts spitting out consequences for bad behavior in chapter 10 in verses 26-39. If you think about it, Hebrews is nothing more than an explanation of doctrine of Christology, an explanation of the differences between the two Covenants, and a demand that these Christians start living according to their Baptism. Warnings and blessings are scattered throughout accompanied by examples of people under the covenants who were either punished or blessed because of their faithfulness, and the letter concludes with an exhortation to certain moral behavior including “submit to your elders,” as found in Hebrews 13:7 & 17. A Church Membership Covenant, therefore, is a document that is based on the pattern of the book of Hebrews. It is a document that affirms adherence to a certian Christology and attaches certain moral and behavioral guidelines to that faith in Christ. An appendix to the Covenant that discusses consequences or church discipline for a failure to adhere to those guidelines is nothing more than a snapshot of Hebrews 10:26-39. Basically, a Membership Covenant could be considered to be an abbreviated and simplifiedversion of the book of Hebrews.

In addition, asking people to sign the membership covenant with their signature is eerily similar to Hebrews 13:22, “I appeal to you brothers, bear with my word of exhortation.” The author of Hebrews is asking the audience to bear with or, in other words, to adhere to the things he has written. A signature is nothing more than an agreement to “bear with,” the things in the Member’s Covenant. It is right and biblical to ask people to bear with the principles of the New Covenant. If we agree that Scripture is God breathed… then we could argue that “I appeal to you to bear with my exhortation,” is God’s direct appeal to members of His church. So if God asks people to bear with the New Covenant, then it is not sinful for the church or church leadership to do so. In fact, as we follow the example of scripture, as we follow the example of God himself -I argue that we are wrong NOT to appeal to people to bear with the “exhortation.” Therefore, a Membership Covenant is Biblically faithful because it is a document that exhorts Christians to adhere to a particular doctrine of Christology and then attaches certain moral guidelines and consequences. A signature on the covenant is a modern day expression of obedience to “Bear with my exhortation.”

In conclusion, a Membership Covenant is a biblical idea. A signed membership covenant does not violate the Scriptures but allows prospective members an opportunity to honor those Scriptures.