Biblical Infusion: Christians Who Teach

Dr. Kevin Miller, Biblical Studies & Director of Spiritual Formation, Cincinnati Christian Schools | ACSI Global 

Throughout Scripture, God’s people are called to live according to his will and priorities. God calls Israel out of slavery in Egypt to save and make them his kingdom of priests through whom the world enters covenant relationship with himself (Exodus 19:1-6). When Jesus Christ taught his disciples to pray, he told them to pray for the Kingdom of God to be “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us “…seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Peter writes that we “…are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The trap we fall into as Christians is creating silos around aspects of our lives so that life with Christ Jesus does not transform everything we do. As followers of Jesus Christ who work in education, our calling is to build the Kingdom of God in our classrooms through the vehicle of education.

Christian education is a process of formation, leading students into Christ-like maturity. Christian schools must do more than teach to content standards; instead, we are called to make disciples, to form students into Christ Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20 and Romans 8:29). So, the vehicle of our academics, extra-curriculars, and other programs are a mechanism by which we develop students into Kingdom citizens who love Jesus Christ, love neighbours, and bring the Kingdom of God to the world around them. Our highest priority is maturing students with a biblical grounding for life in the Kingdom of God. The purpose of formation into Christ Jesus orients everything we do, shapes the way we engage students and content, and determines our priorities in the classroom. Instead of fitting the Bible or a biblical worldview into our content, we must be followers of Jesus Christ who saturate our profession with a life infused by Christ. We have to be led by the Holy Spirit, informed by Holy Scripture, and inspired by Christ-like servant-leadership. The calling in our work is to be fully infused with Christ so that my work is an application of my devotion to the Lord. Making disciples of Jesus Christ, because I am a disciple, is the mandate. Academics and programs are the mechanisms to do it.