The second semester has begun at EBCoM! Today was the second day of classes. As I came out of each of the two classes I taught today, I was filled with thankfulness that I get to teach here.
Today I taught Old Testament I (which this semester covers the Former Prophets, or Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings). Toward the end of the class, I was teaching about how these books are “prophetic history,” or history written from a prophetic perspective. This is especially easy to see in the book of Kings, where each king of Israel and Judah gets an evaluation by the author of the book. Was this a king who did what was right in th
e eyes of the Lord and followed in the footsteps of David? Or was he a king who did evil in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of Jeroboam or Ahab? Perhaps something in between? The kings were not evaluated, in these books, by growth in the economy or military under their reign, or even by their importance in the geopolitics of the day. Instead, they were evaluated according to their faithfulness to Yahweh and his covenant with Israel.
I encouraged my students to evaluate themselves (and others) through the eyes of God, as well. There are plenty of pastors who seem to be great successes, because they can gather large crowds or who have accumulated many material things. But are their ministries successful in God’s eyes? On the other hand, there are sometimes pastors who look like relative failures—they may pastor small churches or churches that struggle financially, or perhaps it seems that their talent, education, or passion is being “wasted” in a small ministry. But is that how God sees them? The kings of Israel and Judah were evaluated based on their faithfulness to God and his covenant, and how their actions expressed that faithfulness. We should all seek to bear good fruit in lives faithful to Jesus Christ. But we must be careful not to evaluate ourselves (and others) according to false standards of success. As I scanned the faces in the classroom, I could see that my students were tracking with me. Some of their eyes were shining; what good is it if we succeed according to the world, but not in God’s eyes?
Do you see why I’m so glad to be teaching here? It is a privilege to be able to speak into the lives of students, to teach them about the Bible as well as to encourage them in lives of faithful discipleship.
Today I also taught Church History II. This semester covers from just after the Reformation through the 20th century, though the bulk of the early Enlightenment was taught last semester. (Because I was away in the US last semester, I didn’t get to teach them about the Reformation.) Yesterday I reviewed major points from last semester, including Protestant Scholasticism—when the 2nd and 3rd generations after the Reformation got bogged down in increasingly intricate theology, and many pastors began to preach more and more academically in a way that did not help their congregations to grow as followers of Christ (at least in the view of some).
Today I taught about the beginnings of the Pietistic movement, which sought to revive personal faith, Bible study, and practice as opposed to a Christianity based primarily on assent to [good] doctrine (as understood in Protestant Scholasticism). The Pietists helped to guide the Moravian Church, which quickly began to send a large portion of their members as missionaries around the world. Tomorrow, I get to teach about the beginnings of the First Great Awakening, which includes people like John Wesley (and how the Moravian missionaries affected him), George Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards.
I love history; I love helping others see how things, people, and events fit together; how one movement helped lead to another, which led to another, which led to things that many of us take for granted. It is exciting to share about people that were not perfect, but who were used by God to inspire the next generation of faithful Christians. Was any movement perfect? No. Were there weaknesses, or potential weaknesses, in each new expression of faithfulness? Of course. But God continues to revive the Church throughout history. As we seek to serve him humbly and faithfully, God can and will work through us—even in our weaknesses—to share the good news of Jesus with the whole world. May God continue to refine us and purify us, so that our weaknesses are not what leaves the primary impact.
Not everyone loves history, but I hope that my class might win another one or two! One of my past students told me how studying Wesley and the Great Awakenings had inspired him with ideas for discipleship ministry–which he then led effectively in a local church.
This is why I love to teach. This is why I am grateful that I can serve the Brethren in Christ and the wider Church in Malawi, through teaching at EBCoM.