The Church And Christian Schools No. 2
Church Support Of The Schools?
If the church cannot scripturally establish, support and turn its work to institutions and organizations separate and apart from itself, then it follows that the church cannot scripturally support either the missionary society or the education society (school or college). Both are institutions separate and apart from the church, with a human organization and subject only to their human officers — directors, administrative officials, etc.
If we contend that the missionary society cannot be supported by the church because it is usurping the work of the church — preaching the gospel — but that the schools may be supported by the church because they are not doing the work the Lord ordained for the church we admit that the work done by (he schools is not included in the scriptural mission of the church. If their work is not the work of the church it is wrong to use the church's money to support them.
It is needless to defend the church supported education society while we oppose the church supported missionary society for usurping authority over the churches and building up an ecclesiastical machine. It is possible for a missionary society to operate without usurping such power. It is equally possible for the education society to usurp this authority. The abuse of a thing does not necessarily condemn the thing itself. Men have abused the office of the eldership, but that does not condemn the office. If this is our only grounds for opposing the missionary society why not organize one to do the good work but see to it that it never attempts to control its supporting churches — as the brethren say they are doing with the church supported education society. This argument assumes that it is right for the church to establish, support and turn its work over to institutions and organizations separate and apart from itself, provided these institutions do not abuse the trust committed to them.
If the church can scripturally establish, support and turn its work over to institutions and organizations separate and apart from itself surely preference should be given to the society that teaches only the gospel of Christ rather than to the society that teaches some gospel along with dozens of other subjects.
The missionary society is a manmade institution, separate and apart from the church. So is the school. The missionary society — if you organize one and keep it free from abuses — uses all its money to preach the gospel of Christ. The school uses its money to teach football, basketball, typing, shop work, history, geometry, etc., with Bible included as one of many subjects. By any manner of consistent reasoning, if the church can support one it can support the other. With this choice before it the church certainly must place its money with the institution that will spend all of it in the preaching of the gospel and building church houses rather than with the one that will spend the greater part of it on teaching secular subjects and building science laboratories, football stadiums, etc.
The truth is that the church has no scriptural authority to establish, support and turn its work over to any organization separate and apart from itself. The missionary society exists to do the work committed to the church. (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19; Ephesians 3:10, 21) The church is not authorized to build and support such a human organization to do the work the Lord entrusted to the church. Individuals are to give and work to spread the gospel "through the church" (Ephesians 3:10), not through a missionary society. On the other hand the school does not exist to do the work the Lord gave the church. The school should be organized and supported by Christian parents to do the work the Lord gave them — providing for their own, nurturing them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord.
There Is No Scripture To Authorize The Church Supported School
Churches of Christ have always — and rightly so — demanded Book, Chapter and Verse for religious practices. We have — rightly — condemned the missionary society, instrumental music in the worship and a host of other innovations on the ground that the scriptures furnish the man of God completely unto every good work (2 Timothy 3:17) and that since the scriptures do not furnish the man of God to these things as a part of the church work they cannot be good works in God's sight.
This argument can be used with equal force on the church supported school. Where does the scripture furnish the man of God to build, support and operate a school to teach academic and athletic courses — as a part of the church work? The passage cannot be found, and we must conclude that such cannot be a good work in the sight of God.
Christian Parents Have The Right To Build And Support Schools Where The Bible Is Taught
"If any provideth not for his own, and specially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1Timothy 5:8) This will include the necessities of life — food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education, etc. All these are the responsibility of the parents. To provide food, clothing and shelter the father may operate a farm or a grocery store, work as a mechanic or factory laborer, practice law or dentistry. The Lord did not tell him how to provide for his own — he just told him to do it. Each man has the responsibility of providing for his own the best way possible under his particular circumstances.
In like manner God has not told the Christian parent how to provide an education for his children. The responsibility again is left with each parent to provide for his own the best way possible under his particular circumstances. The Christian parent is told something of the kind of education he is to provide for his children. "The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom." (Proverbs 9:10) "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." (Ecclesiastes 13:1) "Nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4) "Be not deceived; Evil companionships corrupt good morals." (1 Corinthians 15:33)
In providing for his own the kind of education described in these and similar passages of scripture the Christian parent has three possible courses.
1. He may educate his children himself, at home. Parents in general have neither the training nor the time to do this.
2. He may build, support and send his children to the public schools. Our public school system was built for this very purpose, that through them parents might discharge their responsibility of giving their children the education that the parents themselves have neither time nor training to give at home. It is a well recognized fact that in most of the public school systems of our nation today children are not taught the fear of Jehovah as either the beginning or end of wisdom. Instead they are taught the Bible-denying theory of organic evolution of species and are thrown into an atmosphere of sex-stimulating dances, petting parties, mixed bathing, etc.
3. They may build, support and send their children to a school where all the teachers are Christians, where the word of God is honored and is taught daily, where science, history, and all other subjects are taught in the light of God's word, and where the companionship, the recreation, and every influence is guided by its holy principles. It is the sacred responsibility of Christian people to provide for their own the kind of education demanded by the word of the Lord and to use the means at their disposal to provide this education in the most complete way possible.