An oasis from the world
For most of us who attend a Bible school, the week serves as an oasis from the world. All around us are people sharing a conviction of the Truth and trying to apply it in their lives. We don’t have to lock our rooms. We can misplace items with complete confidence they’ll be returned. We can express appreciation for God and His grace without fear of embarrassment. If we avoid radios and newspapers, we can have a refreshing break from the perplexity which besets these last days when men’s hearts are “failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” The whole experience can be a foretaste of the kingdom.
Interjecting the world
While most who attend Bible schools love to escape the world, it is not true of all. Some bring the world with them to the school. They bring the world’s music and its vocabulary; they bring its attitudes and promiscuous conduct; they bring its resentment of Bible study and its rebellion to authority.
This is grossly unfair!
Over the years, dramatic examples of the problem have occurred especially with a few young people. Most young people attending Bible school are a delight to be with and add greatly to the joyous atmosphere that prevails. But an appeal needs to be made to a few whose misbehavior can undermine the value of the Bible school experience.
Leave the world behind
The world’s vocabulary has no place in our mouths at any time but it must be eliminated at Bible school. Some of our youngsters yearn for a week among Christadelphian young people where they can finally relax away from the foul language they hear in school. When they find the same language at Bible school, they are hurt, frustrated and confused.
It is worldly to taunt those in authority by continually flouting rules. Bringing the same spirit into Bible school is even worse because it interjects the world into the community of the saints. And Bible school committees often cannot deal effectively with such behavior. They want to help save people and they realize that often the school is the young person’s best contact with the Bible all year so they don’t want to expel them.
Furthermore, committee members are not interested in playing policemen for a week. They don’t want to be checking rooms in the middle of the night or following up on clues that someone is misbehaving. They work hard to make the week a spiritual oasis for others and would like to enjoy a respite from the world themselves. It is grossly unfair to preoccupy their time and energies with wordly conduct that should never have been brought to Bible school in the first place.
Some humorous stories have resulted from misconduct at Bible schools. In one instance, there was the car apparently moving silently by itself at midnight (as four young men dressed in black pushed it a block before driving off for pizza). There was the elaborate scheme for passing notes and eventually people from the boys floor to the girls floor until a drain pipe broke. We can see the funny side of such antics. But the humorous aspect does not offset the overall harm that is done by flouting rules and taunting authority.
There is only one right course -don’t bring the world to Bible school.
Desperate parents
Some parents know their youngsters will be a problem at Bible school but desperately hope for something to occur that will turn them in the right direction. This does sometimes happen and when it does, there is joy among all — including the angels of heaven.
But we must not allow our children to be a corrupting influence. We cannot simply dump the responsibility on the Bible school for a week. If we feel trouble is possible, let us quietly see to it that our youngster is behaving. This may mean staying near the young people. The school itself can help by not lodging all of the young people in one isolated location. If parents generally exercise such responsibility, no one or two youngsters will feel their parents are particularly mistrustful or overbearing.
Helpful safeguards
The Bible school can also help by providing up-to-date rules for those attending. Immodest and inappropriate clothing should not be worn; alcohol and illegal drugs should be banned; games that encourage promiscuous contact between the sexes should be ruled out and some controls should be placed on the existence of electronic media at the school.
It is also wise to plan enjoyable activities and organize evening get-together’s so that youngsters can associate in a good atmosphere.
All ages
While the problem is most obvious amongst the young people, everyone needs to work at keeping the world out of Bible school. Worldliness includes gossip, back-biting, bitterness, unfriendliness, arrogance and inconsideration. We have to put up with such attitudes all the time in the world. Let us work to see that our week together is a time of delightful fellowship, understanding, joy, peace, consideration and loving cooperation.
That may not be easy if we find ourselves uncomfortable or out-of sorts. The fruits of the spirit, however, are not only manifested when everything is to our liking. The true person of God acts rightly under adverse circumstances as well as favorable ones.
Staying away
Rather than choosing to control ourselves for a week, we may choose not to attend a Bible school. That is not the right answer. The better solution is to attend and leave the world behind. A Bible school is as good a time as any to practice the way of eternal life and reject the way of death.
Take the opportunity
Let us be fair to one another and to ourselves. Let us keep the world out of Bible school that we might truly have a foretaste of the kingdom. And let us seize these opportunities to build ourselves up as our time to give account draws near.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One