Running head: BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW PAPER
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Biblical Worldview Paper
Juan Chan
Liberty University
BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW PAPER
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Biblical Worldview Paper
A worldview is the conception of how people view the reality to make sense of life and
the world (Tackett, 2006). Different people have different interpretations of the world; therefore,
there are many different types of worldview. A biblical worldview, as the one that is based on the
infallible Word of God, believes that one’s primary reason for existence is to love and serve God
(Tackett, 2006). Thus, the Christian philosophy of education, as the outcome of the biblical
worldview, has the purpose to bring more students to Christ.
Biblical Worldview
With the foundation based on the Word of God, a person who has a biblical worldview
would believe that his or her primary reason for existence is to love and serve God. All Scripture
is given by inspiration from God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16, NKJV). Thus, the Bible is accurate in all of its
teachings. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1). He then created
man in His own image to rule over the world (Genesis 1:27). He told Adam and Eve to not eat
the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, however, Adam and Eve disobeyed
Him and ate the fruit when the serpent tempted them (Genesis 3:3-6). Since then, the sin came in
and the wages of the sin is death (Romans 6:23). All men were offsprings of Adam and Eve;
therefore, all men were born with sin. For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten
Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for men’s sin so that men can live through Him (1
John 4:9). Only through grace men can be saved, thus the salvation is the gift of God not owned
by men (Ephesians 2:8). When Jesus came, He preached that He is the way, the truth, and the
life, and no one can come to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). Therefore, Jesus is the
absolute truth and the moral standard. In Jesus’s teaching, He told His disciples to go into all the
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world and preach the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15). Thus, a Christian has a responsibility to
share his or her faith in Christ with other people by preaching gospel—the good news. Knowing
all these facts are important for a person with a biblical worldview. But what’s more important
than knowing these facts is whether one’s life shows it. To do that, one should keep the two
greatest commandments from Jesus that contain the whole law of God, which is to love God and
love others (Matthew 22:37-40). Therefore, a person with biblical worldview would believe that
he or she has to love and serve God within his or her entire lifetime (Tackett, 2006).
Christian Philosophy of Education
All philosophies can be analyzed in the light of three important events and human
reactions to creation, fall, and redemption (Bartlett, 2007). Christian philosophy of Education is
influenced by its biblical worldview, and thus both of its metaphysical issues and axiological
issues are based on the Bible.
Metaphysical Issues
Metaphysical issues relate to questions of meaning and purpose. Under the influence of
biblical worldview, a Christian philosophy of education believes that education is the gift from
God. In the Bible, Paul says that “For as we have many members in one body, but all the
members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is
given to us, let us use them…” (Romans 12:4-6, NKJV). Therefore, education is the gift from
God with its function to edify the body. Furthermore, education is also the way to serve God.
When God first created human in the image of Himself, He wanted to have companionship with
man. However, man was stained by sin after disobeying and thus causing humankind to fall out
of a right relationship with God. When redemption through Jesus’s atoning act by virtue of His
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death came, men were able to come to God and communicate with Him again through Jesus
Christ (Bartlett, 2007). God wants to have relationship with man. With education, teachers can
equip students so they will be able to come to a cognizant and purposeful relationship with God,
which is another way for teachers to serve God (Bartlett, 2007).
Axiological Issues
Axiological issues relate to questions of values. Intelligence is not just comprised of one’s
abilities to discern and process information in a traditional way (Bartlett, 2007). In the questions
of values, a Christian philosophy of education believes that educators should help students walk
in the Spirit. This is because the whole world is corrupted with sin. Furthermore, the flesh lusts
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another
(Galatians 5:17). In order to bring the student to God, educators should help students to walk in
the Spirit. Thus, to walk in the Spirit, teachers have to value the fruit of the Spirit, which includes
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
(Galatians 5:22).
Implications for Educational Practice
With a biblical worldview and a Christian philosophy of education in mind, Christian
educators can have many implications for educational practice. First, with the biblical worldview
of believing that God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator, educators could present all
human knowledge in a framework of truth, rooted in the Creator’s existence, and in His creation
to students. (Schaeffer, 1982). For example, a second-grade teacher can introduce the fact of
God’s creation in rocks when teaching students about igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, and
sedimentary rocks. God is so powerful that He created everything, even rocks. Second, with the
Christian philosophy of education of believing that God gave different people different gifts,
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educators could apply differentiated instruction while teaching (Ackerman, 2012). For example,
a second-grade teacher with students who are English Language learners could provide translated
vocabulary worksheets with pictures to help the student understand the story better during
reading. Third, believing what is said in Roman’s chapter 3 verse 23 that “all men have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God”, educators should be more patient and loving in the process of
educating when facing difficult students. For example, a second-grade teacher may have students
who doesn’t know how to follow directions so could be more tolerated when helping them. Last
but not least, knowing that educators should help students to walk in the Spirit by having the
fruits of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-
control, educators could apply character education to help students be more like Christ. For
example, a second-grade teacher could teach students about self-control by encouraging them not
to peek at other students’ answers during the spelling test.
Conclusion
In all, a biblical worldview of founding in the Word of God make people believe that
their primary existence is to love and serve God. A Christian philosophy of education derived
from biblical worldview provides educator purposes to help students follow Christ. To reach this
goal, educators not only have to diligently read the Bible to comprehend better in regard to the
knowledge of God, but also have to apply these theories into their educational practices.
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References
Ackerman, B. (2012). G.U.I.D.E. to differentiated instruction for Christian educators.
Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University Press
Bartlett, J. C. (2007). A Christian philosophy of education of a public school educator
DigitalCommons @Liberty University.
Tackett, D. (2006). What’s a Christian worldview. Focus On the Family Ministry.
Schaeffer, F.A. (1982). On Education Priorities 1982. L’Abri Mini-Seminars.
