THE EMMAUS WALK PRESENTS:

"Course Articles Center"

This center is in progress, which means questions are being appended to the various articles for students to answer and correct on their own. If you have any questions, please write to: Ronald D. Ginther, P.O. Box 212, Puyallup, WA 98371. You may also submit queries to: ronald.ginther@oaringintheriver.com

Questions and Answers have been Completed for Joshua and posted on the Course Articles Center page. There is also the page for extra credit questions, T or F. We are long, long in arrears in doing these questions and answers for you on the major courses, but we have started! Please pray for me that I will faithfully complete this task in a timely manner! The Emmaus Walk School of the bible is not a blog centered on someone's opinions, but a Bible School based on the Word of God and understanding it better so each of us can be the person, the Christian witness, the Lord Jesus designed each of us to be.

Why is Christian education necessary for Christians? Jesus said: "Go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." This is the Great Commission. This is the reason for Christian Education: discipleship and the doing of all things that Christ commanded us. If we remain ignorant (saved but unaware of His teachings and the teachings of the Bible), we cannot do what our Lord has commanded us. We cannot live holy lives. We cannot be a witness for the salvation of other souls. We are useless to God, and probably compromised with the worldly system and under its influence and power. Christian education is absolutely vital to Christians, as air is to life. How long can we get along without air to breathe? How long can we get along with Christ's teachings and a Christian education?

Can you believe in Christ without being a genuine disciple? I can testify that you can believe but not really follow Christ. It was so in my case, after I was saved and born again at a Christian high school. Jews for Jesus has this to say on the issue: "'And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age'--Matthew 28:18-20. [David Brickner, Executive Director of Jews for Jesus, goes on to comment] Don't miss the main emphasis of this command: to make disciples. A disciple is one who hears, understands and obeys the master's teaching. A disciple of Jesus is not just a believer in Him, but also a follower.

In his book, MATTHEW AND MISSION, Martin Goldsmith wrote, 'In some cultures it is relatively easy to bring people to an initial confession of faith in Jesus as Savior, but often such spontaneous and hasty professions of conversion are not followed by any deep discipleship and committed involvement in the life of the Church.'"--Page 1, "Messianic Marching Orders, Part III, Jews for Jesus Newsletter, May 2007.

In this light, please refer to Mrs. Pearl A. Ginther's excellent tribute to Christian education, some of the reasons for it being based on Martin Luther's own teachings:

PART I

REQUIRED SUBJECTS:

1. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: A VIEW BASED ON MARTIN LUTHER'S TEACHING

"Mrs. Pearl A. Ginther's Tribute to Christian Education," a message given on request of the school president to a chapel assembly at Augustana Academy, Canton, South Dakota

Additional Resources:

The Foundation for American Christian Education

Christian Educators Association

National Assoc. of Christian Educators/Citizens for Excellence in Education

National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools

Answers in Genesis

Institute for Creation Research

Christian History Magazine article by David W. Debbington on Great Britain's greatest preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon (died Jan. 31, 1892), comments on Spurgeon's views on Christian influence in public schools:

"Who should run the schools? The same point is evident in the preacher's attitude to educational policy, a central political issue for much of the nineteenth century [in Britain and its colonies]. Like most Baptists in the 1850s, Spurgeon believed at first that the state should not meddle with education. The provision of schools should be left to private initiative--to individuals, societies, and churches. The young needed to be taught the Christian faith, and the state had no more business to take up the religious instruction of children than it had to undertake the religious instruction of adults through an established [officially recognized as the only state church of the country, while being state financed from public tax monies] church.

By the late 1860s, however, population growth was hopelessly outstripping the ability of private initiative to provide for education. Baptists reluctantly accepted that the state must set up the necessary schools. To avoid state interference in religious instruction, however, most Baptists decided that schools must be secular. Christian education should be left to the home and the church.

Spurgeon could not stomach this conclusion. In 1870 he presided at a London rally calling for the retention of Bible teaching in state schools. A total severance of church and state in the schools, he argued, was nonsense. 'How can religion be eliminated from education,' he asked, 'unless it be eliminated from the teacher himself?' Spurgeon judged the welfare of the Christian faith to be at stake, and so he was willing to diverge from the prevailing view in his denomination. And in the end, Spurgeon's policy was put into practice. The government permitted local school boards to include the Bible in the curriculum." [we would do well to return to our Christian-founded public schools before we lose another generation to secularism, the meaninglessness and atheism of Evolution, and depravity!--Ed.]--page 39, Issue 29, CHRISTIAN HISTORY.

2. PRAYER

"Prayer, Its Nature and Its Need," by Mrs. Bernice Schaefer

"How Definite Are We to Be in Our Praying?" by Mrs. Bernice Schaefer

Part III, "Christ's Prayers and Ours," by Mrs. Bernice Schaefer

Ten T/F questions are appended to Part III.

Extra Credit for reading and commenting on:

"Why Pray?" by Ronald Ginther

Additional resources for PRAYER:

Congressional Prayer Caucus

Intercessors for America

Lydia Fellowship

National Day of Prayer Task Force

Presidential Prayer Team

Justice at the Gate

3. HOLY SPIRIT

"The Spiritual Gifts Explained and Defined," Part II, by Duane L. Smith

"An Opinion About the Gifts as Seen Today," by Duane L. Smith

"The Holy Spirit Baptism...", by Duane L. Smith

4. BIBLICAL SCIENCE

"An Introduction to Biblical Science," by Duane L. Smith

"Quiz for "An Introduction to Biblical Science"

"Einstein, Quantum Mechanics, and the Reconciliation with Theology," Parts I-III, by Duane L. Smith

We shall add material or access to materials on Evolution and Creationism to this center. Students may access them and then complete tests or quizzes on them. The following links can also be very helpful.

Answers in Genesis

Institute for Creation Research

5. FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

"Foundational Principles for Life," Part I, by Duane L. Smith

"What is Truth?"--from "Foundational Principles for Life," by Duane L. Smith

Part II, "What is Truth?", by Duane L. Smith

"Foundational Principles for Abundant Living," Meditations Concerning God's Grace, by Duane L. Smith

"Foundational Principles of Life, Concerning Word of Faith and Self-Deification Heresies," by Duane L. Smith

"Love, God's Priceless, Free Gift That's Meant to be Shared," Part I, by Duane L. Smith

Part II, "Love, God's Priceless, Free Gift That's Meant to be Shared," by Duane L. Smith

"God's Free Gift That's Meant to be Shared"--Conclusion, by Duane L. Smith

6. WITNESSING (WITH APOLOGETICS) AND DISCIPLESHIP

"How to be Saved," by Robert Lee Ginther

"Come, Let Us Reason Together," A Personal Account of Messianic Witnessing," by Duane L. Smith

"To Learn More [about how to witness]," a guide to resources for witnessing and giving an account of our faith in Jesus, by Jim McFarland, will be an excellent help, as Jim McFarland is a writer of his own apologetical book for college-going Christians.

"To Learn More," A Resource List for Witnessing for Christ and How to Do it Effectively, by Jim McFarland (taken from the Decision Magazine, November 2007, page 31)

Paul and Silas' Missionary Journey to Europe, beginning in the Roman city anhd colony of Phillipi, Macedonia, is a template for anyone who wants to witness and yet doesn't know how to go about it. Look at how Paul did it--and there is the expert at work, from start to finish. We cannot find, other than in the Lord Jesus, a better role model or teacher! Every fundamental principle, method, insight, method of missiology and witnessing and apologetics--can be traced to Paul's epochal invasion of Europe for the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The shock wave generated by that spiritual tsunami has not yet finished sweeping the world, and countless lives are still being captured by Jesus Christ and his kingdom.

"The Ballad of Paul and Silas," A Verse Account of Paul's Epochal Apostolic Journey to Macedonia (bordering the north of Greece), and the Birth of the Church of Philippi

7. TYPES OF CHRIST/MESSIANIC BIBLE TEXTS AND ACCOUNTS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

As the New Testament had not been written, Christ and also the Apostle Paul taught the Messianic texts from the Old Testament books, the same as we are doing here. This is what the disciples were given on the Emmaus Walk by Jesus the Messiah, though he did it in far less time and detail, no doubt. Yet we have the time and can spend more time and effort viewing the Messianic texts and the books that contain them--that is the privilege we have, if we want to use it.

"The Books of the Bible"

"The Messianic Texts"

Part II, "Genesis's Seed of Woman," by Ronald Ginther

"Bible Names for God's Son," Compiled by Ronald Ginther

"Study Questions for Bible Names for God's Son," by Ronald Ginther

"Exodus: Types of Christ Revealed," by Ronald Ginther

"Leviticus: Atonement4us," by Ronald Ginther

"Deuteronomy: Israel's Chance to Follow God Completely," by Ronald Ginther

"Numbers, Its Messianic Types and Connection with the Cross of Christ," by Ronald Ginther

"Joshua: A Many-Faceted Type of Christ," by Ronald Ginther

"Joshua Test Questions," by Ronald Ginther

"Joshua Test Answers," by Ronald Ginther

"Extra Credit T & F Questions for Joshua," by Ronald Ginther

"Judges: Thirteen Delivering Christ Types," by Ronald Ginther

"Samson in Judges, Hope for the Washed Up Christian," by Ronald Ginther

"Esther: The Book of Godly Intrigue," by Ronald Ginther

"Ruth, the Vine," A Type of Christ, Verse Portrait by Ronald D. Ginther

8. BIBLE COVENANTS/ISRAEL/BIBLE ATLAS

"God's Covenants," by Ronald Ginther

"Covenants--God's and Man's," by Ronald Ginther

"Area of Attack into Israel by Hezbollah," by Ronald Ginther

"What is Palestine?" by Ronald Ginther

"Atlas and Pivotal Role of Asia Minor," by Ronald Ginther

9. CHRISTIAN HOPE AND CHARACTER

"Some Questions," by Duane L. Smith

"The Hope of the Christian, the Antithesis of Worldly Despair," by Duane L. Smith

10. THE PROPHETIC CALLING (ONE OF MANY CALLINGS BY GOD AS SPECIFIED IN THE BIBLE)

"The Voice of the Lord and the Heart of a Prophet," by Duane L. Smith

"Where is this guy coming from?" by Duane L. Smith

PART II

Regarding the REQUIRED SIX ELECTIVES: Though we lost our faculty member and writer and instructor, Duane L. Smith, when he suddenly passed away from cancer, we will continue and add the six elective subjects (and some extra credit courses) with, first, the theologian and philosopher and evangelical thinker Francis Schaeffer's book, followed by the articles by the late Stuart Maxwell Hawkins, a fine Christian man of letters in the Northwest, who lived into the 1980s. The volume of his we will draw from (his music and poetry will not be used, unfortunately, because of restraints on our time) will be "Think On These Things," published 1981, one of his last books or his last book before he died. If these do not suit you, you must choose six among the remaining electives (yet to be listed here), and then you will have completed the requirements for electives. A third six-elective-in-one choice for you is the primer on faith, "Walk in the Light," by Ronald Ginther. We have questions completed for "Walk in the Light," which can furnish another set of six electives, but they have to be put on-line. In the meantime, however, you could read the book, which you can find listed on this Emmaus Walk site.

REQUIRED ELECTIVES (CHOOSE ONE THAT GIVES CREDIT FOR SIX, OR SIX AMONG THOSE LISTED):

1. "How Then Should We Then Live?" by Francis Schaeffer, with Study Guide. Read the book and complete the study guide. This will equal six electives in total.

2. Read six Stuart Maxwell Hawkins messages and complete the appended questions (this will equal six electives). This is 1-6 electives in total.

3. "Walk in the Light," A True Account of Faith in Progress and Faith Triumphant, with Study Questions, by Ronald Ginther (questions are to be on-line, but the book is already available on this site). This comprises six electives in total.

4. Christian Activism. Select out the major issues for the Christian faith from our Current and Previous Pages, write your own responses to them, and follow up by action that is appropriate: prayer, writing to Congressmen, supporting a candidate that is godly on that issue, etc. Describe in writing what happened when you followed up.

5. Pick any one or more than one, or all six Great Christian Leaders, which are: Lilias Trotter, George Whitefield, John Wesley, Dwight Moody, Charles Spurgeon, and Billy Graham, read a book or biography or autobiography of the person, then write an essay telling what the person contributed to the Body of Christ and evangelisation. This is 1-6 electives in total.

Other electives will soon be listed here.

Not all Duane L. Smith's articles written are accounted for in this list, and we will do a further search, and post them when they are found. Please bear with us in this transitional period.--Ed.

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