FAR EASTERN BIBLE COLLEGE
We thank the Lord the new semester started off well. This semester (Jan-Apr 2016) FEBC has a total enrolment of 561 students: 104 day students (fulltime: 55, part-time 49), 301 students in the “Basic Theology for Everyone” night classes, and 156 distance learning students. The students come from 13 countries: Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The courses offered this semester are Systematic Theology II (Anthropology), Biblical Separation, Greek Exegesis II by the Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo; Old Testament Poetry, Contemporary Theology IV, Hermeneutics, Hebrew Reading II by the Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew; Homiletics, Ecclesiastes by the Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy; Greek Elementary II by Mrs Ivy Tow; 1 Samuel by the Rev Stephen Khoo; Bible Geography III, Cults III by the Rev Dr Koa Keng Woo; 1 Thessalonians by the Rev Tan Kian Sing; Teaching Children, Beginner Pianoforte by Mrs Jemima Khoo; Theological Research and Writing by Miss Carol Lee; Hebrew Elementary II by Mr Clement Chew; Epistle of Jude by Dr Jose Lagapa; Greek Reading II by Mr Dennis Kabingue; English Intensive II by Mrs Anne Lim; English Intermediate II by Mrs Irene Lim; English Advanced II by Elder Han Soon Juan. The online courses are (1) Ezekiel II, (2) Revelation, and (3) Westminster Confession of Faith.
LEARNING SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
Testimony by Van Sin Piang
My name is Van Sin Piang, I come from Myanmar. Firstly I want to thank God for giving me salvation so rich and free, and calling me to full-time ministry to study and to serve Him. It is a great privilege to study at FEBC, with a very good academic system, with sound doctrine and well-trained lecturers, faithful and humble in teaching. I am glad that I could study Systematic Theology I on Theism, ie knowing God, His nature and attributes, the Trinity, God’s Creation and Revelation, and also Reformed Theology. There are many Christians in the world that do not know properly about God, as well as doctrine. Before I came here I thought FEBC will be like the any other Bible seminary in the world, teaching the same thing, but when I come here I really thank God that FEBC stands on a very firm foundation on the Bible, with sound doctrine.
I was born into a Christian family, Baptist. Our forefathers were worshippers of evil spirits we call “Mung”, but were converted to Christianity in 1904 by English missionary Carson and his wife. Around the year 1978, the Pentecostal Movement reached our place, and from one church we divided into two churches—Assemblies of God (AOG) and the Baptist Church. We were practising the Reformed doctrine and theology up to around 1991, but through the influence of the Pentecostal movement we have become liberal, yet calling ourselves fundamentalist and having no proper doctrine. Although we declare ourselves Baptist, we practise and worship like the Charismatics. We forgot where we came from. I used to say we are Baptist but we practise the same as the AOG. When people said, “You are Charismatic”, we did not like it, and I really wanted to know the difference. I think our church pastor and elders also do not know about our stand, belief and doctrine. I know that we need to be reformed, need someone who will teach true doctrine.
When I came here to FEBC, I observed and learned the way of our worship and belief and doctrine. I realised why God brought me here to study, and got the answer to my question. In my country and even in India, we can hardly find a college that teaches sound doctrine and Reformed theology. Many of the Presbyterian and Baptist colleges are compromising and turning away from the truth and sound doctrine. They think they are different from the Charismatics but they practise the same thing and they teach the same thing as the Charismatics. They do not stand firm. They turn away from Reformed theology and doctrine. Even in my own church, they do not hold the doctrine now but are only thinking about increasing members and growing in material things.
And concerning the Bible, many people today do not believe the Bible is the very Word of God in every book, chapter, verse and word. But here we are taught, “The Bible is none other than the voice of Him that sitteth upon the throne; every book of it, every chapter of it, every verse of it, every word of it, every syllable of it, every letter of it, is the direct utterance of the Most High. The Bible is none other than the Word of God, not some part of it more, some part of it less, but all alike, the direct utterance of Him that sitteth upon the throne, faultless, unerring, and supreme.” I accept this 100 percent because if the Bible is full of mistakes and errors, then how can I say our belief is true and why do I need to study the Word of God? I thank God for learning not only the doctrine of Verbal Plenary Inspiration (VPI) but also Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP)—“The whole of Scripture with all its words even to the jot and tittle is perfectly preserved by God without any loss of the original words, prophecies, promises, commandments, doctrines, and truths, not only in the words of salvation, but also of history, geography, and science. Every book, every chapter, every verse, every word, every syllable, every letter is infallibly preserved by the Lord Himself to the last iota.”
But I thank God I am in the right place and the right college to learn sound doctrine to reform the doctrine in my church. I believe this is the reason why God called me and put me here to study. I hope I will learn more and more and will witness to others and serve the Lord according to His will.
FROM THE TRINITARIAN BIBLE SOCIETY
Dear Mr Kan,
Thank you very much for your gift to the Society made when visiting our website on 7 December 2015. We apologise for the delay in replying. Your support enables us to continue with the work of translation, publication and distribution of the Word of God. Please pass on our sincere appreciation to the True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church for their donation and please also find a receipt at the foot of this letter.
Upon our return to work in the new year we had the joy of opening a letter which said in part:
Dear Friends in the name of Jesus,
I hereby report that we had huge gathering of people at the open air meetings we conduct in the Republic of Mozambique. Wherever we go, people are eager to read the word of Jesus, hence need for books. We hope after reading this letter you will be able to send us Holy Bibles, Portuguese.
Certainly after receiving this letter we were encouraged, as it seemed to be a poignant reminder at the beginning of this new year of our ministry to make the Scriptures available free of charge to those who cannot afford them. Please pray that we will be guided aright as we seek to fulfil many requests for grants this year, and that the Scriptures sent may be used of the Holy Spirit to ‘reprove…of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment’ (John 16.8).
Received with thanks from True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church (00109578) the sum of £500.00, date 7 December 2015, in respect of church donation.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. Psalm 18.3.
David Orpen
Finance & Supporter Assistant
SINCERELY YOURS
While sifting through some old books in the FEBC Library now called Timothy Tow Memorial Library, I chanced upon a slender hardcover book titled Sincerely Yours: New Voices in Singapore Poetry (Singapore: Tate Publishing, 1985) with a Foreword by Prof Kirpal Singh. Singh rightly says that poetry requires attentive reading, and to him the poems in this anthology are engaging as “they index attitudes and feelings.” In this book of poems written by Singaporeans, there was one by our founding pastor, the Rev Dr Timothy Tow. In this poem, our late pastor reveals his thoughts and feelings concerning his travels—there is much to learn. JK
A CHRISTIAN IN TRAVEL
There are many who roam this world
In search of glitt’ring gem and pearl.
A Christian who travels today
Meets pleasure seekers all the way,
In Mandarin rooms with music sweet,
And foods and wines, much to repeat.
He does not like this hotel life,
His heart is with his home and wife.
Yet travel is a job he took,
When at the Cross he all forsook,
To serve the Master where He’d call
All over this terrestrial ball.
Lord, give me courage to follow
Through valleys deep, through paths narrow.
Nor wing, nor sail, can change the course
Pilgrims of old have set for us!
Let every Gospel messenger
Travel not as a passenger,
Who lounges ’way the precious hour —
Our journeying is not a tour!
It is a race that must be won,
With sweat and tears, under the sun,
Till Heav’n above is reached at last,
And at His feet our crowns are cast.
Rev Timothy S H Tow
