FAR EASTERN BIBLE COLLEGE

FEBC resumed after a two-month break with a day of prayer on Monday 18 July 2016. The college family gathered for a time of worship, Bible meditation, fellowship and prayer from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm. The Dean of Students—Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy—was the Lord’s messenger. He spoke from 2 Timothy 2:20-21 on how students must purge their hearts of all uncleanness if they wish to study God’s Word and become good servants of God.

The Rev Park Jong Gyoo, who graduated from FEBC in 2002 and now a pastor-teacher of Pilgrim Church in Korea, gave a word of encouragement to all the students and shared with them three principles on how to succeed in FEBC: He told them to (1) strengthen their relationship with God, (2) strengthen their relationship with fellow students, and (3) strengthen their knowledge of God’s Word.

We welcome nine new students this semester: Five from Korea: Gouk Taehwan, Jeong Youngjoo, Kang Songhan, Kwak Wonyoung, Park Heeyoung; two from Singapore: David Chew, Katharine Kiew; one from India: Ajay Daram; one from USA: Dominic Zinnanti.

This semester (Jul-Nov 2016) FEBC has a total enrolment of 541 students: 99 day students (fulltime: 50, part-time: 49), 261 students in the “Basic Theology for Everyone” night classes, and 181 distance learning students. The students come from 12 countries: Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, USA, and Vietnam.

The courses offered this semester are Systematic Theology III (Soteriology), Charismatism, Greek Exegesis I by the Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo; Deuteronomy, Contemporary Theology I, Hebrew Reading I by the Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew; Homiletics, The Names of God by the Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy; Greek Elementary I by Mrs Ivy Tow; 2 Samuel by the Rev Stephen Khoo; Bible Geography IV, Cults IV by the Rev Dr Koa Keng Woo; 2 Thessalonians, Titus by the Rev Tan Kian Sing; Teaching Methods, Beginner Pianoforte by Mrs Jemima Khoo; Women in the Bible, Youth Christian Education by Miss Carol Lee; Hebrew Elementary I by Mr Clement Chew; Greek Reading I by Mr Dennis Kabingue; English Intensive I by Mrs Anne Lim; English Intermediate I by Mrs Irene Lim; English Advanced I by Elder Han Soon Juan. The online courses are (1) Systematic Theology I: Theism, (2) Daniel, and (3) Gospel of John. JK

Lessons from the Westminster Standards: A Testimony

Praise the Lord for revealing Himself and His will to us through His Word in the Holy Scriptures. I am thankful for FEBC and Dr Jeffrey Khoo for the opportunity to learn more about the Word of God through a course on the Westminster Standards. Through the course I realised the importance and significance of the Westminster Standards which have provided the local churches a consistent and uniformed guide through which His Word is to be rightly interpreted and taught. It is God’s will for His Church to keep His Word pure and from corruption in the last days. Sadly, churches which do not subscribe to these Standards risk exposing their congregations to the dangers of erroneous interpretation and teaching, which we are seeing in many modern liberal churches.

“God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” (WSC Q4). I found the narrative of how the Westminster theologians derived at the answer of what God is—through a prayer—to be very interesting and deeply memorable. God works through His people in amazing and fascinating ways we least expect.

I have gained a deeper understanding of the source of our ability to believe and what it means to be a Christian. The knowledge that our faith in God is not of ourselves but it is by the grace of God alone (Eph 2:8) causes me to utterly humble myself. At the same time, I feel immensely grateful for God’s saving grace that I am of the elect entirely because of God’s sovereign choice and not because I possess any worth or goodness or works. Looking back to the time when I was an unbeliever and my antagonistic attitude toward Christianity, I have experienced and am deeply convinced of the irresistible grace of God (4th point of Calvinism). “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Rom 8:30).

Another aspect of the Christian faith I have learned is the importance of how we must regard the Bible truly as God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. Scripture is to be received by faith simply because God says so! We take God at His Word and the Bible is proof itself. The Bible is self-authoritative and self-authenticating, and it is paramount we hold it in the highest regard. For our study of the Bible to be fruitful, we must have the full assurance that the Bible is perfectly infallible, inerrant, authoritative and true. Because we have faith given by God to believe the gospel, we are able to understand and affirm spiritual things, and to believe and submit to the authority of God’s Word. When we gain more and more understanding of God’s Word, our faith is strengthened, and this in turn leads us to hunger for more of His truths. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Can a self-professing believer who claims to love God ever not thirst and hunger after God’s Word? I find it impossible.

I have also been edified by understanding the relationship between faith, salvation and works. While works do not save, a genuinely born again believer will inevitably produce good works. There is no conflict between Ephesians 2:8-9 and James 2:17. We are saved at the point of justification, while the process of sanctification continues with God gradually changing us from the inside-out thus producing fruit. Having this understanding has led me to continually examine my Christian life and ask, “Am I walking with God?”, “Is there evident fruit in my life as a Christian?”, “Am I bearing a godly witness for Christ?” Being a relatively new Christian of three years, I have on many occasions questioned my salvation especially when I succumb to temptation and sin against the Lord—Am I truly saved? Why am I still sinning?

How do I answer if someone asks me how do I know if my salvation is genuine? So when Dr Khoo covered Chapter 18, “Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation”, I was glad to know that the Christian faith is not a “hope so” imaginary faith. It is a “know so” faith. And I can know by examining myself in these five areas: (1) Faith in God’s Word; it is not based on feelings or our own thinking or philosophies of man; (2) Indwelling of the Holy Spirit; (3) Understanding and believing God’s word and truth; (4) Love of God and for my neighbours (and enemies), and love not the world; (5) Chastisement of the Lord; experiencing vexation in the spirit when we sin. I felt very encouraged by the lecture on the Christian struggle because it resonated with my Christian walk. Just as Paul wrote in Romans 7:15, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” I am encouraged to learn that it is a good sign that we struggle because it means we are alive spiritually, sensitive to sin and want to fight against it; and not dead spiritually. The struggle humbles and teaches me to be totally dependent on God to overcome sin and temptation. I experience God’s grace and how His Word changes me day by day. He is a God who hears and answers our prayers, and gives us wisdom. Through it all, God gets all the glory, not me because of my total depravity.

The twin doctrine of Creation and Providence is fascinating. I have never thought that they are so closely related. It is comforting to know that God is not just Creator but also Sustainer and Maintainer. God knows and sees ahead so He can provide for His creatures. Nothing happens by chance and there is no “luck” involved because everything is predetermined and fore-planned by God. This understanding has helped me tremendously in dealing with tension and disagreements in my family life, as a result of my Christian faith. If God is in absolute control “and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28), then I can stand on His promise and put my trust in the Lord who has allowed these sufferings I am experiencing and believe in my heart it is ultimately for my good. It gives me peace and calmness. More importantly, my faith is no longer only head knowledge. Through trials and suffering, I have experienced God’s providence in a personal way and I now have experiential faith. “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Pet 4:16).

Lastly, the study of the Westminster Standards has taught me the need to be discerning. All doctrines and traditions must find basis on Scripture. God must be worshipped according to His way. We ought to be discerning against “tongues” speaking, seeking after “signs and wonders”, and carnal contemporary worship music. The understanding of how to identify a true local church has led me to reevaluate the church that I have been attending for the past three years and I pray to God to lead me and my family to a church that worships in spirit and in truth. BKW