Six months ago, Jerry and Beth Smyth joined the training team here at BSWE. They were tribal missionaries to Borneo/Sumatra with New Tribes Mission. They are true servants and have not only been a great blessing to the ministries here at First Baptist Church of Milford, but also to me personally.

The Smyths are trained and experienced at a unique (and biblical) approach to evangelism using a method entitled, Chronological Bible Teaching. The approach is a cry for clarity among those involved in evangelism who recognize that people need a more deliberate teaching from God's Word about God Himself, His holiness, His character and the consequences and cure for sin.

Most of the critics of Chronological Bible Teaching (CBT) are involved in "Easy-believism" and are ignorant of the CBT method and of God's method of introducing Himself to the Jewish people as revealed in the Scripture. They fail to realize that every New Testament introduction of Christ to Jewish audiences (or Samaritans who were also familiar with Judaism) was simply a continuation of teaching from the Old Testament foundation. This is best illustrated in the Gospel of John where John the Baptist said, "Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). This is something that a Jewish crowd could understand because they had already received (via their God-given culture) the appropriate biblical teaching (Galatians 3:24 and Hebrews 8:4-5; 10:1- 14). Only a Jew, a Samaritan, or a Jewish proselyte would so readily have understood John's introduction of Jesus that day. But there are some others who would have needed more preparation. One such example was the Ethiopian Eunuch.

I don't know how familiar the Eunuch was with Judaism. Whatever his level of understanding, he was sufficiently motivated to leave Africa seeking truth in Jerusalem and come away from there with one of Isaiah's scrolls (Acts 8:26-40). What is significant for our purpose is that Philip was wise enough to assume nothing. He asked, "Understandest thou what thou readest? " (v. 30). The Eunuch's response, "How can I except some man should guide me" (v. 31) calls attention to a more Bible-needy segment of people who do not have a cached resevoir of biblical foundation in place to facilitate understanding. This is the reason for CBT. There are people who do not know what a Bible is, and there are people who need more than the "Romans Road." By the way, America is rapidly becoming (if not already) a people who know nothing about the Bible and who are in need of more than the "Romans Road."

One of the best things I like about CBT is its natural flow of teaching of biblical truth in context. Most schools (including BSWE) have a doctrines course in which Bible doctrines are presented topically. The instructor has the pain-staking task of stripping the teaching of various doctrines from their disjointed locations throughout the Bible and compiling them together into a consolidated listing with explanation. Many people in other cultures do not learn well this way. They can only retain the information as it is nestled in its natural context - in many cases - Bible stories. While following the CBT method, doctrine is discovered and discussed naturally in its context which facilitates a better recall and comprehension of the doctrine.

The New Testament is stuffed with Old Testament reference, allusion, and illustration. This demonstrates a dependence on previous truth as a prerequisite to experiencial understanding. By the way, this allusion was performed by the New Testament writers themselves, many of which were apostles. If they saw the need to show the way of God more perfectly, maybe we too should take the hint.

The mission field isn't the only place the Chronological Bible Teaching method is needed. There are enough pastors out there who are already convinced that their respective congregations do not contain a number of regenerate adherents equal to the church's physical membership - not even close. They know something's wrong. People are saved by God, and God knows them. Let us do all we can to avoid contributing to false professions and faulty evangelism. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:22-23).

Dr. Stephen Zeinner, the Director of Bearing Precious Seed Bible Printing Ministry, will be teaching this important course of getting God's Word to the world.

BSWE students start the spring semester with a two week inter-cultural ministry opportunity in South America, beginning on Monday, January 8th. Participating students must register for this event not later than Monday, December 4th at the college office (passport is required to show at registration).

Regular semester classes begin on Monday, January 29th and end on Friday, May 11th. Students may register for the regular spring semester by contacting the college office for a registration appointment anytime between January 3 and 26th.

An understanding of the problem of syncretism is vitally important to successful missionary work. Syncretism is "the blending of two distinct beliefs, thinking or pretending that they are the same."

In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas found themselves up to their ears in syncretism. Paul had just healed a lame man that had never walked (vs. 8-1-10). When Peter and John did this in Acts 3, a great revival broke out; however, a revival of syncretism broke out after Paul’s miracle!