then, ultimate verification of knowledge as knowledge is
impossible. An evolutionary atheist might claim he knows
many things, but he can’t really know that he knows anything
because he has no firm standard. 11
In stark contrast to this, a critically significant and
repeated claim in the Bible regarding God is that He, in His
nature, does not change. “I the Lord, do not change” (Mal
3:6). “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever”
(Heb 13:8). In Him there “is no change or shifting shadow”
(Jm 1:17). Indeed, the law of God, which is one with the
Word of God and with the person of Christ, “endures
forever” (Ps 119:160). Further, because the physical,
material universe was made out of that which is invisible
(Heb 11:3), it follows that God Himself provides the only
ultimate standard, both physical and nonphysical (spiritual,
moral), and is thus the basis of all knowledge. This summa-
rizes a truly Christian epistemology 12 and should be the
foundation and main staple of any real, knowledge-based
education. “There shall be one standard for you; it shall be
for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the Lord your
God” (Lev 24:22). “Who is a rock [stable, solid, unmov-
able], except our God?” (Ps 18:31)
Because the invisible (spiritual) created the visible (physi-
cal), the physical body and the spiritual being combine
to form one person. On a larger scale, the physical world
combines with the nonphysical, spiritual world to form one
created reality. This means that all physical entities will not
only bear the marks of God Himself (Rom 1:20), who is Spirit
(Jn 4:24), but also possess a spiritually significant purpose.
Standards always exist for a purpose, as do created things.
There is in fact, a spiritually significant climax to which this
physical world is advancing. This purpose is for men to love
others created in God’s image such that they might repent
and praise Him. In so doing, God will be in relationship with
them. Because of God’s nature, this relationship can only
exist in righteousness and thus moral purity. Hence, moral-
ity is tied to the physical creation 13 —the very substance that
students go to school to learn about. Therefore, removing
God—the very centerpiece—from education, removes the
only purpose for which real education exists and discon-
nects academic disciplines, not only from their foundation,
but also from their moral application.
Conclusion
Education divorced from God, the unchangeable standard
and the very source of knowledge, lacks the key connection to
18
objective reality and significantly, to any real moral purpose.
The result is that there are many very educated people that
ultimately know very little. 14 Unfortunately, many children
from Christian families who are trained in the secular
“education” model are found among them. Long ago, God
spoke through Hosea saying, “My people are destroyed from
lack of knowledge” (Hos 4:6a). This is still happening today.
Knowledge involves far more than mere academic profi-
ciency. Real knowledge requires a standard, necessitates
morality, and reveals purpose. God, through His Word, is
that standard, and it is He that provides the moral purpose.
Only true (Christian) education reflects this reality.
Jay Jusino holds double B.S. degrees in Biology and Educa-
tion, is married to Christy, and a father of seven children. Jay
teaches Bible and science, directs the science department and
curriculum acquisition, and is the staff development director
at Friendship Christian School in Suwanee, GA. Jay is also
the founder and director of Equipping Teachers International,
INC., and is the author of Truth Is Fallen In The Street: Examin-
ing the Pedagogy of Christian Teachers In Public Schools.
FOOTNOTES
1. Animals can know some things, but not nearly to the degree that humans can.
A cow can know that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but that’s
about as far as its knowledge can go!
2. See a defense of this point in the article below.
3. ...who is Himself, not only the spoken truth (Heb 1:3; Jn 1:1), and the written
truth (Ps 119:160; Jn 17:17), but also the visible manifestation of that truth (Jn
1:14), the truth that gives light to every man (Jn 1:9).
4. Again, meaning a grounded and purposeful type of knowledge, knowledge of
eternal significance.
5. Significantly, many Christian teachers in public schools have taught whole
courses in history (and other subjects) with barely even a mention of Christ, if any
at all. This devalues the content and disconnects the subject of history from the
point of history.
6. Although this word carries with it a very negative connotation, it is neverthe-
less practiced by all. Even teaching students to be critical of doctrines is itself a
form of doctrine, and thus equates to indoctrination into philosophic skepticism.
Indoctrination is unavoidable. Indoctrination into what is the real question to be
asked and examined.
7. Real knowledge must have a starting point (base, foundation, origin, or refer-
ence point) and also a moral purpose. Read on.
8. The traditional hard sciences, biology, chemistry, and physics, are considered
laboratory based. Laboratory work hinges upon various innumerable measure-
ments, all of them requiring a standard with which to make the measurement
meaningful and practically useful.
9. Thus, science exists as a shadow and type (Heb 10:1; Col 2:17), pointing the
willing observer to God, the ultimate standard.
10. Any analog measuring device is based on the same concept. For example, a
needle moving against a stationary background that possesses miles/hour marks
(a speedometer) or the red dye moving up the fixed incremented surface of a
thermometer, etc.
11. In this example, the evolutionary atheist cannot objectively demonstrate or
prove that he knows anything at all. Randomness is no standard of goodness,
usefulness, or anything else for that matter. The atheist has no way to defend
his claim to knowledge against those that would challenge him on this point.
Similarly, the Hindu scientist, of which there are many—including those that work
in conjunction with CERN Laboratories and the New Hadron Supercollider (atom
smasher) in Europe—has no ability to claim knowledge is even attainable at all
given his ascent to a fundamental tenet of Hinduism, namely, that all is illusion.
Likewise, the agnostic.
12. Epistemology is the study of the origin and nature of knowledge.
13. Because the invisible and moral God created visible, physical matter. There-
fore, physical matter has a moral basis and thus a moral function and direction.
14. Again, they may know facts and information and thus possess knowledge
as God’s image bearers, but their knowledge is very limited and ultimately futile
(Ecc 12:13). For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world [total physical
gain] and forfeit his soul [total spiritual loss] (Mk 8:36)?