BIBLE KNOWLEDGE FOR SPM, WHY?

Why Christian Students should take Bible Knowledge at SPM Level ?

1) Taking Bible Knowledge is an investment of time for eternity
* only God’s Word can prepare a young person adequately for this life and the one to come. Every subject at school or at college pales in comparison to the study of Luke and Acts which puts a student in touch with the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

2) Bible Knowledge is the anchor for our students in these time of turmoil.
* Knowing and understanding God through Bible knowledge, students can stand secure in times of social unrest, physical disasters and uncertainties of all kinds

3) Strong leaders for churches today and tomorrow.
* This subject helps to nurture the young people in their Christian faith in order to provide dynamic and Godly leaders in future.
* Taking Bible Knowledge is like having a part-time theological seminary brought into our school curriculum.
* The in-depth study of Luke (Teachings of Jesus) and Acts (The establishment of the Early Church) will prove invaluable foundation for the study of the other books of the Bible.

4)Bible Knowledge provides the best moral compass that will guide their actions and decisions in their daily living.
* Today young minds are bombarded with all sorts of programmes on TV, Astro, MegaTV with questionable values.
* Moral Education in school is often taught by teachers of a different religious persuasion.

5) It helps to improve the students’ command of English language.
* Reading , discussion and written homework in English gives invaluable practice in the language.
* Memorization of certain passages will help the formation of language patterns in the mind that will enhance mastery of the language.
* To memorize verses or passages in the Bible is something invaluable in a Christian life. Ps 119: 9-11 “ How can a young man keep his life pure? By obeying your commands. I keep your law in my heart ,so that I will not sin against You.”
* Word we memorize can minister to us in times of need.

6) Taking Bible Knowledge is a testimony to our teachers, school administrators and govt officials that our christian faith means something to us.
* It is a real privilege .
* Our country is the only Muslim country where the govt will make available the Bible Knowledge to be taught and taken as a subject in SPM.
* The challenge is that we want to see the number of candidates to increase to 3000 so that it is not in danger of being strike off in the public exam.

7) Help to score an extra A1 in SPM result.
* The questions are mainly on Knowledge of Bible- direct questions
* Marked by Christian Bible Knowledge teachers

8) To Know God better, we need to know HIS Word.
* Taking Bible Knowledge is just like doing Bible Study a chapter per week for two years.

Statistics of the number of Candidates for Bible Knowledge nationwide,

Year Number of candidates
1960's Many thousands at Form 3 and Form 5 level
1987 500 at SPM level
1993 200-300 SPM, no longer available at Form 3 level
1994 BK taken out of SPM
1995 BK re-instated as SPM subject; only 20 candidates
1996 50
1997 115
1998 165
1999 234
2004 400+
2005 600+
2006 700+
2007 900+
2010 ? 3000

The no. have climbed slowly because of the efforts of :
- Malayan Christian Schools’ council
- Teachers’ Christian fellowship
- The Catholic churches
- Scripture Union

To make the public aware of the existence of this subject in SPM, will we as Christian students, parents, teachers, church member rally around and help to restore the numbers to this subject as a testimony to our government that we want our young people to be well grounded in the word of God?

May our churches play a leading role in this as we have always place great emphasis on the study of God’s word so that every believer is well equipped to serve effectively where he is placed.

Perhaps through this avenue we will see restored to the churches a strong core of young men and women able to teach and preach God’s word and inspire the churches to grow dynamically and take the gospel to every corner of our country.

The syllabus consists of only TWO books in the Bible :
1) The Gospel According to St Luke : The life and teaching of Jesus Christ
2) The Acts of the Apostles : The growth of the early Church

Format of examination for BK
- Only one paper of two and a half hours ( in English)
Need to answer 8 context questions (short questions)
- 4 from Acts,
- 4 from Luke - each carrying 5 marks
- and 4 essay questions , each carrying 15 full marks

What can you do ?
- Sharing my plan/action
- Parents : to let their children to take up BK as they enter Form 4.
- Those who are able to teach the subject regardless of whether you are a school teacher or not can volunteer to teach in church or school.

Information above was taken & modified from Training Seminar On Teaching Bible Knowledge 9221/1 for SPM, KEC Miri, on 19.07.2008 by Ms Moey Yoke Lai - Methodist College, KL.

Please pray for the Kementerian Pelajaran so that maximum subject for SPM will be increased to 12 not 10, because if 10, the science stream student will not be able to take BK in the future.

May God Bless U.