Mooresville Christian Academy

At Mooresville Christian Academy our mission is to provide Christ-centered grammar and secondary academic instruction to partner with parents in their charge to train and educate their children. We aim to equip students with a Biblical worldview and the academic tools they need to become leaders in the Kingdom of God in this generation.

Classifications of Man

The Bible describes man in four (4) distinctive types: the wise, the simple, the fool, and the scorner. The process of discipline involves "putting off" the negative character qualities, and "putting on" the positive Christ-like character. Out ultimate goal at MCA is to develop students who are wise, ones who see life from God's point of view.

In an effort to deal with each student in the way that is most helpful to him or her, we base our approach to discipline on the four types of persons described in scripture. These classifications should be used as tools and not labels. The Bible has clear instructions about how to correct each type of man in order to get the best response.

Christian education is not just Christian teachers teaching with biblically principled methods and with biblically principled content. It is an encouraging atmosphere that is conducive to growth. Certain attitudes in students can negatively affect a class, a grade, an entire school, and even a teacher's spirit and attitude about teaching.

The following are descriptions of the biblical classifications of man and how they should be dealt with in disciplinary situations:

Wise: (Proverbs--see verses below)
12:15;19:20,27--listens to advice
12:16--overlooks insults
12:18--is not reckless with words
12:23--speaks discreetly and cautiously
13:3--doesn't speak rashly
13:10--listens to advice
13:16--acts out of knowledge
13:20--chooses wise companions
14:8--gives careful thought to his ways
14:13--looks beyond surface emotions
14:15--carefully weighs what he is told
14:16--is not hot-headed
14:23--works out his plans
14:29--is patient
15:1--gives gentle answers to the furious
15:18--calms quarrels with patience
15:22--seeks other's advice
15:23--looks for opportunities to give an apt reply
16:3--commits plans to the Lord
16:9--realizes the Lord sets His own timetables for your plans
16:16--seeks after wisdom and understanding
16:32--is patient
17:27--uses words of restraint
18:2--does not push his own opinions
18:9--is not slack to his work
18:13--listens before answering
18:17--is careful to get both sides of a story before making a decision
19:2--does not have zeal with knowledge
20:3--avoids strife
20:18--seeks advice
21:23--guards his mouth and tongue
21:30--realizes no wisdom, no insight, no plan can succeed unless it is with the Lord
24:23;28:21--does not show partiality in judgment
24:26--gives honest answers
25:11--chooses words carefully
27:2--does not praise himself
28:2--maintains order
28:5--understands justice
28:23--does not flatter
29:11--controls himself
29:20--does not speak in haste

Simple:
He is very gullible and easily deceived by false teaching. He doesn't foresee evil ahead. He just goes along, enjoying his simple-mindedness. The Word of God is able to make him wise; therefore, he will benefit from project involving a study of the scriptures. He looks up to the scorner; therefore, it is essential that he see judgment fall upon the scorners. This will help to give him wisdom. If he isn't helped, he will become a fool. (Proverbs 14:18)
* He follows others. (The simple believeth every word. Proverbs 14:15; Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware. Proverbs 19:25; When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise. Proverbs 21:11)
* He does not foresee consequences. (The prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on and are punished. Proverbs 22:3)
* He is gullible, believing everything he hears. (The simple believeth every word. Proverbs 14:15)
* He takes someone else's punishment seriously. He would not be likely to laugh at someone else's punishment. (Smith a scorner, and the simple will beware. Proverbs 19:25)
* He can respond positively to the Word of God. (The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Proverbs 19:7; The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. Psalm 119:130)

Fool:
The fool is either an unbeliever or totally void of spiritual understanding. He doesn't see anything wrong with what he is doing, and enjoys getting into mischief. He should not be allowed to get away with his foolishness. The rod is suggested to correct the fool, but for our purposes some other form of physical punishment such as janitorial duties will suffice.
* He doesn't believe in God. (The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. Psalm 14:1)
* He hides his hatred. (He that hideth hatred with lying lips...is a fool. Proverbs 10:18)
* He enjoys mischief. (It is as sport to a fool to do mischief. Proverbs 10:23)
* He thinks what he is doing is right. (The way of a fool is right in his own eyes. Proverbs 12:15)
* He is a grief and sorrow to his parents. (A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bore him. Proverbs 17:25; A foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. Proverbs 10:1; A foolish son is the calamity of his father. Proverbs 19:13)
* He does not respect his mother; this may carry over to his teachers. (A foolish man despiseth his mother. Proverbs 15:20)
* He has no use for his father's instructions. (A fool despiseth his father's instructions. Proverbs 15:20)
* He may give false reports to hurt someone else's reputation. (He that uttereth slander is a fool. Proverbs 10:18)
* He does not understand God's ways. (O Lord, how great are thy works! And thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand. Psalm 91:5-6)
* He lets everyone know all of his foolish thoughts. (...A fool layeth open his folly. Proverbs 13:16; A fool uttereth all his mind, but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward. Proverbs 29:11)
* He does not flee temptation. (A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil, but the fool rageth and is confident. Proverbs 14:16)
* He may try to reform, but keeps going back to his foolishness. (As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. Proverbs 26:11)
* When he gets what he wants, it only confirms him in his foolishness. (The earth is disquieted when a fool is filled with meat. Proverbs 30:21,22)
* He tends to meddle in other people's affairs. (It is an honor for a man to cease from strife; but every fool will be meddling. Proverbs 20:3)
* He does not respond to counsel. (The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7; ...Fools hate knowledge. Proverbs 1:22)
* He has a quick temper. (A fool's wrath is presently known. Proverbs 12:16)

Scorner
The scorner shows open contempt, disdain, mockery, or derision for authority. He does not respond positively to correction. He does not follow through with instructions and guidelines that have been given to him. He is uncooperative and unwilling to change. He influences others to do evil. He seeks to find his own answers to his problems and will not follow biblical principles. Scorners who refuse to make required changes in behavior must be removed, according to biblical wisdom. Their defiance, arrogance, and pride affect the atmosphere of the whole school.
* He enjoyes scorning or scoffing. (...The scorners delight in their scorning. Proverbs 1:22)
* He dislikes those who reprove him. (A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him. Proverbs15:12)
* He won't listen to rebuke. (A wise son heareth his father's instruction; but a scorner heareth not rebuke. Proverbs 13:1)
* He heads others into trouble. (Scornful men bring a city into a snare. Proverbs 29:8)
* He causes contention, strife, and reproach. (Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease. Proverbs 22:10)
* He is disgusting and vile. (...The scorner is an abomination to man. Proverbs 24:9)

Objections (with very brief answers) to Dealing in This Direct Manner with Students with Attitude Problems
1. Isn't this judging? Doesn't Jesus condemn such a judgmental posture on our part? (Matthew 7:1; John 7:24) Yes, it is judging. Jesus doesn't condemn judging, but hypocritical and precipitous judgment.
2. Isn't it our responsibility to minister to these students? This approach to students with attitude problems just helps us, but we miss the opportunity to help these young people. Doesn't love mean we should be willing to endure hardship, long suffering, and mistreatment? Aren't we really sacrificing these students for our own comfort level? Love and discipline are not enemies in the Bible (Hebrews 11:4; Proverbs 13:24). Indulging students, such as Eli did with his sons, is the unkindest form of "love." God commands us to hold young people accountable who have attitude problems--always in a spirit of love and longsuffering. A sacrifice is being made for sure. The group, the glory of God, and the scorner himself will be sacrificed for the benefit of the scorner or the scorner for the benefit of himself, others, and the glory of God. A sacrifice is being made either way.
3. Aren't we saying, by putting these students out of our school, that God's resources aren't sufficient for helping these students change? Aren't we saying that prayer really doesn't work? No. Young people make their own decisions. The Bible holds them accountable for their choices. They are real. Is the gospel powerless because some refuse to believe it? Unresponsiveness by young people is grieving to and Christian educator seeking the hearts of his students. But taking biblically responsible action is, in fact, the very thing, like prayer, that God may use to break the hearts of these people.
4. What about the damage we do to these students' self-esteem? Aren't we contributing to their problems? Shouldn't we be encouraging these people instead of discouraging them? Self-esteem is truly a problem to be addressed. These young people listen to no one's counsel, take no rebuke willingly, accept no loving correction, and submit humbly to no one's counsel. Their esteem for themselves is so great that they have virtually no authority in their lives to whom they listen but themselves. Biblical hope is what they are missing, not self-esteem. Self-esteem gets them looking inward. Hope gets them looking outward--to Christ and His resources. Humility is what is needed.
5. What lesson are we teaching about forgiveness in the Christian community if we put these students out? The point of putting young people out isn't to teach about forgiveness at all. If it comes to that, the point is to teach about accountability for ungodly, destructive choices. The attitudes that the community has while going through the discipline process will be important, but the likelihood is that no actions or attitudes by the school personnel will be received well by the scorner. His character is that he will not hear or respond well to any kind of rebuke or correction.
6. Dealing with this problem this way is ignoring reality. We live in a sinful world. Heaven is still in the future. This approach seems to forget that we need to be willing to serve in a fallen world. No. We are serving in a falled world by holding fallen people accountable for their behavior and choices. That is reality. To ignore God's instructions, which were given for people living in a fallen world, is to live in a self-made, sentimental fantasyland.

By using these biblical standards concerning the wise, the simple, the foolish, and the scorner as we seek at MCA to shepherd our students, we hope to experience an absence of the scorner and his effects as well as the presence of an atmosphere that encourages righteousness and glorifies God.