CIU continues explosive growth: enrollment up in spring semester

CIU President Dr. Mark Smith chats with students at the spring semester welcome event in the Student Center.

Columbia International University is celebrating another great semester of enrollment. Total enrollment in the spring semester now stands at 1,718 students; that’s up 42% compared to a year ago. More specifically the increase includes:

• 744 total undergraduate students (includes online), up 30% compared to a year ago.
• 974 total graduate students (includes online), up 55% compared to a year ago.

In online students alone, enrollment is up 89% compared to a year ago.

CIU President Dr. Mark Smith contributes the increase to “a lot of hard work” among a number of university departments and their staff members, but adds that “most of all, this is the result of God working in hearts and lives. He gets all the glory!”

Columbia International University consistently ranks among the Top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report. As enrollment grows, so does the number of new academic programs such as the Master of Arts in Global Migration. Request information on enrollment at CIU and Columbia Biblical Seminary or call (800) 777-2227, ext. 5024.

Dean's Devos: Series: All Things New (part 1) Ephesians 1:3-14 – Blessed from Beginning to End

by Dr. John Harvey

Paul says that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. We’re going to focus on four of those special new blessings.

Before there was time, God chose us in Christ (1:4-6).

What’s important here are the two modifiers: (1) before the foundation of the world” and (2) “according to the good pleasure of his will.” You see, before history existed, God chose us in Christ. Further, he did it because it made him happy to do so. He also did it for a specific purpose: “that we should be holy and blameless”—so that we could have fellowship with him.

Perhaps you feel as though no one loves you or cares about you. If that’s how you feel, I have good news for you. God cared about you enough to send his son to make it possible for you to be holy and blameless before him. Surely, that’s a reason to celebrate.

In the fullness of time, God redeemed us in Christ (1:7-10).

The biblical concept of redemption is “to secure release by paying a price.” That’s what Jesus did: he paid the price for our sins so that we are released to serve God. Why did God do it? It made him happy (v.9). What did it cost him? Jesus’ death on the cross (v.7; cf. 1 Pet 1:18-19). What was the result? Forgiveness of our sins (v.7; cf. Rom 8:1).

Perhaps you feel as though God could never be interested in you—your past is nasty and your present is messy. If that’s how you feel, I have good news for you. You are worth enough to God that he sent his son to pay a price you could never pay. Surely, that’s a reason to celebrate.

At just the right time, God claimed us in Christ (1:11-12).

English versions translate verse 11 in different ways, But the idea of the verb is “to claim as a possession.” So, a good translation would be “We were claimed as God’s possession” (cf. 1 Pet 2:10-11). Paul goes on to tell us that God had it all planned in advance. That means his timing is perfect.

Perhaps you feel as though you have no purpose or life has no point. If that’s how you feel, I have good news for you. God does love you, and he does have a wonderful plan for your life. There’s a reason he claimed you, and he will make it clear in his timing. Surely, that’s a reason to celebrate.

For all time, God sealed us in Christ (1:13-14).

It wasn’t enough for God to choose us, redeem us, and claim us. He also sealed us with the Holy Spirit of promise. The verb “to seal” carries the idea of “to mark with a sign of legal guarantee and possession.” For us, that seal is the Holy Spirit. In fact, Paul calls him “the Holy Spirit of promise.” Why? Because the Holy Spirit is the “down payment” on our future glorification.

Perhaps you feel uncertain about the future, or are troubled by doubts. Here’s my advice: Don’t call a psychic hotline or read the Wall Street Journal. Read Paul! He tells you that your future is guaranteed for all time. Surely, that’s a reason to celebrate.

Jesus gives us new blessings to celebrate.

The big picture is that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Specifically, he chose us, he redeemed us, he claimed us, and he sealed us. Surely, that’s a reason to celebrate!

Chapel This Week: January 28-30

Listen to these and other Chapel messages

Alumni Spotlight: Marlo D. Brayboy

Marlo graduated with his Master of Arts in Ministry Studies in 2019.

"I was led to CIU because of God's guidance. I was praying one morning, asking God for direction in my life. I conducted a Google search of Bible schools in Columbia, and I found CIU. Later that same day, the pastor from the church I grew up in called my mom. He gave her a message that she passed on to me, saying, "tell Marlo to go to the school on Monticello." Mind you, he and my mother did not know I was searching for a college earlier that morning. I told my mom to call him back because I did not know school was on Monticello. I Google searched colleges on Monticello, and CIU came up. Seconds later, my phone rang, and my mom said CIU.

CIU has been a great experience. I gained a ton of insight from the professors. I had and currently have the opportunity to sit under professors who love Jesus with all of their hearts. I was able to establish friendships with them and have maintained contact. The chapels were an excellent opportunity to worship with fellow followers of Christ. Many dynamic speakers spoke in chapel and encouraged me to a higher calling. CIU has genuinely been a blessing to me, and I am grateful that God directed me to this remarkable University."

Scholarship Fund

As CIU grows, your dean is always on mission to educate students from a biblical worldview to impact the nations with the message of Christ. Watch and listen as Dr. John Harvey personally shares how programs have changed over the last couple of years.

If you feel led to support your dean, consider giving to the school-specific scholarship fund. Dr. Harvey will award these funds DIRECTLY to students in their program who are in need!

This week at CIU

CIU professor tackles “Urban Legends of the Old Testament”

Dr. David Croteau

A new book by Columbia International University Professor Dr. David Croteau surveys 40 of the most commonly misinterpreted passages in the Old Testament. “Urban Legends of the Old Testament” is designed to help Christians avoid missteps in the interpretation of key biblical texts while modeling interpretive techniques that can also be applied to other Old Testament passages. The book is published by B&H Academic and co-authored with Dr. Gary Yates of Liberty University. It’s a follow-up to Croteau’s 2015 book “Urban Legends of the New Testament.”

Croteau discusses “Urban Legends of the Old Testament in this Q&A:

How are you defining an “urban legend” in your book?

An urban legend is a commonly circulated myth that is not true, but repeated throughout the culture as common knowledge.

Which of these legends do you think will most likely take readers by surprise?

God Has Promised You a Bright and Prosperous Future (Jeremiah 29:11). For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Bible Gateway reported that between 2012 and 2015, Jeremiah 29:11 was the second most searched Bible verse on its website. Some Christians believe that this verse promises personal prosperity or that it guarantees that all the circumstances in their lives will have a positive outcome. What if they go through hard circumstances that don’t turn out well? They could easily be deluded into thinking that God failed in His promise. That’s why misinterpreting this verse is a serious concern.

Which of the urban legends do you think could be detrimental to the church?

Christians Should Never Question the Authority of Church Leaders (1 Samuel 24-26) “touch not the Lord’s anointed.”

Some church leaders have misused this concept to teach that they should never be questioned. This is unhealthy. No church leader is perfect. None is perfectly wise. All have weaknesses. Church leaders who believe they are above being questioned might be revealing that they are power hungry. The church needs leaders who are servant-minded, not threatened by questions.

Would you consider belief in any of these urban legends heresy?

I think the one that comes closest to heresy is Old Testament Saints Were Saved by Keeping the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 18:5).

Salvation has always been by grace through faith. From Abraham in Genesis 15:6 to today, this is clear. In fact, this was the linchpin to Paul’s argument in Galatians 3, particularly 3:6-7. So believing that Old Testament saints were saved by their works undermines the gospel itself (see Galatians 1:6-8).

Is there a prevailing flaw in these legends?

The most common issue is not carefully paying attention to context. While sometimes, the literary context is the issue, many times, the historical and cultural context is the issue. Of course, other causes include a misunderstanding of Hebrew or how to interpret certain Old Testament literary genres.

What do you hope is the ultimate benefit to those who read your book?

First, I hope that the book creates a greater interest in the study of the Old Testament. Paul writes, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV). The phrase “all Scripture” includes, and probably primarily refers to, the Old Testament. Too many Christians neglect to study it and some are intimidated by it. Secondly, I hope that by carefully reading this book, they can learn sound principles for interpreting Scripture and begin applying them in their reading of the Old Testament.

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Dean's Post: "Looking for Something Better"

by Dr. John Harvey

The beginning of a New Year tends to be the season when we are all looking forward to the coming year and hoping that it will be better than the past year. In the spiritual realm, that practice of looking for something better is actually what faith is all about. Hebrews 11:13-16 reminds us that the heroes of faith all looked beyond the present to something better.

They adopted a heavenly perspective (11:14-16a). “They desired a better country, that is a heavenly one.”

The characteristic that all the heroes of Hebrews 11 had in common was that they were seeking a homeland (v.14). What made them different was their willingness to leave one “home” in order to look for another (v.15). They were willing to keep moving because they were longing for something better—a heavenly home (v.16a).

By adopting a heavenly perspective, they embraced their pilgrim status (11:13). “[They] confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”

They developed and maintained their heavenly perspective by taking three steps. First, they “saw” God’s promises with eyes of faith. Second, the “welcomed” those promises with hearts of faith. Third, they “confessed” who they were: “strangers and aliens on the earth.” Their confession was a response of faith.

When they embraced their pilgrim status, they received divine approval (11:16b). “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.”

It is possible to state positively what the author writes as “God was proud to be called their God. Why was God proud of them? Because he could see what they could not. He could already see the city John saw in Revelation 21:10-27, and he was proud that they were looking for it even though they could not yet see it.

At the beginning of this New Year, are you looking for something better? Will you adopt a heavenly perspective? Will you embrace your pilgrim status? Will you make God proud that you call him your God? Will you focus on his promises—seeing them with eyes of faith, welcoming them with a heart of faith, and responding to them with a confession of faith?