Core Values: Evangelical Unity

The five core values of CIU are literally written on stones at our campus: Authority of Scripture, Victorious Christian Living, World Evangelization, Prayer & Faith and Evangelical Unity.

We also inscribe these values upon our hearts. Our faculty, administration and staff all commit to the solid foundation that was laid in 1923.

Come to CIU and you will strive for academic excellence with the Bible at the core of all learning. You also will practice skills related to personal and vocational goals in the community away from the classroom.

Our students can trust us to ensure that their CIU experience will always be fully formed and informed by these five bedrock values:

Evangelical Unity

Evangelical unity means accepting other Christians of evangelical conviction, regardless of denominational or theological affinity, for purposes of fellowship, encouragement, edification and ministry.

Letters for Today: Colossians 1

The Background of the Letter

Paul (Col. 1:1) wrote to the church in Colossae, although he had never met them (Col. 2:1). As a result of Paul’s extended ministry in Ephesus on his third round of missionary travels (Acts 19:10), Epaphras became a follower of Jesus and returned to his home in the Lycus Valley, about 100 miles east of Ephesus, where he planted congregations in Colossae and the nearby cities of Hierapolis and Laodicea (Col. 1:7-8; 4:12-13).

When false teaching arose in the church, Epaphras traveled to Rome, where Paul was under house arrest (Acts 28:30), to inform his of events in Colossae (Col. 1:7-8). The so-called “Colossian heresy” was a syncretistic combination of several religious systems. The teaching included elements of Jewish legalism (Col. 2:16-17), Oriental mysticism (Col. 2:18-19), and Greek asceticism (Col. 2:20-23). As a result, it distracted the Colossians from the person of Christ.  The false teaching did not deny Christ, but it dethroned him. It gave Christ a place, but not the supreme place. It made him prominent, but not pre-eminent.

The Purpose and Theme of the Letter

In response to the news Epaphras delivered, Paul wrote a letter to the Colossians (c. A.D. 61-62) in which he proclaimed their completeness in Christ (Col. 2:9-10) and expressed his personal concern for the young congregation (Col. 2:1-5; 4:10-17).

The Opening of the Letter (Col. 1:1-14)

After a salutation (Col. 1:1-2) and a thanksgiving section (Col. 1:3-8), Paul describes his prayers for the Colossians (Col. 1:9-14). Those prayers include his request that the Colossians might be filled with a knowledge of God’s will (Col. 1:9a). The means for knowing God’s will are provided by the Holy Spirit (Col. 1:9b). The purpose of knowing God’s will is that they might work in a manner worthy of Christ (Col. 1:10a). The results of knowing God’s will be seen in their conduct, their relationship with God, their character, and their attitude (Col. 1:10b-12).

The Pre-eminence of Christ (Col. 1:15-23)

The heart of Chapter 1 is Paul’s discussion of Christ’s pre-eminence. The Colossians were in danger of putting other things ahead of Jesus, and Paul wanted to remind them that Jesus is absolutely supreme over all things. He incorporates what many scholars consider to be an early “hymn” about Christ (Col. 1:15-20) and, then, applies that teaching to his readers (Col. 1:21-23). In doing so, he sets out three truths.

Truth #1: Jesus is pre-eminent in creation (1:15-17).

·         Paul makes two claims for Christ (1:15).

o   “He is the image of the invisible God.”

o   “He is the firstborn over all creation.”

·         He supports those claims (“for . . .”) with credentials (1:16-17).

o   “All things were created through him.”

o   “In him all things hold together.”

Truth #2: Jesus is pre-eminent in the church (1:18-20).

·         Paul makes two further claims for Christ (1:18).

o   “He is the head of the body.”

o   “He is the firstborn from the dead.”

·         He supports those claims (“for . . .”) with credentials (1:19-20).

o   “All fullness dwells in him.”

o   “All things are reconciled through him.”

Truth #3: Jesus should be pre-eminent in the lives of the Colossians (1:21-23).

·         They were alienated from and hostile to God (1:21), but Jesus reconciled them and presented them holy and blameless to him (1:22). Doing so brought them into the church, where Jesus is pre-eminent (cf. 1:18-20).

·         They should, therefore, continue in the teaching they had received in the preaching of the gospel (1:23). They should not be distracted by false teaching suggesting that they need something in addition to what they already possess in Christ. 

Does Christ have a rival for your attention and affection? Is he truly pre-eminent in your life, or is he simply prominent? To give him prominence instead of pre-eminence is to de-throne him. Paul’s point is . . . We must make Jesus pre-eminent, not simply prominent.

Getting Personal

Take some time to read though Colossians 1:1-24. Then, reflect on how you would answer the following questions.

1.      When was the last time you told another member of God’s family why you were thankful for him or her (1:1-8)?

2.      What would it look like in your life if you were consistently walking in a manner worthy of Christ (1:9-14)?

3.      Why should it be important for your daily life that Christ is pre-eminent in creation (1:15-17)?

4.      Why should it be important for your daily life that Christ is pre-eminent in the church (1:18-20)?

5.      How should remembering what Christ has done for you encourage you to continue living faithfully for him (1:21-23)?

Core Values: Prayer and Faith

The five core values of CIU are literally written on stones at our campus: Authority of Scripture, Victorious Christian Living, World Evangelization, Prayer & Faith and Evangelical Unity.

We also inscribe these values upon our hearts. Our faculty, administration and staff all commit to the solid foundation that was laid in 1923.

Come to CIU and you will strive for academic excellence with the Bible at the core of all learning. You also will practice skills related to personal and vocational goals in the community away from the classroom.

Our students can trust us to ensure that their CIU experience will always be fully formed and informed by these five bedrock values:

The CIU community seeks joyful reliance upon God for material provision, victory over sin, growth in Christlikeness, and fruitfulness in ministry. Our relationship with Him is expressed in daily prayers of a loving and needy heart.

Core Values: World Evangelization

The five core values of CIU are literally written on stones at our campus: Authority of Scripture, Victorious Christian Living, World Evangelization, Prayer & Faith and Evangelical Unity.

We also inscribe these values upon our hearts. Our faculty, administration and staff all commit to the solid foundation that was laid in 1923.

Come to CIU and you will strive for academic excellence with the Bible at the core of all learning. You also will practice skills related to personal and vocational goals in the community away from the classroom.

Our students can trust us to ensure that their CIU experience will always be fully formed and informed by these five bedrock values:

"For God so loved the world He gave..." We prepare each student to have an impact as part of the "missions team," whether in a "sending church" or as one sent. The Holy Spirit dispenses blessings and works through us so that we are a blessing ourselves

Dean's Devos: Loving Like Jesus Loved, Part 4

by Dr. John Harvey

In John 13:34-35, Jesus give his disciples (and us) a new commandment:

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (NLT)

When we focus on “loving like Jesus loved,” John 13:1-17 teaches us five lessons about the way he loved:

Lesson #1: 

Jesus loved “to the end” (13:1).

“Jesus . . . having loved his own . . . he loved them to the end.”

There are a two possible understandings of “to the end”—to the full extent of his love or to the very end of his life. Perhaps John had both in mind. The point is that Jesus’ love never failed, and it never faded. He never stopped loving “his own,” and he always gave them the very best he had. Can we say the same about the way we love one another?

Alumni Spotlight: Kathi Small (MA Bible, 1996)

After graduating from CIU, Kathi returned to Venezuela and served a total of 10 years. She then served in Perú for 11 years. Now, Kathi lives in Guatemala City and teaches at SETECA (Central American Theological Seminary).

"My seminary degree allows me to teach on the seminary level. I continue to grow in my knowledge and application of what I learned at CIU. Though not due to my degree, I developed friendships that will last a lifetime."

Core Values: Victorious Christian Living

The five core values of CIU are literally written on stones at our campus: Authority of Scripture, Victorious Christian Living, World Evangelization, Prayer & Faith and Evangelical Unity.

We also inscribe these values upon our hearts. Our faculty, administration and staff all commit to the solid foundation that was laid in 1923.

Come to CIU and you will strive for academic excellence with the Bible at the core of all learning. You also will practice skills related to personal and vocational goals in the community away from the classroom.

Our students can trust us to ensure that their CIU experience will always be fully formed and informed by these five bedrock values.

Victory in Christ comes to those who yield humbly to the Holy Spirit who makes us more like Him in our daily lives.

Dean's Devos: Loving Like Jesus Loved, Part 3

by Dr. John Harvey

In John 13:34-35, Jesus give his disciples (and us) a new commandment:

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (NLT)

Jesus says this commandment is “new” commandment, and the Greek word (καινός) means “new of a different kind.” How is this commandment different from the “great” commandment to love God (Deut. 6:5) and the “royal” commandment to love our neighbor (Jas. 2:8)?

Jesus’ commandment is new, because it carries new significance:

“Your love . . . will prove . . . that you are my disciples.”

Jesus says that loving our brothers and sisters in Christ is the strongest apologetic for Christianity that we can offer. Just as Jesus’ life demonstrated that the Father had sent him, so our love for one another demonstrates that Jesus has sent us.

Alumni Spotlight: Edward Canyes (MA, 2012)

Since I graduated in May of 2012 I worked on staff at my home church in Lexington South Carolina. I oversaw small groups and kids clubs. I helped to recruit and train over 70 volunteers for the kids clubs. I also led the small group leaders (about 50ish) and their well-being and equipping.
I resigned from that position in July of 2015. 

January 2019 I was asked to join a leadership group to start kids clubs in South Florida. Since January 2019 the leadership group has grown and the leadership raised enough money for two full-time employees and we launched October 1st 2019. 

The basic model of Game Day ministry is a triangular relationship between game day, the local church and the local elementary school to conduct kids clubs and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was tasked with writing the first business model as well as a ministry model and the process in which the ministry got started. We had several very intelligent people speak into this whole ministry venture. During this time I realized the absolute necessity for ministry leaders to have some kind of business knowledge or background. I was fortunate enough to be a part of a family that was business orientated so I learned a lot of the things that I used for the business model from my own personal knowledge.

The ministry model was based on many principles I learned from leadership training at CIU. Between CIU and the global leadership summit gave me a great base to start this ministry venture. As of March 1st 2020 we have 15 partner churches and about 10 schools that we are in direct communication with on a weekly basis. We are starting three clubs by the end of March possibly a fourth in April. This fall we're looking to launch between 10 and 15 clubs based on all the relationships that we've been building over the last several months. Many of the schools were unable to accommodate us this year but next school year there will be many opportunities. God has been absolutely amazing in this venture. He has continued to bring people to the ministry lead us, convict us, and grow us as people and as ministry leaders. It is an absolute joy to go to work each day just waiting and seeing what God has in store for that day! Game Day is everyday! 

My degree through CIU has helped me in many different aspects. The majority of the leadership principles that I learned I have applied on a weekly if not daily basis. All of the small group training and equipping at CIU has helped me with small group development when I worked on staff in Lexington, SC and helped me to grow the small group ministry. The necessity of taking care of the small group leaders so they can take care of the body of Christ was essential. Going deep with their understanding and knowledge and equipping and then going wide with the opportunity to duplicate small groups was an absolute essential ingredient that I used and learned that from CIU.
The current ministry opportunity that God has me connected with now I use most if not all of the leadership principles that I learned at CIU and the global leadership summit. I was honored to be a part of three global leadership summits while I was at CIU. CIU has equipped me well for the ministry that I have been a part of since I graduated. 

Faculty Focus: Dr. Michael W. Langston, Professor of Chaplain Ministries

B.S., University of Louisiana; M.A., The Naval War College; M.Div., Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; D. Min., Bethel Theological Seminary; Ph.D. University of Aberdeen
Dr. Langston joined the faculty of CIU’s Seminary & School of Ministry in 2011 and has taught Chaplain Ministries from that date until the present. Before coming to Columbia, he served as pastor of a congregation in North Carolina, law enforcement chaplain, and United States Navy chaplain. He is also a graduate of the Naval War College. He is ordained and endorsed through the Southern Baptist Convention.