Living Stones

In teaching theology to the students at KAA, one of the units we study is called ecclesiology - that is, the doctrine of the church. In this unit, we look at the various metaphors used in the Bible to describe the church (the people of God). One of these metaphors is found in 1 Peter 2:5, which I quoted in the welcome of this report. It says: “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Here, the church is described as being made up of people who are “living stones” built up into a “spiritual house.” This metaphor is particularly important as we apply it to the context of Christian education. As we seek to disciple students, we must understand that our goal is to help them grow into maturity so that they become an integral part of the church, just as individual stones are essential to a physical building of brick and mortar. This is true in the home as well.

Christ is the Cornerstone

Before laying the stones of a building, it is vital to examine the foundation. In the spiritual house that God is building, the foundation is the perfect living stone: Jesus Christ. Just before our key verse, Christ Himself is described as a living stone: “As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.” However, in the spiritual house of the kingdom of God, He is not merely one stone among many; He is the foundation of the entire house. This is reinforced in verse 6, where Isaiah is quoted: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” Christ is the cornerstone - the stone that is most critical to the structure. If the cornerstone is removed, the entire house crumbles. If Christ is not present in every aspect of discipleship (which we see as synonymous with education), then the entire endeavor will fall apart.

This truth is why one of the distinctive pillars of King Alfred Academy is that we are Christ-centered. At school and in the home, we must recognize the supremacy of Christ in all things. Christ needs to be central to every aspect of education. To achieve this, we must show how the truth that Christ is Lord translates into every sphere of life, including every academic subject. Without this foundation, we automatically fail in our mission and task of discipleship.

Students are Living Stones

Furthermore, our students - if they believe in Jesus - are also described as living stones. There are two aspects of this metaphor that I would like to highlight:

First, they are stones. Stones can be worked upon. Christians are called to sanctification. Our youngest students memorize sanctification as meaning “God making us holy in heart and conduct.” 1 Peter 1:15–16 says, “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Thessalonians 4:3–7 reminds us, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” Finally, 2 Corinthians 7:1 states, “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” Just as a physical stone is shaped over time, so too must the believer be formed. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Christians are described as “being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” It happens incrementally. Just as a stone block is slowly reshaped by chipping away what is unnecessary, the process of sanctification occurs as we grow in holiness and forsake sin.  

Second, they are living stones. The church is not made of inanimate blocks, but living ones. While we do our best—built upon the cornerstone of Christ—to train children in wisdom and virtue, we must remember that they are not mere projects; they are alive. When Peter uses this term, he is primarily referring to the reality that we are no longer dead in our trespasses and sins, but alive in Christ, who is the chief living stone. However, to apply this metaphor further: if the church is made of living stones, we must treat our students and children as human beings rather than cogs in a machine. They are not defined by numbers on a report card or the sum of their grades. Each student is made in the image of God with unique personalities, strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes. Classical Christian schools integrate this reality into the heart of the educational process. While routines, rules, and expectations remain essential, we recognize that we are in the business of soul formation just as much as - if not more than - knowledge acquisition. As we often say, the primary goal of education is wisdom and virtue, not merely grades or job readiness.

James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” If our goal is to guide students toward wisdom and virtue, we must go directly to the source. Prayer must be our starting point. We must pray for our students, asking the Lord to grant them wisdom from above. Additionally, because James commands Christians to ask for wisdom themselves, we must teach students to go to the Lord directly, learning to rely on Him first. At the same time, Proverbs 1:20 tells us that wisdom calls out to be found; thus, we must teach our students to actively seek it. We do this by helping them learn more about God and the human condition across every academic discipline.

Recognizing that we are teaching image-bearers of God also shapes how we cultivate virtue. 2 Peter 1:5-7 instructs, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” Virtue begins with faith and develops alongside knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. All of these attributes must be nurtured in our students. This occurs first through the modeling of parents and teachers as they continually point students to Christ, and second through direct instruction - especially through good literature that awakens the moral imagination.

In Christian education, we are helping to disciple a generation of living stones that comprise the spiritual house of the church. Like any building project, it requires time, dedication, and diligence. Ultimately, it is a privilege to steward this responsibility given by the Lord - a task far more significant and enduring than any physical construction. We have the honor of helping form eternal souls, and we bathe this endeavor in prayer as we move forward in faith.