Testimonies by our alumni who took Bible Knowledge for SPM in 2019
A Subject I Looked Forward To
I took Bible Knowledge on impulse. It was a decision I made on a whim and I found myself questioning time and time again why I made such a choice. Yet, deciding to take BK for SPM turned out to be the most rewarding decisions I had made in my school life.
It was an interesting subject – one that I found myself looking forward to weekly. Though the subject wasn’t easy, it wasn’t as challenging as I had expected either, and everything turned out fine with a bit of hard work.
In a way, I grew closer to my friends as we ‘suffered’ our way through the classes and I’ve learned a thing or two about myself along the way. Making it all the way to the National BK Quiz finals in KL was also an enriching experience. I’ve never been a religious person but I’d like to think that I got to know God a little more through these classes and how to live as a decent person.
It is my sincere hope that BK would continue to be taught as a SPM subject in the coming years for it is in all honesty a subject worth learning.
• Alison Lee Yeuh Chii (SPM BK 2019 A+)
Interesting Encounters with the Bible
As a BK student, I find BK a simple yet challenging subject to take. Last year when I was in Form Four, I was recommended by Mr Ben to take BK as an additional subject for SPM this year.
However, I put off the decision to take BK as I was worried that it would hinder my time to study for other subjects. Soon I found out that students who did not want to take BK had to attend religious education (RE) classes. RE is not as simple and easy as I thought, hence I changed my mind.
Since I took my first BK class with Mr Ben, I learnt a lot of things. BK covers the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. After progressive learning and memorising for the first few months, I realised that BK was not all about blindly memorising chunks of texts from the books. In fact, Mr Ben had made the class more interesting by sharing his encounters and videos about the Bible other than going through the texts.
I studied the ministries of Jesus in a deeper level and discovered interesting stories which I had never heard of. I got to learn about John the Baptist, the apostles, Paul, and many other biblical figures who had contributed to the growth of the Church.
Although I had to memorise two whole books, I believed I had made a wise decision to take this subject. All that I needed are hard work, perseverance, and passion. Because of this, I am thankful to God for guiding me to my present path. I am also proud to have participated in the 23th National BK Quiz this year and won the second runner up. If I had never chosen this path, I would have never had a great time with Mr Ben and my pals in KL during the Quiz.
• Alicia Lau (SPM BK 2019 A+)
Value Enriching
I believe Bible Knowledge is a rather beneficial subject for us students not only because it teaches us to understand the meaning of God’s Word but also the many values and principles that can be ingrained into our way of thinking.
For Christians, taking this subject is a chance for you, in a way, grow closer to God as well as better inform yourself with Holy Scripture.
For non-Christians, if you have no interest to learn of another God, you can enrich yourselves in the various lessons and moral values that are ever-present within these two books. I feel that many opinions and principles that I hold on to this day have been shaped and developed by this subject because of how much meaning can be derived from merely reading it on a frequent basis.
One lesson that has stuck me for the longest time which I learnt from this subject is that we all are equal in the eyes of God. Throughout both Luke and Acts, we see that all are welcome to be considered a “Child of God” no matter what race, gender or socioeconomic background we hail from. This value is especially important to us Malaysians as we live in a multiracial and multicultural country.
Therefore, in a way, by taking up Bible Knowledge, we may learn to be more understanding and inclusive of other people despite our cultural and ideological differences. I highly encourage each and everyone of you to take up Bible Knowledge for SPM as there is so much to obtain just from studying this subject. Moreover, I think it is essential that all Christians take this subject in order to keep it alive year upon year as an elective for all Malaysian students.
• Benjamin Tiong (SPM BK 2019 B+)
God’s Mission and Grace
When I decided to take Bible Knowledge as an elective subject for SPM, I knew that it was not an easy subject to score. However, as I continued to study deeper into the two books, I realised how deprived I was in knowing my faith. Taking Bible Knowledge in SPM provided me a foundation in my belief by allowing me to understand more about God’s grace.
During the past few months, I could say that it was never easy. This was when the BK students needed to face the opinions of other people who did not understand them. When everyone was celebrating the end of exams or focusing on one particular subject, we needed to take our BK and study it again and again!
However, I will never forget the encouragement I received from my parents and teacher, Mr Ben. When I finished BK paper, my heart was full of joy and peace. It was not because the paper was easy but because I have accomplished the mission as a child of God. This is the only paper that made me closer to God and it was a way for me to build a relationship with Him.
Lastly, don’t drop this subject just because it’s hard to score and don’t feel discouraged when you do not receive the grade that you want, because what you have gained along the journey is more than the grade. Above all, never give up!
• Faith Sim (SPM BK 2019 A-)
Push Yourself More
I took Bible Knowledge as a SPM subject because I wanted to take the opportunity to take my knowledge of Christianity to the next level by sitting for an exam for it. People will say to me, “It’s a tough subject to get an A” or “Don’t test your faith like this”. Honestly, this subject can be easy if you have faith towards it and if I don’t test myself now, then how am I suppose to know whether I have what it takes to be a Christian? Anyway, BK class is a great start to know and understand in-depth Christ’s teachings. With a great and funny teacher like Mr Ben, it just makes the class environment more enjoyable and effective to study. What I learned from this class is that one should study and understand the meaning behind the events in the Gospel instead of just memorising them. When you truly understand them, you can remember them better and apply those values in one’s life.
• Jeremiah Yii (SPM BK 2019 A+)
God’s Word – Breather
Despite seniors telling me that BK is hard, I took up BK as a subject because to me, BK class was like a breather between hectic timetables. It was the only time when I get to sit back and listen to interesting stories. For me, it is not only the stories that are meaningful, but it is the message behind every parable, together with Mr Ben’s reflection – those are the things that I will never forget for the rest of my life. I never regretted taking up BK because after reading God’s Word, it actually calms me down and help me to be more focus in my studies. The skills that I’ve mastered from this subject have helped me to excel in others too. But most importantly, what I’ve learnt from all the lessons was that everything in life is temporary, they will pass away, but only the Word of God that is my anchor in stormy seas and the thing that I will hold onto forever. So, for you juniors still doubting whether BK is a waste of time or for those who are still uncertain of your ability to remember the text, do remember Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
• Joshua Su (SPM BK 2019 A+)
Encounter God personally through the Bible
BK for everyone else it’s just like any other subject in SPM. However, only those who took up BK really know what it means to study the Word of God. Personally, BK has really helped me in my walk of faith. It’s not just about the knowledge or studying to score high marks in exams but it’s also about your own personal relationship with God. There was an occasion when I was praying for something and the verse just suddenly appear in my mind saying like, ‘If the widow gets what she wants from the judge, how much more will God provide for his sons and daughters’. This is only one of the occasions when I encounter God through BK. Study BK not because you love Mr Ben but because you love God :).
• Andrew Lau Sau Ong (SPM BK 2019 A)
It grew on me
I still remember when I was still in Form 3, I used to despise BK because I was forced to swallow and learn by heart chunks of scriptures without any viable reasons. But one of the main reasons I chose to continue taking up BK for SPM is because of my interest in the subject and how the subject grew on me over time. Some of the things in the two books really stood out to me like how the teachings emphasize a lot of aspects in our life – happiness, dependence on God’s providence, helping the poor, etc. I started to take an interest in the things that I was learning by heart and chose to persist on.
Another reason was because of Mr Ben and how he made the class more enriching and purposeful by including lessons on theology and current issues. He frequently held discussions on the topics and had us reflect on important values that we really should exhibit in our lives and most of the things he said really strike me a lot.
Lastly, taking up BK has also enabled me to go to competitions and I think these opportunities are really crucial for us to gain experience and they shape who we are in the long run.
• Michael Hii (SPM BK 2019 A+)
Stories – Life Lessons
I took up Bible Knowledge because I would like to know more about history. Bible is just like a story for me which I find it quite interesting and I find joy in learning about the life of Jesus and the apostles. Through studying bible, I learnt a lot of life lessons and I strongly believe that those lessons are applicable in our daily lives even if they are from 2000 years ago. It is undeniable that studying Bible had shaped me into a better person and a motivation for me to consistently read the Bible. Therefore, I strongly encourage all of you to take Bible Knowledge as an SPM subject. Don’t be afraid to lose an A because of BK. You will never know how far you can GO if you never try.
• Michelle Then (SPM BK 2019 A)
Benefit and Beauty of God’s Word
I truly believe that taking BK paper benefits us in our lives. It’s not about the grades that matters, but the closer relationship to God and His Word. If you can’t find time to get closer with God in your daily life, by all means take this subject and you will find the beauty of God through His teachings.
• Samuel Chin (SPM BK 2019 A-)
