Bible Knowledge (BK) as an SPM subject?

By St Joseph’s Family of Schools (SJFS)

KUCHING — Bible Knowledge (BK) as an SPM subject? This question has been asked by many students, and the graduates of St Joseph’s Private Secondary School (SJPSS) have shared their enlightening testimonies about their BK journey.

In the graduating class of 2022 at SJPSS, there were 63 candidates who took Bible Knowledge as a subject for their SPM examination. Among these students, an impressive 76.2 percent achieved grades A and B and 52.4 percent securing the top grade of A, showcases the effectiveness of the school’s BK program. The commitment of the teachers, coupled with the dedication of the students, has undoubtedly contributed to this outstanding achievement.

So, should you take Bible Knowledge as an SPM subject? The resounding answer from the graduates of SJPSS is a definite “yes”.

Beyond the academic rewards, BK provides a unique opportunity to explore spirituality, deepen faith, and gain valuable life lessons. The testimonies of these graduates exemplify the profound impact studying Bible Knowledge can have on one’s personal and intellectual development.

Testimonies from Year-2022 graduates

For me, Bible Knowledge (BK) is a story-like subject which makes it a much more enjoyable subject to learn. If you are a person who loves reading, BK is definitely a subject for you. To score well in this subject, you will need to consistently push yourselves to read the book. As you are reading, take note of the people, places and events that took place. Last but not least, do a lot of past year questions as the questions are quite repetitive, only structured in a different way. All the best in your SPM examination 🙂 – Leonard Wong Yu Rui (A+)

Taking Bible Knowledge is one of the decisions I made as a 16 year old that I will never regret. Be it reading our two thick books full of words or getting reprimanded because we had forgotten about our reading for the class, taking BK taught me that painful processes can teach us a lot and are definitely rewarding if we try our best. I am so grateful that I took Bible Knowledge. The subject itself is a very rewarding one, but the knowledge in the subject can be very meaningful to us over the next few years of our life, or perhaps even the rest of our lives. We can easily learn from all the lessons in the Bible itself and studying Bible Knowledge is a very rewarding and enjoyable way of helping us improve. I believe more students should definitely take BK as a subject because there is really a lot to gain, and pretty much nothing to lose. – Jordon Lai Qi Hao (A-)

It was since I took up BK as a subject in school did I start to learn more about the Bible than I ever did in the past few years. It immediately became my favourite subject that I look forward to each week. BK has taught me so much about the Lord and what He has done for us. I used to answer questions about the significance of the Lord in our lives using answers from the textbook but now, I could answer them through my own understanding and experience. Learning this subject has also helped me to hone skills such as information literacy, critical thinking and also analytical reasoning which is definitely beneficial for our future. Here, I would like to extend my appreciation to all my BK teachers in SJPSS for their efforts toward helping us master BK throughout my whole school life. They are the ones who helped us to realise how fun BK can be through different activities while also showing us techniques on how we can understand and remember biblical facts better. If not for them, I would not have gotten this far in my faith journey and achieved what I had achieved today. – Joey Pui Jia Yi (A)

Deciding to take BK as one of my SPM subjects was not a surprising decision, as I was rather good at remembering things. Some people claimed that BK was like a second Sejarah paper, but don’t get intimidated by it. For me, I felt that BK was a lot easier to remember as it was story-based. Repetition is the key! Also, a big thank you to Mr Ben for making every BK class engaging and interesting. There was not a single time when I felt like falling asleep in his class! Personally, it was indeed through remembering the text that I reflected more on the word of God. It was amazing how I got inspired differently each time I read the book. Taking this paper is like going through a spiritual journey with God, where you get to learn more about Him and be closer to Him. It requires a lot of commitment, and sometimes you might feel like pulling out. I didn’t regret my five years of studying BK. It has indeed turned me into a better person, and it’s definitely worth a try. – Jocelyn Wong Kee Lei (A+)

Taking BK in SPM has been life-changing. It has not only provided countless opportunities but also transformed my worldview. Studying BK has become a joy, as I deepen my connection with God. I yearn to share my Christian knowledge far and wide. The annual BK Quiz has been a yearly highlight since Form 1. My dream was to reach the finals in Form 5. By God’s grace, it became a reality. My teammate and I emerged victorious in the BK22 Quiz, securing a scholarship from MCKL. This experience taught me about perseverance and obedience, as God rewards unwavering faith. BK taught me about hope and redemption, offering solace and strength in the face of adversity and existential questions. Now in college, I see the vastness of the world and the diversity of people. Thankfully, studying BK and embracing Christian values have provided a moral compass during times of confusion. I am forever grateful to incredible teachers like Mr Ben, Ms Nancy and Mr Jerome. Their guidance kept us on track, imparting invaluable knowledge. I hope more students choose BK, benefiting both their general knowledge and spiritual well-being. Let me end with Luke 1:37 – “For with God, nothing will be impossible.” – Christabelle Johneva Lee Yinxuen (A+)

I was always fascinated by the Bible, even as a child. I loved the wonderful stories it contained, and most importantly, that it showed me who God was as an omnipresent entity. The two incredibly thick Luke and Acts books makes it seem very content-heavy and daunting (which it is, admittedly) but please do not let it discourage you from learning it. I have also felt discouraged, unmotivated, and found it to be a chore sometimes in the past, but that was because I was afraid I would never finish all the content and recall every single detail in time for the big day itself. I let that negativity plague my thoughts, but with the help of my passionate teacher, Mr Benedict Lo, and my good friends, I always managed to come around to see and find profound joy in learning BK. The key here is to find good people to surround yourself with, to constantly inspire you and push you to greater heights. That was what they did for me, and what helped me overcome my hurdle when studying BK. If you ever find anything confusing, do not hesitate to ask a friend who knows their stuff about BK, or better yet, confront Mr Ben himself. He will not bite, do not worry. He is not a scary giant either. Whatever he asks of you and tells you is for your best and your future, even if that means submitting assignment after assignment after assignment. Mr Ben might even make you all complete even more interesting assignments and projects. He always comes up with the most interesting, bizarre yet effective ways to help you all enjoy BK. My SPM BK journey has ended, and on a good and rather satisfying note. I hope that you, future BK undertakers, would experience a wonderful journey filled with many blessings studying BK with your friends and teachers, just as much as I once did. – Jecyntha Dymphna AK Ramlie (A)