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Lesson 23

What The Bible Teaches About
Education For Eternity

Educating Our Children

1. What advice is given to parents about the education of their children?

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (KJV)
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

2. What is the Biblical precedent for church schools?

2 Kings 6:1-7

2 Kings 6:1-7 (KJV)
1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. 2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. 3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. 4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. 5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. 6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. 7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

Christ's School

3. What was the fundamental task carried out by the Lord Jesus?

Matthew 4:23

Matthew 4:23 (KJV)
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Schools Today

4. What dangers do Christians face in non-Christian schools or colleges?

1 Timothy 6:20,21

1 Timothy 6:20,21 (KJV)
20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

Objectives Of Christian Education

5. What are the Lord's objectives for his children?

Isaiah 54:13

Isaiah 54:13 (KJV)
13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

WHAT MUST I DO?

1. Instruct our children in the Lord.

Proverbs 22:6

Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

2. Accept God's command.

Deuteronomy 6:6

Deuteronomy 6:6 (KJV)
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

3. Allow our children to go to Jesus.

Matthew 19-14

MY RESOLUTION

I will do whatever is in my reach for the children and youth to be taught by the Lord.

Addtional Study 20

Education, is it a Biblical principle?

The concepts studied reveal to us that the education of our children deserves serious consideration and a definite effort so that they can follow Heaven's principles and reach salvation.

"To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized— this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the great object of life."—Ellen G. White, Education, p. 15.

Education and redemption join together; they are mixed in the effort to take man towards a relationship with God that is as similar as possible to that other existence, before sin, as well as a perfect relationship in the coming world.

In its work of education, the world strives only to develop natural powers. It omits restoration, which is the more important of the two processes. No education that omits the work of restoration can be called Christian. A child that studies in a school where spiritual restoration is not cared for, cannot say he or she is being "taught of the Lord," because the Bible says: "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord." (Isaiah 54:13).

Elementary School

"Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14).

"Children are a heritage from the Lord, and they are to be trained for His service. This is the work that rests upon parents and teachers with solemn, sacred force, which they cannot evade or ignore. To neglect this work marks them as unfaithful servants; but there is a reward when the seed of truth is early sown in the heart and carefully tended."—Ellen G. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers and Students, p. 143

High Schools and Colleges

The divine purpose for education covers not just elementary education, but rather all levels. And secondary and college education have a triple objective:

  1. To continue with the work of restoration and redemption.
  2. To serve a cities of refuge against the tide of evil that is ever increasing.
  3. To prepare young people for service to the Lord.

In these days in which the church grows very rapidly, we need to preserve the most precious thing she possesses, the children and youth, from the demoralizing influences and from the prevailing immorality in the world.

Expense or Investment

What a wonderful attitude towards education would be developed if all of us - parents, grandparents, members of the church - could look at the money that we pay for the education of our children and youth as an investment instead of an expense!

Psalm 127:3 says: "Children are an heritage of the Lord..." What a beautiful truth! Children are a gift from the Lord and we must celebrate this blessing.

The Adventist Church has recognized, from its beginning, the value of Christian education for their children. Great sacrifices are made in order for the youth of the church could obtain an Adventist education. Parents sacrificed even things that were essential for life as long as they could send their children to Adventist schools.

Also, the church has invested millions of dollars in the educational system.

What Shall We Do?

"The Lord of heaven is looking on to see who is doing the work He would have done for the children and youth... As a church, as individuals, if we would stand clear in the judgment, we must make more liberal efforts for the training of our young people".—Ellen G. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers and Students, p. 42.

Suggested bibliography for further study: Ellen G. White, Education. Ellen G. White, Christian Education. Ellen G. White, Counselsfor Teachers. Ellen G. White, Child Guidance.