THEOLOGY of CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
What is Christian Education? The word “education” comes from the Latin educare which means to “educate” or “to train.” Together, these words mean, “I lead out of.” Education then means a something out of a person. person. By education it not only “leading out” – – leading something means what we draw out of someone, someone, but what we put into someone. someone. God was the direct and sole educator educator before the fall of man. man. After the fall of man, God now also educates indirectly indirectly by means of a human teacher. teacher. Before the fall, the image of God possessed perfect holiness, righteousness, dominion, and knowledge. But this perfect holiness, righteousness, dominion, and and knowledge of man was subject to growth. growth. Adam was destined to acquire acquire more knowledge and to grow in grace, even though though he had sinned. Because Adam was complete, complete, it was easy for him to learn and gain knowledge. Even though education is a universal requirement of all men, and even though all people and children must be trained in the way in which they should go, we must keep in mind that each man and child is a special creation of God, for everyone has special gifts which must must be drawn out. Education involves every aspect aspect of our being which includes our bodies as well. well. Our bodies are the temple for for the Holy Spirit. Education means that we must love God with all our heart, heart, love our neighbor and ourselves as God’s image with all our heart; and totally love both God and man with all our heart, mind, soul, strength, and might; and our body with all our being. To teach someone to to love with his soul, demands demands religious education. To teach a person to love with his mind, demands intellectual intellectual education. To love God with all our body requires physical physical education; and to love with all our might and strength demands a total education. Christian education, then, is the same process of education when pursued in accordance with the incarnated incarnated and the inscripturated Word of God. As opposed to ordinary education, Christian Education can be defined d efined as that humanitarian discipline which educates, extracts, and develops those individual gifts given by God to each person and develops those special graces, virtues, and general items of knowledge to be communicated from God to every person, in accordance with Jesus Christ as the incarnate Word of God and in agreement with Scripture as the written Word of God. Page 1 of 15
Historical Development of Religious Education in the Old Testament In the Old Testament it is more Christian education than anything else. It is against Jewish religious background that Christian education came into being centuries later in the New Testament. The New Testament is only new to the extent that Jesus Christ appears on the scene as a new mediator between God and people (1 Timothy 2:5) as opposed to the Old Testament where the blood of animals was predominantly featured. The link between Christian education in the Old Testament and Christian education in the New Testament is the way in which Old Testament prophets pointed to the coming of Christ, the Messiah. They taught about Him in the Old Testament, so that His coming in the New Testament was a confirmation and fulfillment of what was taught in the Old Testament. Peter alludes to the prophets’ desire to understand and see what they prophesied about. Peter argues that it was for us in this age that these things were made manifest; the prophets were serving us, not themselves (1 Peter 1:10-12). Also, the link between the Old and New Testaments religious education can be understood from the fact that New Testament writers as well as Jesus Himself used the Old Testament to teach about the way of salvation. They interpreted the Old Testament in the light of the new covenant as embodied in Jesus Christ. The two Testaments are inseparable. It is hard to understand Christian education fully without going back to the Jewish roots in the Old Testament. This being because Christianity has even today, retained much of its Hebrew heritage. The teaching ministry (Christian education) in the Old Testament begins with God as the Teacher. The God who is a Teacher Himself commands Moses to teach the Israelites His laws, statues and commands. Moses not only teaches those laws, but also commands the Israelites to teach their children about God (Deuteronomy 6:1-9). Along with God and Moses, the Old Testament further portrays Jewish parents, priests, prophets, and Scribes as teachers within the Jewish context of relationship with God.
God as Teacher Christian education begins with God, not humans. It is as we begin with God that we shall know what to do with education. God revealed Himself to the Jews through history and the law. Initially, God revealed Himself to Abraham, and in Page 2 of 15
this revelation, God taught Abraham His word, what it was to believe, and to hold on to God’s promises under all circumstances. Abraham learned from God and obeyed Him. (II Chronicles 20:7; Psalm 25:14).
Throughout, God was involved in the process of teaching the Israelites. His revelation was intended to educate them. He used Moses to reveal Himself and to teach His laws; He also revealed Himself personally to the Israelites by His mighty works. God had manifested Himself to them, in turn; their duty was to teach about the God who had revealed Himself.
The Teacher of the Law, Moses Moses was appointed to teach (Exodus 18:20; 24:12; Deuteronomy 4:14; 31:19). Moses was taught himself by God who revealed Himself to Him as “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14). From the time God appeared to Moses on Mount Horeb, God was taking Moses through a process of learning. God instructed Moses from time to time about what he was to tell the Israelites. He gave him Ten Commandments and laws dealing with living (Exodus 20). The books of Exodus to Numbers all deal with the law that God gave to the Israelites through Moses. The law was the foundation of Jewish education. The law was intended to expose sin. It demanded holiness and righteousness based on the holiness of God. (Leviticus 11:44-45). The law was and still is the central core of Jewish education The Old Testament is the core of Christian education. The reason being that Christian education can be traced back to Jewish religious education in the Old Testament times; therefore, it is safe to say that the teaching ministry actually came out of the Old Testament. Priests are people who act between God and people. They were descendants of Levy, and were appointed for the task of serving God and the people, representing them to God and God to the people. They were not to own property, therefore, they lived on tithes from the people of God. (Leviticus 10:1215; 21-35; Numbers 18:8- 20). They were commanded to teach God’s law (Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 24:9; 31:9). This duty was the most important (Deuteronomy 33:8-10). Samuel the prophet and priest, regarded it as sinful not Page 3 of 15
to teach God’s law (I Samuel 12:23 -24). The law was to be read after every seven years before Israel. Israel was to listen attentively to the reading of the law. (Deuteronomy 31:10-13) Priests also taught Jews how to live in relation to one another. They were instructed in ethical and civil duties. The nature of their religious services led them to being exempted from other duties and from owning property, to pray for people, offer sacrifices and perform ritual ceremonies. All these were also intended not only to appease God, but to awaken in people some attitude and belief towards God.
Prophets were divinely called by God to speak a message that He gave to them. They represented the highest education; education that was centered on God. Their message was based on the past; on the teaching of Moses’ law. They directed attention to God as Creator, Sustainer and Ruler of the universe. They taught that God was Israel’s God who had chosen them for a purpose. He is just, holy, righteous, merciful, loving, understanding, and patient with His own people. He is in control, all knowing, and all powerful. There was also a school of prophets which disciples of prophets were members. This school was run by the older prophets. They trained these disciples and left them a literary legacy. Today, their writings still speak to the oral, social, and spiritual ills of our society. Wise men were very important to Israel. They were often referred to as elders. The elders became more prominent after exile. Solomon was an example of a wise man. The book of Proverbs underlines the fact that there were many wise people known as sages. Solomon compiled his own proverbs but most of them came from other wise men of his time. Sages ministered to individuals in Israel. Their main focus was to give council on life and the fear of the Lord. They instructed people in wisdom, and in just, wise, and fair dealings for that is what God required. Wisdom began with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). For anyone to be wise, one had to fear the Lord. In Proverbs 1:2-6 it clearly states what the aim of wisdom was. This wisdom was available to all categories of people, with a concentration on young people.
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Sages indicate the importance and development of religious education among Jews.
Scribes as Teachers In Jeremiah 8:8 in the Old Testament, scribes were condemned for being dishonest by changing God’s law. Scribes were writers/copiers of the law. Their emergence in the Old Testament was occasioned by the need to preserve the law. The fall of Judah and the destruction of the temple necessitated that preservation of written and oral tradition. Scribes became very important people. Scribes were descendants of Levites and priests. Like prophets, priests and sages, scribes were seen as interpreters, where they not only copied the law, but they taught it to people by interpreting it to them. Their method of teaching was among others, public discussions, questions and answers, memorization, stories, etc. Scribes gained prominence after exile and needed to copy the law, study it and interpret it to people. Ezra is an example of the important role scribes played after exile. According to Ezra 7:10, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statute s and judgments.” By the time Jesus appeared on the scene, some scribes had achieved much distinction and earned themselves the title, “Rabbi”, which meant a “Master” in teaching. For this reason, Jesus Himself was called Rabbi because He taught with such distinction. (Matthew 7:28 “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: (29) for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes”). (John 3:2 “The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him”.) The Old Testament is the foundation of Christian education, and Christian education can be traced back to Jewish religious education during Old Testament times. Therefore, we can be safe in saying that the teaching ministry or Christian education came out of the Old Testament.
Christian Education in the New Testament Page 5 of 15
Christianity, as we know it today from the New Testament has been greatly influenced by Judaism. Jesus was born as a Jew to save Jews. “…I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17) Salvation was first for the Jews, and then for Gentiles. Paul admitted this fact to the Roman Christians, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). During the occasion of his missionary journeys, Paul would start with the Jews, arguing with them to the end that Jesus was the Messiah. When they did not accept his teachings he would go to the Gentiles. Jesus defended this truth clearly, as with the Syrophoenician woman (Matthew 15:21 – 28). He ministered to the Jews only, saying He also was the son of Abraham (Luke 19:1-10). He further sent 12 disciples to the household of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6). In many ways Christian education resembles Jewish education. The question at stake however, is exactly how Christian education developed in the New Testament. In the New Testament, as in the Old Testament, teaching begins with God; in this case with Jesus Christ Himself. The Holy Spirit is also referred to as the teacher, enabling believers to teach and giving gifts of teaching to the church. Jesus commanded His followers to teach, which they did. In the New Testament, in one way or another, every Christian is a teacher. What stands out is that Christian education constituted a very important component of the entire ministry of the New Testament church.
The Teacher, Jesus Jesus was a teacher. He was the first person to teach in the New Testament sense. Nicodemus referred to His as a teacher come from God (John 3:2). The Gospels portray Jesus as a teacher. Forty five times He is referred to as a teacher and fourteen times as a Rabbi. His disciples and crowd all regarded Him as a teacher. He also regarded Himself as a teacher, acknowledging the title as it was used of Him (John 13:13). Three reasons help us realize that He was a teacher, namely that, people recognized Page 6 of 15
Him as a teacher, calling Him ‘Rabbi’ or ‘Teacher’, without Him instructing them to do so (Matthew 7:28; John 3:2). The Gospel writers described Jesus’ ministry as a teaching one. There are many references to this, among them Mark 4:1-2; 6:2, 8:31; 9:31; and 12:35. He was so engrossed in teaching that He came to be known as a great teacher. The third reason that helps us recognize He was a teacher is that His followers were called disciples, which really meant learners. The word itself is used two hundred times to refer to Jesus’ followers.
Jesus did more teaching than preaching. In some cases it was difficult to draw the line between teaching and preaching. He taught multitudes (Matthew 5:7), small groups (Matthew 13: 16: John 13), and individuals (John 3: 4). His approach was that of going from place to place, ensuring that He went where people were. In His conversation with the Samaritan woman he began by asking for water, and then proceeded to reveal Himself as a Messiah, something the Samaritan woman knew about but did not know the person Himself (John 4). Another example is His use of parables, i.e., earthly stories with spiritual meanings . He taught with so much authority that the crowds marveled. Some said of Him the officers answered, “Never a man spake like this man” (John 7:46). His theme was the kingdom of God. The purpose of His teaching was to lead people to God through Himself (John 14:6). He came to show the way back to God; to demonstrate how people ought to live in relation to God and to one another. He came that we may have life and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). The biggest feature in Jesus’ teaching ministry is the equipping of disciples for ministry, what we call discipleship. His way of teaching was such that He reproduced Himself, so that after He was gone, His disciples would perpetuate His ministry. His last great commission, that followers go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20), was proof that He had taught and trained disciples to the point of entrusting them with the work of discipling others.
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METHODOLOGY of CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
The first step of education is to have one's eyes opened and be turned from darkness to light. (Acts 26:18) It is not good that the soul be without knowledge. (Proverbs 19:2) Only in God's light can we see light. (Psalm 36:9) He says: Prov. 4:7 - "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." Prov. 2:3-5 - "Call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God." All training for life, and for Church and State, starts in the family. If children are not brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, then both Church and society suffer. If people are ignorant of religion they are of no use to the nation. For it is written: "Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right." (Proverbs 20:11) Young people prepare themselves for life's responsibilities through the discipline they receive at home. Therefore it is so important that a father "manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect." (1 Timothy 3:4) The Bible says to fathers: Bring up your children "in the training and instruction of the Lord,"(Eph. 6:4) for He is the source of all knowledge and understanding. If parents neglect to instill Christian values in their children, then there will be major problems in family, church, and state. Fathers and mothers have the duty to care for the souls in their family in the same way as a pastor cares for the souls in his church. The Bible says: "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6) 1. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 9:10 - "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Deut. 31:12-13 - "Assemble the people - men, women and children… so that they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land…" Colossians 2:8 - "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles Page 8 of 15
of this world rather than on Christ." 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 - "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform… to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is..." 2. All education starts with knowing God. Isaiah 44:6 - "This is what the LORD says - Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last, apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me?" Psalm 34:11 - Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD." Psalm 92:5 - "How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts! The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand." Jeremiah 23:24 - "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD. John 3:16 - "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." Romans 11:33 - "O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" 2 Corinthians 4:6 - "God… made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." 3. All children must be taught Christian faith and values. Prov. 22:6 - "Train a child in the way he should go, and when h e is old he will not turn from it." Exodus 20:1-17 - "And God spoke all these words: 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol… You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God… Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy… Honour your f ather and your mother… You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony… You shall not covet…" Colossians 3:5-10 - "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, Page 9 of 15
impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." 4. Children must know the consequences of dishonoring God. Prov. 8:36 - "All who hate God love death." Prov. 14:12 - "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Romans 1:18-20 - "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without any excuse." 1 Timothy 6:12 - "Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith." 1 John 4:1 - "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God… Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." 5. Children must learn who and what they are in God's plan. Genesis 1:27; 2:7 - "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them… And the LORD formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being." Psalm 8:3-4 - "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet." Romans 5:8 - "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ Page 10 of 15
died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 1 Corinthians 15:22 - "Since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." 6. God promises blessing and prosperity to all who trust and obey Him. Deut. 6:1-9 - "These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may en joy long life… Be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you… Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all you r soul and with all your strength… Impress [these commandments] on your children."
Education originates with God and the knowledge of God. The Christian worldview holds that God is sovereign over everything (Psalm 24:1). The Sciences are a study of God's creation (Ps. 19:1; Romans 1:20). History is the story of God's judgments and promises. (Ps. 33:11) The Arts express human culture based on faith and ethics. - Education is thus more than just school. (Deut. 6:7; 1 Cor. 15:33) Education is to be under the control of parents, and parents are told by our Lord Jesus Christ to "let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
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TEACHER TRAINING Training begins with leadership. If leaders are not convinced of the need to personally become better equipped in ministry, they will have a harder time convincing teachers of its importance. As they exhibit a humble, teachable spirit, teachers will come to realize that everyone needs to learn and grow, including them. Further, leadership needs to be on the same page regarding the ultimate goal of teaching and basic philosophy of ministry and how best to implement that approach in their ministries. This takes coming together to learn and grow as a ministry team. When leaders each have their own agendas and don’t come under a broad umbrella, it can be confusing for people to really know what the church’s Biblical educational goal is. Training should be tailored to your church and your teachers. Some content will be pertinent to Bible teachers everywhere that is very important to the teachinglearning process, such as the teaching for changed lives. No matter how long a person has taught, this is always a good reminder. If people don’t leave changed, it will be as though the chairs were empty. Teachers need to make sure they are always aiming for empty-less teaching. However, while we can all use reminders about a variety of topics, how much more effective if the training fits the specific needs of the teachers, their skill levels, learning styles, teaching experience, etc. For example:
1. Some will be new teachers who need to see more of the big picture involved in the teaching-learning process, where others will be veteran teaches who need to go more in-depth and deal with more specific issues. 2. Some need help teaching the Bible to children, where others will be breaking down walls in adults to help them learn. They should all know the age level characteristics and needs for the group they teach. 3. Some teachers need help structuring a lesson worth teaching , where others might have that mastered but need help sharpening their Bible teaching methods.
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4. Some children’s teachers need help learning how to use a variety of Bible learning activities , where others simply need to get a better handle on how to use guided conversation. 5. Some teachers need help being creative Bible teachers. 6. Some teachers need help effectively handling classroom discipline , where others need help bringing their own lives and teaching under control of the Holy Spirit or learning to manage their time . 7. Some teachers are called to teach….but afraid and need reassurances from God’s Word.
Training requires a plan. Without a plan it will be too easy to get lax on teacher training or miss providing essential training. What are you doing to determine what training teachers really need? What are you doing to provide that training? Training must be on-going. Part of the plan you develop involves scheduling ongoing training for all teachers. Teacher training isn’t just for n ew teachers. No one knows everything no matter how long they have been teaching and no matter how much previous training that person has received. Without on-going training, teachers can…. they stop improving Plateau they fail to use new ways of teaching Get stuck in a rut Become delusional think their teaching is better that it is Experience frustration don’t know how to fix problems Quit don’t feel supported When training is modeled by the leaders and is tailored to your teachers, you will experience a higher success rate in teacher participation and knowledge. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
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CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT/RESOURCES Curriculum is the plan for education and formation. The educational and nurturing plan of all that you intend to do to inform, form, and transform people of all ages as Christian disciples is your curriculum. Books, Study materials, videos, activities, and so forth that you choose to use as tools to accomplish your plan are the curriculum resources. The term curriculum refers to specific resources. These resources are basic tools for Christian education and formation.
While these tools are important, remember that the teacher is more important. Even poor resources, in the hands of a dedicated and gifted teacher or leader, can be used effectively to help form, shape, and nurture people in their Christian growth. On the other hand, the most sophisticated curriculum resources available are not going to achieve that same goal in the hands of teachers or leaders who are unprepared or uninterested in the ministry of Christian education and formation. You as the teacher are the most important “curriculum resource.” What you model is what will be most remembered and influential. What resources are currently being used in the education and formation settings in your congregation? Meet with the teachers, talk to your church staff to help to find out what curriculum resources are being used. Have more than one component. By “component,” Have several integrated pieces, such as a teacher book, a student book, magazine, poster, or picture. It is necessary to consider age-appropriateness of any resource for curriculum. Listed are some questions to ask when selecting curriculum and resources. What image of God is portrayed in the stories and the songs? In the comments? Is God portrayed as a personal God? A sentimental God? A distant God? A God of Justice? A loving and forgiving God? How is Jesus pictured? A teacher of wise sayings and parables or a miracle worker? How many stories/sessions focus on His life? On His teachings? On miracles? Does the curriculum introduce Jesus the Christ of faith? Are students aided in understanding Jesus’ teachings’ and life in a manner that is relevant to life today? What concepts of the Bible are assumed? Which versions are recommended? Is there an emphasis of the historical settings? Is there an
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effort to help students see the Bible’ s relevance for life today? Is the Bible introduced as a series of books containing, history, parables, poetry, hymns, and teachings? Is the Bible used as an answer book or as a book which questions one’s answers as much as answers one’s questions? How are people imaged? How are good and evil depicted? How do writers treat issues such as the crucifixion, resurrection, salvation, and the work of the Holy Spirit?
The process of thinking theologically when choosing curriculum and resources requires persons selecting to listen and learn what the writers are saying. It is helpful to have a variety of people review the material and from their points of view the biblical and theological interpretations communicated. Ask yourselves how will this curriculum influence the lives of adults, children, young adults, new converts, etc. now and in the years to come? Will it enable and encourage persons to think theologically when facing life’s most challenging issues?
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