How old is God-centered education?
In Old Testament times, God and the Bible were central to life. For the Hebrews, God was not separate from education. The whole of Creation, (man included), was regarded as being dependent upon God the Creator. God was regarded as the measure of all things.
The Greeks, on the other hand, believed that man was the measure of all things. Living for the present was all that mattered. Life beyond death was not thought to be important. Man’s interpretation of knowledge was regarded as ultimate truth, and God ignored. This is humanism. Humanist philosophy states:
“If God didn’t make me, I don’t owe Him anything.”
“My duty is to man instead of to God.”
“If God doesn’t exist, then there are no rules.”
“My life is dedicated to looking after myself.”
Jesus came to pay the penalty for ignoring the Creator of the universe and worshipping ourselves instead.
In education today we have the choice of two models:
The Greek model
The Hebrew model
Where did this approach originate?
God’s command to His people is to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to teach our children to do likewise. For the Hebrews, God’s commands were central to everything they did.
Deuteronomy 11:13-24 (NIV)
So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today – to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul – then I will send rain on your land in its season…
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers.
If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow – to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to hold fast to Him – then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you… Every place where you set your foot will be yours.
John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in Him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Jesus tells us plainly here that we can’t be separated or detached from Him. It’s the same with education. Education must be thoroughly rooted and grounded in God, and not a separate entity.
Three possible approaches:
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Bible lessons injected into the school program. |
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A verse of Scripture tacked on to the end of lessons. |
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Placing God as the central focus, and seeing His perspective in all we teach. This means putting our own ideas aside and asking the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us in the teaching of all subjects. |