I’ve been criticized for asserting that homeschooling is the “better” way or the “biblical” way to educate.
I’ll go ahead and admit that I think both of those things. But wait–I also think I can back up those unpopular assertions and should be allowed to hold them.
Furthermore, PLEASE keep in mind that my passion for homeschooling is driven out of wanting to share with other families the blessing and benefits it affords–not just a spouting of opinion. If you would think less of me for keeping quiet about a “new cure for cancer” because I didn’t want to offend anyone who was still using chemo, I hope you’ll appreciate my efforts to share what I truly feel is best for children and families, and in no way mean to offend.
Regarding my opinion that homeschooling is a “better” way…I would hope all of us have strong opinions on “better” ways to do a lot of things–especially important things. If we don’t ever form carefully studied opinions on “better or worse” ways to do some things, we become dangerously apathetic. This, I think, is a tragic side-effect of our obsession with “tolerance”.
All things are not equal and to suggest such kills the human spirit, erodes ambition and unravels the very fabric of a society on too many levels to count.
And where it involves the very upbringing and transmitting of our values to the next generation, I’d say we better all study to form VERY strong opinions about such a life-impacting endeavor.
But is homeschooling “biblical”?
First, allow me to define what I mean by that:
Saying a thing is “biblical” does not always mean everything else is “sin”. I do NOT assert that any form of education besides homeschooling is a sin. (And yet, this crime has been continually ascribed to me.)
To say a thing is “biblical” is simply to say that there are principles in Scripture to guide and offer insight into a particular area. Just like there are biblical principles for handling money, one is not necessarily in sin for ignoring those principles. So, if I say, “not co-signing on a loan is biblical” that is a true statement. But it doesn’t mean that it is sin to co-sign on a loan. There would be a lot less anger if opponents viewed my stance through that lens.
Many people claim “the Bible doesn’t speak on the subject of education” and so we can’t talk in terms of what is “biblical”. I disagree.
It’s interesting to compare the Greek (pagan) model of education to our current public school model and contrast that to the Hebrew model (practiced by God’s people) upon which the homeschooling model is patterned:
“The Greek model of education shapes our modern American educational theories. Greek education focused on content. Hebrew education focused on relationship. Greek teachers tried to shape students’ minds. Hebrew teachers tried to shape students’ hearts. Greek students were to learn what their teacher knew. Hebrew students were to become what their teacher was. The notion that one can merely teach the mind and body of a child without involving the heart and soul is the method of the Greeks. We see no precedent in Scripture for the teaching of children’s minds for the sake of academia.” (http://www.homeschoolbuilding.org/Item.php3?id=2291)
In a nutshell, the “biblical model” of education is Hebrew in nature, based primarily on relationships, specifically between parent and child. And that’s just the starting point…
There are other principles from Scripture (and biblical history) that give us guidance about education:
1. God told His people how to teach their children and they understood it clearly. Why don’t we?
Throughout Deuteronomy (and other books) God repeatedly emphasized the importance of transmitting knowledge and wisdom to the next generation (i.e. “education”). There were two vital principles commanded:
- The education was to begin, end and be inundated with “the fear of the Lord and his commands”. (See Deuteronomy 6)
“…the Greek method of education separates the child from the parents and educates the child with teachers selected by the state with the intent of producing a citizen whose loyalties lie with the state and will therefore be an asset to its defense, production, politics, and culture, etc.” (http://www.homeschoolbuilding.org/Item.php3?id=2291)
- Secondly, the only way to make that possible was an education rooted in relationship. This very model was extended through the example of teaching from Christ in the New Testament. It was done through discipleship, in a time-consuming relationship of “walking together” through the day with the “teacher” (in the OT that was usually the parent) transmitting knowledge and values to his student/child. Family was CENTRAL to this model.
“Where Hebrew education had stressed learning in the context of family relationships, multi-generational training, and the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom and knowledge, Greek education and the establishment of the gymnasium emphasized the development of the child as a creature of the state who finds his identity as an individual, not a member of a family.” (http://www.homeschoolbuilding.org/Item.php3?id=2291)
Can you see how generations of the Greek philosophy has affected the family unit which has had disastrous “trickle-down” effects on all of society? And we hardly even recognize it as a tangible result of the way we educate our children.
In the Hebraic tradition, this aspect of discipleship by parents was so important that if someone other than the parents mentored the child, he was called a “father”.
“Education in the ancient world was rooted in religious tradition and theological ideals. The goal of education was the transmission of that religious tradition, along with community mores and values, and vocational and technical skills. The by-product of this kind of education was a model citizen, loyal to family, gods, and king, upright in character, and productive in community life. More than liberally educated “free-thinkers, ” the important outcome of the educational system for the ancients was utilitarian, equipping people to be functional members of family and society.” (http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-)evangelical-dictionary/education-in-bible-times.html
2. The Bible clearly expresses that a true education cannot be attained apart from the fear and knowledge of God. Scripture repeats it and the historical model confirms it. It would have been unthinkable for a Hebrew to try to provide an education for his children separated from the fact that God permeates every aspect of life.
But beyond that, it would have been a downright abomination for a Hebrew child to be instructed in a setting where God was denied, ignored and especially hated, and where other religions/idols were offered as alternative options. They would have feared His very wrath for such an abdication of what He so explicitly commanded. In fact, God’s wrath was most often evoked when His people followed after other gods, including the god of ‘self’ or ‘man’s own desires’ (humanism, “the doctrine emphasizing a person’s capacity for self-realization through reason, rejecting religion and the supernatural” is the overt religion taught in the public school system today).
This fact is the strongest evidence I see from Scripture to reject the government’s educating the children of God’s people.
3. A very important part of the Hebrew education was the church and community, specifically that a child needed to “walk with the wise” and glean from his elders the wisdom and knowledge of life. This meant that children spent most of their time with elders–parents, extended family and the community elders (during times of worship and festivities). It was never assumed that children should learn from other children the things that would grow him into a productive, God-fearing member of society. In fact, it was warned about. Parents and the elders of the community were highly respected and children knew it was to them they should look for life’s lessons.
“…the doctrine of human sin and sinfulness stamps both Hebrew religion and education…educationally this meant human knowledge and wisdom were flawed and limited and that divine illumination was necessary for grasping certain truths and divine enablement was necessary for doing right.” http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/education-in-bible-times.html) (
Besides these principles, there are still numerous warnings and commands from Scripture that give us insight into how our children are to be educated and how they are NOT to be:
“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” Matthew 12:30
“A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly…” Psalm 1:1
To name a few.
Do I believe it is a sin to not homeschool? NO I DO NOT. Do I believe Scripture provides heaps of educational principles and guidelines that, if followed will invoke blessing on our families, communities, churches and societies, and if not followed will invoke negative consequences? Yes I do.
I would challenge you to consider that the breakdown of relationships between parents and children, and the precipitating consequence of our failure to pass the baton of faith to the next generation rests largely on our ignoring the biblical principles given to us as we consider how to educate and bring up our children.
Would I have chosen poverty, a manger, dirty hay–
