In the Old Testament period education was rather informal. Children were taught in the home by the parents, not in a formal classroom by a teacher. God gave the responsibility of teaching to parents. To be parent meant to teach. Both parents were involved in the child's education.
Let these words of mine remain in your heart and in your soul; fasten them on your hand as a sign and on your forehead as a circlet. Teach them to your children and say them over to them whether at rest in your house or walking abroad, at your lying down or at your rising. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates so that you and your children may live long in the land that Yahweh swore to your fathers he would give them for as long as there is a sky above the earth. - Deut. 11:18-21 -
However, the father was responsible to see that his children were properly educated. - Prov. 1:8-9 - A young son stayed with his mother when the father went to the fields to work. Therfore, a boy's first significant instruction came from his mother. As the boy grew, the father's involvement in his son's education increased, especially, as they began to work together in the fields or in the father's trade. A daughter stayed on with her mother and continued under her instruction. In the close-knit family structure of that day, as parents became grandparents they also became involved in teaching their grandchildren. - Deut. 4:9 - A parent's responsibility for instructing children continued until death.
The term 'father' was applied to teachers outside the family, also, and teachers often called their students 'sons'. God made Joseph a 'father' to the Pharaoh - Gen. 45:8 - which means that the Pharaoh listened to Joseph as a pupil listens to his teacher and receives instruction from him. - Prov. 1:8-10,15, 2:1, 3:1,11 -
During the period between the Old and New Testaments, Synagogues and schools were established. Generally, each rabbi taught in a village school supported by the parents of the children who attended. The teacher or rabbi of the school helped the parents by instilling religious truths in the boys minds; however, the parents still were responsible for their children's education. In choosing a rabbi as a village teacher, the parents were more concerned with his personal character than with his ability to teach. His good moral example was more important than his teaching skills. The ideal rabbi was a married man who also was industrious and serious. He would never joke unnecessarily with the boys nor would be tolerate any harmful and wrongdoing. However, it was considered important that he be a compassionate and a patient man. Both rabbi and parents took God as their model for proper teaching. God was the Master Teacher who taught by word and deed. - Is. 30:20-21; Ps. 78:1; Deut. 8:2-3 -
Every father was expected to teach his son a trade. A Jewish proverb reads, 'He who does not teach his son a useful trade teaches him to be a thief'. Usually, a son followed in his father's occupation with the father passing on his skills and trade secrets. However, by New Testament times schools had been established to assist parent in the teaching of their children. And the Old Testament method of education was different and by New Testament times, it had changed significantly.
By New Testament period, almost every village had its own school where reading and writing were taught to the boys. Parent sent their sons to school for the purpose of learning to read the Sacred Scripture; they continued in school from the age of 6 or 7 until 12 years of age. If the parents wanted their son to receive more training, he was sent to Jerusalem, where a number of notable rabbis had schools. Young Paul (Saul of Tarsus) spent time there, studying under Gamaliel. - Acts 22:3 -
Listen to this Law, my people,
pay attention to what I say;
I am going to speak to you in parable
and expound the mysteries of our past.
What we have heard and known for ourselves,
and what our ancestors have told us,
and must not be withheld from their descendants,
but be handed on by us to the next generation - Psalms 78:1-2 -
Jesus' characteristic method of teaching was through parables. Although Jesus was the master of the parabolic form, He was not the first to use parables. Examples of the effective use of parables are found in the Old Testament. Perhaps the best known of this is prophet Nathan's parable of the rich man who took the one little ewe lamb that belonged to a poor man. - 2Sam. 12:1-15 -
His disciples asked him what this parable might mean, and he said, 'The mysteries of the kingdom of God are revealed to you; for the rest there are only parables, so that they may see but not perceive, listen but not understand. - Luke 8:9-10; Mark 4:10-12; Matt. 13:10-17 -
And in the New Testament, Saint Paul spoke of apostle Timothy as his son. Timothy, my son, these are the instruction that I am giving you: I ask you to remember the words once spoken over you by the prophets and taking them to heart to fight like a good soldier with faith and a good conscience for your weapons. Some people have put conscience aside and wrecked their faith in consequence. - 1Timothy 1:18-19 -
It is written in the prophets:
They will all be taught by God,
and to hear the teaching of the Father,
and learn from it,
is to come to me. - John 6:45 -
Jesus answered them:
My teaching is not from myself:
it comes from the one who sent me;
and if anyone is prepared to do his will,
he will know whether my teaching is from God
or whether my doctrine is my own.
When a man's doctrine is his own
he is hoping to get honour for himself;
but when he is working for the honour of one who sent him,
then he is sincere
and by no means an impostor.
Did not Moses give you the Law?
And yet no one of you keeps the Law! - John 7:16-19 -
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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