Post by Brother Brown on Feb 1, 2007 11:18:50 GMT -5
A case for home schooling
Lately, I seem to be coming under attack for my stand on home schooling. And, unfortunately, it is not the world attacking, but Christian brethren. So, to try to defend my position, I feel it necessary to show the Scriptures behind my beliefs upon this subject.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Here in Genesis 1:27-28 we see that hundreds of years before the first governmental unit, and thousands of years before the first Church was established, God placed His blessing on the family. The very first institution God created was the home. So, from the very first days of the earth, God commissioned the family, and gave them their duty: "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it:" One of my duties as a parent is to make sure that my children have the tools to do just that, subdue the earth. Now, how does God want me to do this? Well, God spells it out pretty clearly in the book of Dueteronomy:
Deuteronomy 6:6 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.
Who is God speaking to here? He is speaking to the children of Israel, to Moms and Dads specifically, look at the wording, "...and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children..." The last time I checked it doesn't take the government, and it doesn't take the Church to make children, it takes PARENTS! Parents YOU are the ones who MUST teach your children. Again, look at the wording, "...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." Notice, God says "When thou" four times, is He speaking to the Church? is He speaking to the government? NO! God is speaking to parents, to teach their children four times a day at least.
Home schooling is a Biblical tradition.
The Godly parent will follow Abraham's example as God Himself gives Abraham great praise in Genesis 18:19.
Gen 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Abraham was the family's chief educator. Do we follow this Biblical example? or do we allow someone else to teach our children? Unfortunately the Church and the government have taken a big bite out of one of Satan's apples, and they have eaten the worm as well. But what is this way of the Lord? God has spelled it out for us in Psalm 119:1, the Law of the Lord. Oh, but how we hate that word "Law." We are under grace, yes, we are under grace for Salvation, but not for Sanctification. Jesus Himself said He was not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17) There are two major statements that I try to hit everyday with my children the first is on that my Dad taught me: "The Bible is the Word of God, the Word of God is true." The other one is: "God's grace brings us to Heaven, God's Law brings Heaven to us." How can you say that, you may ask, I'll let God tell you:
Deuteronomy 11:18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: 21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
God says that if I teach, my children, God's Laws, my family can have "As the days of heaven upon the earth." I don't know about you, but that settles it for me. What do we see when we send our children away to school? Peer pressure, and normally not the kind God would give. I say this not so as to negate the Church-school as an outreach, but the honest simple truth is God gave me the responsibility to teach my children, no one else. I want my children to be Heavenly minded, and I want them to live in a home that is close to Heaven as can possibly be attained here on earth. The only time, in tradition, you see children leaving the home is the boys would sometimes go to Synagogue to learn the Scriptures from the Rabbis. The girls stayed home to learn the womanly arts of homemaking. God instituted home schooling!
Home schooling and the maturing process.
Some would use the Scriptures to back their unscriptural stands. For instance in Matthew 19:5:
Mat 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
They would say, "If you home school you are not preparing them to leave." My children KNOW that everything we teach them is to prepare them for what God has for them. Lord willing to be married and have children, and raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Some would say that we must train them to be independent. I disagree, we must train them to be DEPENDANT on God, not Independent. My child’s peer group is his siblings, all of whom are being trained for the same purpose, the same goal in mind. A goal that I as a parent have set for them, not some camp, sports coach, or teacher. As a parent I have the responsibility to make sure that my child’s "Good friends" are Godly, the only way I can do this is to train them myself. Children at school become dependant on their peer group not on God.
The only times we see children leaving the home in "Traditional, Bible times" was the boys went to synagogue, but the girls stayed home. The boys only went to synagogue school till they were old enough to learn a trade. The girls stayed in the home until they were married. So, "Cutting mamma's apron strings" is not a Biblical illustration, for anything other than marriage. In Malachi we see the hearts of the children turning to the "FATHERS" so, if I am doing as I should in home schooling, than the "Apron strings" would be Papa’s, not Mamma’s. I agree that we are to teach them to leave and cleave, but it is my responsibility as a parent to decide the best manner of teaching. Home schooling children who do not do a lot of activities outside of the home are for the most part from large families. Who needs to go out when you can do the same activities with your own family.
God gives us some other Scriptures in regards to child-rearing. Psalm 127:3-5:
Psalms 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
"As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth." Arrows do not have a choice about where they go, they completely depend upon the hand of the man holding them. As a parent I have the responsibility of deciding how the arrow is formed, how it is feathered, how straight it is, how sharp the head, how it sits in the quiver, when to place it on the string, where to aim, how far to pull back, and when to release. God Himself has given me this duty. Do you understand that our children are our only other weapon in the battle against Satan, besides the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I want my arrows to fly straight and true, and I want them to be responsible for millions of souls coming to know the Lord, but this will not happen if I take them out of my quiver, and give them to someone else. It is my responsibility to help mature my arrows.
The Family vs. the Church
For this section I will quote a Pastor from Michigan: " One of the great improprieties of the home schooling movement is that a greater priority is often placed upon their physical family over their spiritual family, or local church. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus made a promise of divine power and protection to the local church. Nowhere in Scripture is this promise made to any other institution, including the home. In order for a family to receive this blessing, they must, individually, be a part of the local church. God said in:
2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. When we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, we become God's children "positionally," but Jesus said He would not fulfill the duties of Father" in our lives until we separate ourselves from the world and conduct ourselves as His children. In other words, if a child of God wants to live in the devil's house, don't expect Jesus to buy the groceries."
I want to stop right here and say unconditionally that this is blasphemy. God tells us in John 3 to be "Born again." When you get saved God becomes your Father. He tells us to come out from among them and be saved through Jesus alone. He then reaffirms that He is our Father in Hebrews 12:5-11 by chastening us as a Father does his own children. God will do what it takes to bring you back to Himself, whether it be a "Spiritual Spanking," or kill you and take you to Heaven (I Corinthians 5:5), but He is still your Father. That is why God uses the term "Born again" it is the birth of a new creature, a new genesis, all of a sudden your DNA is like God's. So, after salvation, you may live in the devil's house for a short while, but God will get you out. Now, to finish his paragraph:
"We live in a day where Christians expect God to bless their way rather than submitting to God's order and plan. God's plan for His Christian family is for them to be part of a fundamental local church and be submitted to, and involved in , its ministries. God's priority is on the spiritual, not the physical family. The world is trying desperately to save their homes with new methods and programs, and are failing miserably, why? Because God's program is the only one that works. Home schoolers are trying to do the same thing with their own method of education."
Now, then, let me say that I believe this dear brother is sincere, but he is sincerely wrong. God tells us to follow the Church as she follows Christ. 1Corinthians 11:1 "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." God never intended His Church to supplant the family, but rather, to work with it, by the teaching and preaching of the Word. Equipping the saints to raise up Godly seed. Yes, the Church has a place in teaching our children, but by no means superseding the parents. God says this about the Church: 1Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. God says that His Church IS the pillar and ground of the Truth, so, we as Christians should put ourselves under the teaching of the local Biblical Church. In other words search the Scriptures for yourself so you can follow after the Church as she follows after Christ.
Home Schooling and Bible College.
Some have said that home schoolers are "disdaining Bible college training." How often have I heard Pastors say, "We are sending our youth to such and such a Bible college to get grounded in the faith." Speaking as a Pastor, I would say that statement is nonsense. If I, as a Pastor, am doing my job "Equipping the saints" then my flock won't have to go away to "Get grounded." Oh, Christian parents, when will we awake out of the Satanic, drug induced sleep of apathy and laziness in regards to our children? Find a Church that preaches the Bible, and only the Bible, not someone's opinions of someone's commentary. Find that Church, join that Church, and teach your children the way that God intended, at home!
May God bless you, as you seek to do His will!!
In Christ,
Brother Ben Brown
Lately, I seem to be coming under attack for my stand on home schooling. And, unfortunately, it is not the world attacking, but Christian brethren. So, to try to defend my position, I feel it necessary to show the Scriptures behind my beliefs upon this subject.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Here in Genesis 1:27-28 we see that hundreds of years before the first governmental unit, and thousands of years before the first Church was established, God placed His blessing on the family. The very first institution God created was the home. So, from the very first days of the earth, God commissioned the family, and gave them their duty: "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it:" One of my duties as a parent is to make sure that my children have the tools to do just that, subdue the earth. Now, how does God want me to do this? Well, God spells it out pretty clearly in the book of Dueteronomy:
Deuteronomy 6:6 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.
Who is God speaking to here? He is speaking to the children of Israel, to Moms and Dads specifically, look at the wording, "...and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children..." The last time I checked it doesn't take the government, and it doesn't take the Church to make children, it takes PARENTS! Parents YOU are the ones who MUST teach your children. Again, look at the wording, "...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." Notice, God says "When thou" four times, is He speaking to the Church? is He speaking to the government? NO! God is speaking to parents, to teach their children four times a day at least.
Home schooling is a Biblical tradition.
The Godly parent will follow Abraham's example as God Himself gives Abraham great praise in Genesis 18:19.
Gen 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Abraham was the family's chief educator. Do we follow this Biblical example? or do we allow someone else to teach our children? Unfortunately the Church and the government have taken a big bite out of one of Satan's apples, and they have eaten the worm as well. But what is this way of the Lord? God has spelled it out for us in Psalm 119:1, the Law of the Lord. Oh, but how we hate that word "Law." We are under grace, yes, we are under grace for Salvation, but not for Sanctification. Jesus Himself said He was not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17) There are two major statements that I try to hit everyday with my children the first is on that my Dad taught me: "The Bible is the Word of God, the Word of God is true." The other one is: "God's grace brings us to Heaven, God's Law brings Heaven to us." How can you say that, you may ask, I'll let God tell you:
Deuteronomy 11:18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: 21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
God says that if I teach, my children, God's Laws, my family can have "As the days of heaven upon the earth." I don't know about you, but that settles it for me. What do we see when we send our children away to school? Peer pressure, and normally not the kind God would give. I say this not so as to negate the Church-school as an outreach, but the honest simple truth is God gave me the responsibility to teach my children, no one else. I want my children to be Heavenly minded, and I want them to live in a home that is close to Heaven as can possibly be attained here on earth. The only time, in tradition, you see children leaving the home is the boys would sometimes go to Synagogue to learn the Scriptures from the Rabbis. The girls stayed home to learn the womanly arts of homemaking. God instituted home schooling!
Home schooling and the maturing process.
Some would use the Scriptures to back their unscriptural stands. For instance in Matthew 19:5:
Mat 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
They would say, "If you home school you are not preparing them to leave." My children KNOW that everything we teach them is to prepare them for what God has for them. Lord willing to be married and have children, and raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Some would say that we must train them to be independent. I disagree, we must train them to be DEPENDANT on God, not Independent. My child’s peer group is his siblings, all of whom are being trained for the same purpose, the same goal in mind. A goal that I as a parent have set for them, not some camp, sports coach, or teacher. As a parent I have the responsibility to make sure that my child’s "Good friends" are Godly, the only way I can do this is to train them myself. Children at school become dependant on their peer group not on God.
The only times we see children leaving the home in "Traditional, Bible times" was the boys went to synagogue, but the girls stayed home. The boys only went to synagogue school till they were old enough to learn a trade. The girls stayed in the home until they were married. So, "Cutting mamma's apron strings" is not a Biblical illustration, for anything other than marriage. In Malachi we see the hearts of the children turning to the "FATHERS" so, if I am doing as I should in home schooling, than the "Apron strings" would be Papa’s, not Mamma’s. I agree that we are to teach them to leave and cleave, but it is my responsibility as a parent to decide the best manner of teaching. Home schooling children who do not do a lot of activities outside of the home are for the most part from large families. Who needs to go out when you can do the same activities with your own family.
God gives us some other Scriptures in regards to child-rearing. Psalm 127:3-5:
Psalms 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
"As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth." Arrows do not have a choice about where they go, they completely depend upon the hand of the man holding them. As a parent I have the responsibility of deciding how the arrow is formed, how it is feathered, how straight it is, how sharp the head, how it sits in the quiver, when to place it on the string, where to aim, how far to pull back, and when to release. God Himself has given me this duty. Do you understand that our children are our only other weapon in the battle against Satan, besides the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I want my arrows to fly straight and true, and I want them to be responsible for millions of souls coming to know the Lord, but this will not happen if I take them out of my quiver, and give them to someone else. It is my responsibility to help mature my arrows.
The Family vs. the Church
For this section I will quote a Pastor from Michigan: " One of the great improprieties of the home schooling movement is that a greater priority is often placed upon their physical family over their spiritual family, or local church. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus made a promise of divine power and protection to the local church. Nowhere in Scripture is this promise made to any other institution, including the home. In order for a family to receive this blessing, they must, individually, be a part of the local church. God said in:
2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. When we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, we become God's children "positionally," but Jesus said He would not fulfill the duties of Father" in our lives until we separate ourselves from the world and conduct ourselves as His children. In other words, if a child of God wants to live in the devil's house, don't expect Jesus to buy the groceries."
I want to stop right here and say unconditionally that this is blasphemy. God tells us in John 3 to be "Born again." When you get saved God becomes your Father. He tells us to come out from among them and be saved through Jesus alone. He then reaffirms that He is our Father in Hebrews 12:5-11 by chastening us as a Father does his own children. God will do what it takes to bring you back to Himself, whether it be a "Spiritual Spanking," or kill you and take you to Heaven (I Corinthians 5:5), but He is still your Father. That is why God uses the term "Born again" it is the birth of a new creature, a new genesis, all of a sudden your DNA is like God's. So, after salvation, you may live in the devil's house for a short while, but God will get you out. Now, to finish his paragraph:
"We live in a day where Christians expect God to bless their way rather than submitting to God's order and plan. God's plan for His Christian family is for them to be part of a fundamental local church and be submitted to, and involved in , its ministries. God's priority is on the spiritual, not the physical family. The world is trying desperately to save their homes with new methods and programs, and are failing miserably, why? Because God's program is the only one that works. Home schoolers are trying to do the same thing with their own method of education."
Now, then, let me say that I believe this dear brother is sincere, but he is sincerely wrong. God tells us to follow the Church as she follows Christ. 1Corinthians 11:1 "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." God never intended His Church to supplant the family, but rather, to work with it, by the teaching and preaching of the Word. Equipping the saints to raise up Godly seed. Yes, the Church has a place in teaching our children, but by no means superseding the parents. God says this about the Church: 1Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. God says that His Church IS the pillar and ground of the Truth, so, we as Christians should put ourselves under the teaching of the local Biblical Church. In other words search the Scriptures for yourself so you can follow after the Church as she follows after Christ.
Home Schooling and Bible College.
Some have said that home schoolers are "disdaining Bible college training." How often have I heard Pastors say, "We are sending our youth to such and such a Bible college to get grounded in the faith." Speaking as a Pastor, I would say that statement is nonsense. If I, as a Pastor, am doing my job "Equipping the saints" then my flock won't have to go away to "Get grounded." Oh, Christian parents, when will we awake out of the Satanic, drug induced sleep of apathy and laziness in regards to our children? Find a Church that preaches the Bible, and only the Bible, not someone's opinions of someone's commentary. Find that Church, join that Church, and teach your children the way that God intended, at home!
May God bless you, as you seek to do His will!!
In Christ,
Brother Ben Brown