The Bible's Definition Of A Good Education: Part 2 - Understanding

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster

“For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6, NKJV)

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10, NKJV)

Just a reminder before we begin: God calls parents to the responsibility of educating their children.  Whether you home school or send your children to a school outside your home, you are still responsible before God for how your children are being educated.  Each one of us who is called to be a parent is also called to be an educator.  This series of articles deals with “academic” things, but they are things relevant to every parent and everyone who ever hopes to be a parent-- or anyone who wants to learn anything faithfully.

In Part 1, we explored the first component of a Biblically faithful education: knowledge.  Knowledge must be the first step in learning anything. In order for us to develop understating and wisdom about a subject, we must first know it.  In order for me to understand the causes of the Civil War properly, I must first know that there was a Civil War and the major events leading up to it.  In order for me to understand the major themes and the flow of the argument of Romans, I must first know that the Book of Romans exists and I must know its basic content.  Understanding without knowledge will always be unsound and incomplete. 

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The Bible's Definition Of A Good Education: Part 1 - Knowledge

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster

“I have called by name Bezalel… And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” (Exodus 31:2-3, NKJV)

“For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6, NKJV)

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10, NKJV)

“Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” (Proverbs 24:3-4, NKJV)

“The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” (Prophecy of the Messiah in Isaiah 11:2, NKJV)

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On-Task With Interruptions

By Sandra

I frequently chat with a friend, a fellow home educator, who concurs that it takes energy to stay on task with daily homeschooling.  Although we strive most days to hit the mark by covering the subjects on the schedule, there are days when unplanned events – interruptions- actually become the lesson for the day.

I have a feeling that today may be such a day.  I’ll be attending a memorial service for a friend’s father, which will put a snag in our planned lessons.   Filling in for me will be my dad, the children’s Pop Pop.  He won’t be teaching, at least not the subjects on the daily schedule.   But his readiness to step in when I’m in a pinch, his desire to be near the children, and his encouragement that they are doing a good job speaks volumes to their impressionable eyes and ears.  He is steady, reliable, and loving.  And that is the best book a child could read, a living one, that is dependable, truthful, and has a hug at the close of each chapter.

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The Proper Course Of Education

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster

To get anywhere, you need to know two things:

1. Where you are heading.
2. How to get there. 

That is just such a stunning and profound insight that you might need to sit down for a minute.  Take a couple of deep breaths.  Ready to go on? 

Let’s say I want to go to New York.  Well, first I need to know where New York is (165 miles northeast of Abingdon).  Then, I need to know how to get there (by car, driving I-95 and the New Jersey Turnpike).  With the aid of technology, I can even know that it is supposed to take me approximately 2 hours and 59 minutes to arrive in New York City from Abingdon, MD. (I’ve never actually made it in less than 3 ½ hours myself.) 

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Why Should We Care So Much About Education?

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster

“All education must be unsound which does not propose for itself some object; and the highest of all objects must be that of living a life in accordance with God’s Will.” (Catherine E. Beecher, Principles of Education, 1866)

The ship set sail with the latest navigational technology on board.  The crew was skilled, highly trained and disciplined.  The captain was experienced and confident; he knew his ship well.  Everything was ready as they pulled away from port heading for...?  Well, there was one small problem: No one knew where they were going, not even the captain.  Before long, the ship was adrift at sea, well equipped and expertly manned, with nowhere to go and no way to get there.

What happened to this ship can happen all too easily in education.  Without the proper goal in mind, the latest technology and the best theories cannot take a child’s education anywhere.

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