Please Note…

 “Is Homeschooling Biblical?”
What does the Bible say about training children?

   -By: Dr. D. S. Piper (by God’s grace)

(Please invest some well-spent time to first read Revelation 3:15-16 and John 10:11-15,
And then to read each of the below Bible references as you come to them.)

The Commandment:

1.     “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Pro.22:6!)

2.     This command directs Christian parents to direct their children first toward salvation (Jn.14:6), and then toward a God-fearing (Psa.34:11) life of love for and obedience toward God’s Word (I Jn.3:18; 2:4-5).

3.     This command is addressed to saved Parents, not to any church or government!

The Choices:

1.   Public School—Is It Biblical?

a.     Consider the Institution:  Generally, Public School is a government-directed, multi-family classroom setting, potentially teaching children unbiblical, ungodly values and morals—deeply reinforced and unpredictably expanded by the children’s very peers within the classroom.

b.     Consider the Bible: Both Public School’s anti-biblical purpose and its ungodly effects upon children are strictly prohibited by clear Biblical principle (Ps.1:1; Pr.19:27; Jer.10:2; 2 Pe.2:8; I Co.15:33; Pr.13:20; Lu.16:15).

c.     Consider a Biblical Example: Lot raised his children within the secular educational system of his time, and lost all of his children to the world (Ge.19:12-38). Granted, there are some rare exceptions to this rule today in secular schools, but those exceptions are due to the loving mercy—not the approval—of God!  Furthermore, though these rare exceptions seemingly escape the evils of secular school, their children or grandchildren most likely will not (Jud.2:10-12) if placed in in the same secular environment due to an acquired false sense of security within the parents.

d.     Consider:  The coldness (Re.3:15-16) of entrusting one’s children to the “wolves”—that is, to secular society (Mt.10:16; Jn.10:11-15).

e.     Conclude:  That Public School is an Unbiblical resource for Christian parents (Ps.1:1; Pr.19:27; Je.10:2).  Furthermore, no government can ever rightly claim the promise in Proverbs 22:6, nor will any government ever even desire to do so.

2.   Christian School—Is It Biblical?

a.     Consider the Institution: Generally, Christian School is a church-directed, multi-family classroom setting, teaching children “Christian” values and morals, which vary depending wholly upon the school.  These values and morals, no matter how Biblical, are either potentially diluted or often altogether negated by the children’s very peers within the classroom setting.

b.     Consider the Bible:  Christian school is neither condemned nor commanded anywhere in the Bible….

c.     Consider a Biblical Example: Solomon raised his son Rehoboam in the temple-oriented Judaistic school of his day (equivalent to a Christian school today), but lost his son to the folly of peer pressure (I Ki.12:1-19).  Peer pressure is equivalent to the “mixed multitude” planted by Satan amongst God’s people to instill in them a worldly appetite (Num.11:4).

d.     Consider:  The lukewarmness (Re.3:15-16) of entrusting one’s children to “an hireling”—that is, anyone but the child’s parents or rightful adoptive guardians (Jn.10:11-15).

e.     Conclude:  That Christian School, though not explicitly forbidden anywhere in Scripture, is nonetheless an extra- Biblical resource for Christian parents, and can therefore promise no Biblically guaranteed results. Remember, no church can ever claim the promise in Proverbs 22:6, simply because that promise was not written to a church.

3.   Home School—Is It Biblical?

a.     Consider the Institution:  Generally, Home School is a family-directed, individual-family educational setting, teaching children the values and morals of their own parents’ choosing—values and morals potentially undiluted and unhindered by that of their peers, of other families, or of the government.

b.     Consider the Bible:  Home school is clearly held forth by Biblical principle (Pro.22:6; Mal.4:6; Lu.1:17; Isa.38:19; 54:13…).

c.     Consider a Biblical Example: Abraham raised his son Isaac within his own tents and there trained him for life.  Abraham saw his son Isaac and even his grandson Jacob go on to serve their father’s God (He.11:8-9; Ge.18:17-19; 28:20-22).

d.     Consider:  The warmth (Re.3:15-16) of entrusting one’s children only to the shepherds God Himself intended for those children—the child’s PARENTS or adoptive guardians (Jn.10:11-15).

e.     Conclude:  That Home education is a fully Biblical resource for Christian parents. Of course, no mode of child education is a “cure-all” in and of itself.  However, home education, IF it is combined with an obedient devotion to the entire Bible on the parents’ part (Ge.18:19; Hos.4:6; 9:12; Deut.12:28), can and will serve to raise God-fearing, Christ-loving children (Ps.34:11; Is.54:13; Ep.6:4; Mt.22:37; Ex.15:2).  Remember, the conditional promise of Proverbs 22:6 is written directly to saved parents!

The Considerations:

 1.     Biblically, the responsibility for children’s training rests solely on their Christian parents, not on the church or the government (Pr.22:6; Is.38:19; Tit.2:3-5).

2.     Biblically, the accountability for children’s actions rests squarely on their Christian parents’ shoulders (I Sam.2:22-36; Pro.23:26; 29:15; Mal.4:6; Lu.1:17), not on the church or the government.

3.     The ancient method of child education promoted by the Bible’s examples (Ro.15:4; I Co.10:11,6) is an essential part of the “Old Paths” (Je.6:16) God requires Christian parents to seek and follow (Pr.22:6).

4.     Remember, lukewarmness is the characteristic of Laodicea, the church age in which we live (Rev.3:14-22).  Why contribute to Laodiceanism by raising a generation of young people complacently acquainted with God but zealously following their peers (Jud.2:10; I Ki.12:8; II Chr.10:8)?

5.     Statistically, home schooling far surpasses public school in positive results— academically, morally, and (potentially) spiritually!

6.     In the Bible, Isaac represents that which is initiated of God’s will, and Ishmael represents that which is initiated of man’s will. For all practical purposes, Isaac was home schooled, and Ishmael had a combination of home and secular education (at home with Abraham, and then in the wilderness of Paran and in Egypt, cf. Genesis 21:9-21).  Now, God was with both lads (Gen.17: 19; 21:20), but God favored Isaac (Gen.21:9-13; Gal.4:28-30).  Therefore, Isaac and Ishmael once were and still are at odds with each other, historically and figuratively.  Why? The reason is that one represents a system ordained of God, and the other represents a secular system ordained of men (Gal.4:28-29); thus, the system “born after the flesh” has an inbred dislike for the system “born after the Spirit.”  This vaguely related Biblical principle may reveal why the home school option is generally not a viable option in the popular mind of secular society today.  However, the facts remain—the Biblical, historical, and academic facts.  For devoted Christian parents, home school is the superior choice—Biblically, academically, and morally! 

7.     Even though Christian home schooling families are a “minority,” it is fully reassuring to know that “better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith” (Pr.15:16).

The Challenge:

 1.     Do not let your children be part of a generation that knows not the Lord (Jud.2:10).

2.     Claim Proverbs 22:6 for what it is—a PROMISE!

3.     Research the possibilities of Biblically home schooling your children—“while there is hope” (Pr.19:18)!

  -By: Dr. D. S. Piper (by God’s grace)