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Most references to teaching and education in the Bible are about teaching about life and faith.

DeuteronomyMoses explains to the Israelites the laws and decrees they must keep, explaining that the Lord has instructed him to teach these things (see 4:1–14).

PsalmsThe psalmists long for the Lord to teach the people his ways (see 27:11): wisdom (see 51:6), decrees (see 119:12), laws (see 119:108), and statutes (see 132:12). The key here is obedience to God.

the GosPelsAll the Gospels are about education. They are about the life-changing and world-changing impacts of a remarkable, charismatic teacher, whom followers called Rabbi. Jesus’ teachings are radically different from the teachings of his time:

» a movement from a subject focus to a person focus

» a movement from listener to participator

» a movement from memorizing to changing behavior

» a movement from insistence to choice

» a movement from individual to community

What the Bible Has to Say About

Education

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the lettersIt is often said that the later New Testament writings would not have been necessary if the early church had been problem-free. The educational style of the letters is corrective: You did A; you should be doing B.

Paul reminded the Romans that teaching was a specific gift (see 12:7). Ephesians 4:11 links the gift of teaching to pastoring. An elder should be able to teach. The teacher should be a “reliable man” (see Timothy 2:2), known for integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech (see Titus 2:7).

Further recurring themes include an admonition against false doctrine (see Timothy 1:3) and false teachers (see 2 Peter 2:1); and a desire to move on from elementary to mature, or more complex, matters (see Hebrews 5:11—6:2).

a Christian PersPeCtive on learning and education cannot be built solely upon these references. Also crucial is an understanding of the biblical basis of freedom and opportunity that God gives equally to all. Key passages include the creation narratives and the reminder in Galatians 3:28 that we are all one in Christ Jesus. We are all here to populate and look after the earth, and we are all equally responsible for that. So if one person does not have the same opportunity as another to learn how best to live, then we are denying that person the freedom God originally gave him or her to be equally responsible.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2008 by World Vision Resources, Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716, 253-815-3320, wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.

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About World VisionWorlD vision is a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to helping children and their families break free from poverty. Our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ. We see a world where each child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. And we know this can be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World Vision is unique: We bring nearly sixty years of experience in three key areas needed to help children and families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy. And we bring all of our skills across many areas of expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to care for children’s physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

WorlD vision resourCes educates Christians about global poverty, inspires them to social justice, and equips them with innovative resources to make a difference in the world. By developing biblically-based materials for educators and ministry leaders on the causes and consequences of global poverty, World Vision Resources supports the organizational mandate to move the church in the United States to more fully embrace its biblical responsibility to serve the poor.

For more information about our resources, contact:

World Vision Resources

www.worldvision.orgwvresources@worldvision.org