By the time you read this, the school year is well on its way. For this reason I thought it might be appropriate to write an article on the subject of Christian education. I do so because I am greatly concerned that a growing number of parents (also in our denomination) do not know what a Christian education is or why it is necessary. I hope this article will help to correct that problem.

What It Is Not⤒🔗

The first question I would like to consider is, what is Christian education? In answering this question, let us first be clear on what a Christian education is NOT. In the first place, a Christian education is NOT an essentially secular education with the Bible attached. Those who know any­thing about the education system in the Netherlands will know that years ago (perhaps still today) they used to have something called the "School met de Bijbel." These were interdenominational Christian schools that catered to a broad spectrum of the Christian community. For the most part the teachers in these schools were Christians (in many cases Reformed Christians), but the school did not have a creedal basis, meaning it was not bound — neither were its teachers — to the Three Forms of Unity. It was, as its name suggests, a school with the Bible.

Such schools used the same curriculum even the same textbooks as the public schools. All of the subjects were taught from an essentially secular perspective. The only difference was that in the "School met de Bijbel" the teachers were Christians, they prayed and read the Bible and they had stricter standards of discipline. For the rest, there was no difference. That, I submit, is NOT a Christian education. Secondly, a Christian education is NOT an education where the teachers and the supporting community of the school, which provides that education, are members of the came denomination (or congregation) and/or where the school is under the oversight of a local consistory. I am thinking, for example, of Netherlands Reformed Congregation schools and, to a certain extent, Canadian Reformed schools (minus consistory oversight), and many so-called "evangelical" schools. While there are many advantages to such schools (e.g. you can ensure that what is taught — especially in Bible class — is in accordance with the doctrinal standards of a particular church), just because the teachers and members of a supporting community are members of the same church or just because the school is under the oversight of a local consistory does not necessarily mean the education that is offered in that school is Christian.

What It Is←⤒🔗

Having stated what a Christian education is NOT, let me try to state what I think a Christian education IS — or at least ought to be. Briefly, a Christian education is a system of education where every subject is taught from a distinctively Christian perspective. By "Christian perspective" I mean a perspective that begins with the premise that God is the Creator of all things.

In my view, the underlying premise of Christian education is beautifully expressed in Lord's Day 9 of the Heidelberg Catechism. There the question is asked:

What believest thou when thou sayest, "I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth?"

Answer: That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them; who likewise upholds and governs the same by His eternal counsel and providence, is for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father; on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt, but He will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body: and further, that He will make whatever evils He sends upon me, in this valley of tears turn out to my advantage; for He is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing, being a faithful Father.

In this Lord's Day we confess that God is the creator, sustainer and governor of all things. When we say that God is the creator of all things we mean He made all things: the moon, the stars, the planets, the sky, the mountains, the lakes, the rivers, the fish, the birds, the animals and man: God made everything. When we say God is the sustainer of all things we mean He keeps it all going: He keeps the moon and planets in their orbit, He causes the seasons to come and go, He enables plants and animals and human beings to procreate their own species: He keeps it all going. When we say that God is the governor of all things we mean nothing happens by chance. God directs all things to accomplish His purpose: wars, famines, plagues, natural disasters, the rise and fall of kings, presidents and prime ministers, terrorist attacks — everything is in God's control and serves to accomplish His purpose.

Implications for Teaching←⤒🔗

All of this has profound implications for how we teach our children. If God is the creator of all things, it means the world and everything in it was not the product of a random freak of nature (a "big bang" or a complicated evolutionary process extending over billions of years); rather the world and everything in it was created by God. If God is the sustainer of all things that means we must reject a purely mechanistic and naturalistic view of the universe, which teaches that all things are subject to certain inalienable laws of nature (e.g. the reason why the planets maintain their orbit around the sun because of competing laws of gravity). While we acknowledge this to be true, we must insist that the One who created and maintained these laws of gravity is God Himself. Finally, if God is the governor of all things, it means we must reject a secular view of history, which teaches that history is what we make of it. The fact is that history is not what we make of it. History is what GOD makes of it. It is, in a very real sense, HIS story. He is directing all things to accomplish His purposes.

In order for an education to be called Christian, therefore, it must begin with and be informed by this premise: that God is the creator, sustainer and governor of all things. This premise must permeate the teaching of every subject area — not just Bible and church history but also math, history, science, art, music, geography — and even physical education. If it does not, it is NOT a Christian education.

Admittedly this is not always easy to do. For example, how does one teach math from a Christian perspective? But it can and must be done and our teachers must constantly seek to refine their curriculum, making it more explicitly Christian with each passing year.

Why Christian Education?←⤒🔗

The next question we wish to consider is why must we pro­vide our children with such an education? Basically, there are two reasons why we as believing parents are required to provide a Christian education for our children.

1. God Demands It←↰⤒🔗

The first reason is this: because God demands it. This can be easily proven from the Scriptures. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Moses writes:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 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. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house. and on thy gates.

Moses here commands the people of Israel to speak to their children about the things of the Lord at every available opportunity: when they are sitting in their house, when they are walking by the way and when they go to sleep at night. The entire day should be punctuated with conversation about God and His Word. Although Moses here is not mandating Christian education per se, surely Christian education (whether it is provided by a Christian day school or at home) is surely consistent with the principles outlined here. What better way to fulfil this command of the Lord than by having your children learn every subject from a distinctively Christian perspective — to cause them to see the hand of our creating, sustaining and governing God in every realm of intellectual inquiry?

Another Scripture proof is found in Psalm 78:1-8:

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, chewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testi­mony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God"

Here Asaph, the author of this psalm, exhorts the people of Israel not to hide from their children "the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done." By "wonderful works" he means specifically His work of redemption (this is clear from the context) but we could include His works of creation as well. Thus, what Asaph is saying is this: it is our task as parents to speak to our children about the things that God has done in both the realm of creation and the realm of redemption.

Following this, he reminds the people that this is the command of the Lord Himself: "For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children." Speaking to their children about "the praises of the Lord and His strength and His wonderful works" is not an option. It is not something we can take or leave. It is required by God Himself.

One more Scripture proof is Ephesians 6:1-4. Here the apostle Paul writes: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.''

Paul here exhorts fathers to bring up their children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord". Again, while Paul is not specifically mandating Christian education here, surely it is implied. How can we say that we are bringing up our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord when we are not providing them with a Christian educa­tion? It is all part of one package: what we teach them at home and in church must also be taught in the school. That is the only way we can be faithful to what the Lord requires

2. We Promised to Provide It←↰⤒🔗

A second reason why we as believing parents are required to provide a Christian education is this: because we promised to provide it. Here I refer you to the third question of the Form for Infant Baptism. There the parents who are presenting their children for baptism are asked: "Whether you promise and intend to see these children, when come to the years of discretion (whereof you are either parent or witness), instructed and brought up in the aforesaid doctrine, or help or cause them to be instructed therein, to the utmost of your power?" After which they are required to answer "Yes."

Mention is made here of the "aforesaid doctrine." This is a reference to question 2: "the doctrine that is taught in the Old and New Testament and which is taught here in this Christian church." Parents, therefore, are required to see to it that their children are instructed and brought up in this aforesaid doctrine. This is what they promise to do when they present their children for baptism. Notice: they are not to ensure that their children are to be "instructed" only in this doctrine, but also "brought up in" it. This implies a consistent link between home, school and church. Moreover, they are to do all this "to the utmost of their power."

Surely, all of this implies that parents are required to provide their children with a Christian education. To be sure, there are exceptions. But in general, no believing parent, having answered yes to these questions, can justi­fy sending their children to a public school. It is simply not an option.

For Further Reading←⤒🔗

Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, by Doug Wilson. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1991.

Although this book was written mainly to explain and defend classical Christian education, Wilson provides an excellent critique of the public education system and an able defense of Christian education. He also deals effec­tively with the argument that Christians should work to reform the public education system from within. Highly recommended.

Report on Christian Education, Acts of Synod, Free Reformed Churches of North America, 1979.

I came across this report while browsing through the Free Reformed CD (available from the Free Reformed Publications Committee). This report argues in favour of the establishment of distinctively Free Reformed schools. It also spells out the consistory's responsibility in this regard. Consistories should copy this report and distribute it to the members.