Topical Bible: Children: Mode of Giving Public Instruction To

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In biblical times, the instruction of children was a matter of great importance, deeply rooted in the religious and cultural practices of the Israelites. The mode of giving public instruction to children was primarily centered around the home, the community, and religious institutions, with a strong emphasis on imparting spiritual and moral education.

Parental Responsibility

The primary responsibility for instructing children lay with the parents, particularly the father, as the spiritual head of the household. This is evident in the Shema, a central declaration of faith in Judaism, found in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 : "These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." This passage underscores the continuous and diligent nature of instruction, integrating it into daily life.

Community and Religious Instruction

Beyond the family, the community played a significant role in the education of children. The synagogue, which emerged during the Babylonian exile, became a central place for public instruction. Here, children learned to read and understand the Scriptures. The communal aspect of learning is highlighted in Nehemiah 8:2-3 , where Ezra the scribe reads the Law to the assembly, including men, women, and all who could understand: "So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand. And he read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in the presence of the men, women, and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law."

Role of the Law and Scripture

The Law and the Scriptures were central to the instruction of children, serving as the foundation for moral and spiritual education. Psalm 78:5-7 emphasizes the importance of passing down the testimonies and laws of God to the next generation: "For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them—the children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments."

Wisdom Literature

The wisdom literature of the Bible, particularly the Book of Proverbs, also played a crucial role in the instruction of children. Proverbs 22:6 advises, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." This reflects the belief that early instruction in wisdom and righteousness would have a lasting impact on a child's life.

Jesus and Children

In the New Testament, Jesus' attitude towards children further highlights their importance in the community of faith. In Mark 10:14 , Jesus says, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." This statement not only affirms the value of children but also suggests that they are to be included in the spiritual life and instruction of the community.

Conclusion

The mode of giving public instruction to children in biblical times was a comprehensive process involving the family, community, and religious institutions. It was deeply rooted in the Scriptures and aimed at instilling a lifelong commitment to God and His commandments.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 2:46
And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 22:3
I am truly a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as you all are this day.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Home Occupations and Travels in England and Wales.
... through an interpreter, she declined his giving sentence by ... establish a school for
poor children; several present ... I so highly approve of this mode of Scripture ...
/.../chapter x home occupations and.htm

The Blessedness of Giving
... I used; what I kept, I lost." "Giving to the ... after supporting his family and thoroughly
educating his six children. ... retains this simplicity in his mode of life ...
/.../various/the wonders of prayer/the blessedness of giving.htm

The Land and the People.
... 189] The familiar mode of teaching ... 193] Schoolmasters were appointed in every town,
and children were taught ... the killing letter for the life-giving spirit, and ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 17 the land and.htm

How Churches Can Help Ministers.
... nor ask him to change his mode of preaching ... Hence they have talked about giving their
property for the ... minister he employs to teach his children, and requires ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xiii how churches can.htm

The Great Confession - the Great Commission - the Great ...
... such as that to the disciples about giving them His ... it were for no other reason than
the mode in which ... There was a strange idea about Jewish children who had ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxxvii the great confession.htm

Baptists.
... born again; that regeneration consists in giving a holy ... others by their opinions
respecting the mode and subjects ... not to be administered to children or infants ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/baptists.htm

Six Years in North Bengal --Missionary and Indigo Planter
... be out in it from morning till evening, giving necessary directions ... My children can
speak nearly as well as the ... The mode of printing, ie whether a printing-press ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter iv six years in.htm

The General Conference of 1832
... are we willing that our children should receive a ... they are familiar, and because
no mode of reconciling ... assigned, and both, because, in giving the preference ...
/.../chapter 11 the general conference.htm

The Deputation from Jerusalem - the Three Sects of the Pharisees ...
... Such mode of giving a by-name' to a party or ... party among them, repudiated marriage,
adopted children to train ... To the astonished onlookers this mode of life was ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ii the deputation from.htm

The Life of Christ.
... he "sent forth and slew all the children that were ... the attendance of vast assemblages
by giving general notice ... that He adhered to a uniform mode of travelling. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/chapter ii the life of.htm