The Necessity of Christian Education
In Ephesians 6:4, Paul instructs fathers to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The original Greek is paideia, and understanding it helps us better understand the necessity of Christian education.
Paideia
The definition of paideia includes “the whole training and education of children (which relates to the cultivation of mind and morals).” It’s used to communicate everything done to instruct and raise a child. Certainly formal schooling is included.
The use of “paideia” implies the passing on of culture. The Greeks understood that their children were to inherit their society; therefore, their children must understand Greek values, know Greek history, and be able to promote a healthy Greek culture. Paul is telling us to do the same thing. The first-century audience in Ephesus did not have a Christian culture to pass on—they were creating one. They had to teach their children how to think, speak, and behave like Christians in every area of their lives.
Our goal is the same. We want our children to be thoroughly Christian. We want them to judge everything they encounter against the truth, and in order to do that, they must deeply and thoroughly know the Truth. We do that with paideia.
Neutrality is the lie of secularism.
Nothing is truly neutral; it is either for God or against Him. This includes education. It’s easy to think that math facts, nouns, verbs, the order of the planets, and the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence have nothing to do with morality. But when they are taught devoid of God, they are incomplete at best. Leaving God out of education implicitly communicates that He is not in control and that Christ is not Lord. The lie of secularism is neutrality—that there is truth apart from God. This is simply false.
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:16-17
Today’s public school students are being raised in the paideia of secularism—they are given a culture that believes Jesus is no more than an accessory.
We as Christian parents cannot abdicate the responsibility of educating our children. We must raise them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, showing them that all things were created by Him and for Him, and that in Him all things hold together.
This is the education we want for our own children, and we invite you to join us!
Contact us to schedule a parent meeting or apply today.
Liberty Classical School is a full-time, private Christian Classical school in Lincoln, NE. We exist to educate children that they may know and love the truth. We partner with parents to establish men and women who glorify God as loyal servants. We equip our students to be formidable adversaries of falsity and all other enemies of God. We believe that the primary end for education is not merely survival, but glory—glory in the truth and Glory to God—the Father, the Spirit and the Son—on Earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.