REFLECTION ESSAY 3
Reflection Essay
Education Through the Lens of Scripture
One major lesson I take from this class course is the importance of what Scripture teaches
from the beginning to the end. As Benson claims, "we are to live according to the instructions set
out for us in the Old and New Testament." (Anthony & Benson, 2003, p. 123). The best
instructions we can get from Scripture are who Jesus was and what examples He came to teach
humanity. From the Gospels, I see Jesus teaching us about life and every aspect. I get to see
God’s perfect will for every believer as Jesus taught about marriage, children, work, how to live
life, and how to deal with death.
I also learned how important the understanding of secular philosophy is to know what the
worldview is about and be better equipped to defend the Christian worldview. 'Knowing the
metaphysical and epistemological presuppositions of those who would oppose our faith is of
tremendous value." (Anthony & Benson, 2003, p. 123). I learned that it is vital for our youth to
learn secular philosophy (In my early years as a Christian, I was told to stay away from secular
books about philosophy). Our youth need to be aware of secular philosophy, and they need to
know that the written Word of God provides the answers to people's lives. Christian worldview
was born with Christ's coming: "His life provided an example of how we ought to live and treat
one another." (Anthony & Benson, 2003, p. 124).
Summary of the History of Christian Education
The Roman Empire provided a world that “valued learning” (Anthony & Benson, 2003,
p. 98). The Hebrews' significant contribution was the importance of "monotheism and family-
life education” (Anthony & Benson, 2003, p. 98). The Greeks gave the “philosophic thought
united under a common language.” (Anthony & Benson, 2003, p. 98). As Christian education
REFLECTION ESSAY 4
became part of the believer's lives, two lines of development became apparent. The "imperial
schools" (Anthony & Benson, 2003, p. 99) had one way of teaching while the "Christian schools
were teaching had another way of teaching. As time went by, the pagan school's influence
"diminished" (99) while the Christian school influence "grew to dominate European education."
(99).
Jesus Christ was the Master teacher. Christian education starts with Jesus and His
teachings. "Jesus was a skillful educator, although he was not a formal teacher per se" (Anthony
& Benson, 2003, p. 100). Spiritual truth was the main objective of Jesus' teachings. He proclaims
the truth by multiple methods, such as Parables, hyperbole, poetry, and similes, “through simple
object lesson.” (Anthony & Benson, 2003, p. 100). Jesus taught his disciples to teach in the same
manner, and the disciples eventually took on the task of sharing the gospel. From that point on,
the Disciples shared their knowledge with the Church Fathers, and from then on, Christian
educators began to form the church as a center of Christian education.
