You are to read this weeks assigned materials which you think could be helpful to you in your role as a teacher. In the equi

Chapter 4

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

IN THE EARLY CHURCH

"BUT WHEN THE FULLNESS OF THE time came, God sent forth His Son" Jesus into the world ( Gal. 4:4 ). Although this passage speaks of the opportune time for Mary to deliver her new son Jesus into the world, it also has another dimension because God seemingly had prepared more than Mary for the coming of the Savior into the world. God had also been preparing the world itself for the coming of His Son.

THE CONTEXT OF EARLY CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Upon the conquest of Macedonia in 146 B.c., Greece became a province of the Roman political state, but in many respects Rome had been captured by Greek culture and intellect. Scarcely did any great Roman leader between Cato and Augustus Caesar ascend to the throne who was not heavily influ- enced by Greek teachers through the important role they played in prepar- ing him for leadership in Roman affairs. Crassus, Pompey, Mark Antony, Cicero, Julius Caesar, and Octavius (who later became known as Augustus Caesar) all continued in the educational centers of the East the Hellenistic Latin studies that they had begun in Rome. Of these men, none held greater influence in Roman life than Cicero. He held that a Greek literary and philosophical education was useful and necessary in the basic educational curriculum of every Roman citizen if he were to become a contributing

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member of society.1 Thus, many Roman citizens who were learned could understand both classical Greek and Latin. The acquisition of the Greek language was by no means a small factor. "With the Greek language a whole world of concepts, categories of thought, inherited metaphors, and subtle connotations of meaning enters Christian thought." 2 Those who lived during the time of Christ and His immediate followers were well versed in Greek philosophic thought, yet they preferred the more pragmatic emphasis of Roman education. Theirs was a fine blending of both educational systems.

What contributed to the collapse of the mighty Roman Empire has been the focus of debate for countless centuries. Of what we are sure, the aristoc- racy voted themselves out of the tax system and granted to many new citi- zens a reduced levy as well. Consequently, the finances required to maintain the vast empire fell to the commoners and the working class who did not hold Roman citizenship. Accommodation and compromise were essential for lasting harmony, and the Romans recognized this fact by initiating two- fold categories of laws, the ius civile, which applied to Roman citizens, and the ius gentium, which applied to all other people. 3 Eventually, the financial hardships required of the masses to fund Rome's military conquests and building campaigns went beyond that which they could bear. Simultaneous with these internal pressures were the border disputes with the Celts and the Germanic tribes in the west and the warring countries from the east. The empire had become too vast to manage, and eventually it lost control. In 476, Germanic tribes handed Romulus Augustus a rousing military defeat, and most historians view this defeat as the end of the empire.

The contribution of the great Roman Empire to the beginnings of Chris- tianity cannot be overstated. The Son of God was born into a world that valued learning. The Hebrews had contributed an emphasis upon monothe- ism and family-life education; the Greeks had provided an emphasis upon philosophic thought united under a common language; and the Romans gave the world a strong civil government with secure borders, commerce, communication, and stable means of transportation. Together, these national

1. Edward H. Reisner, Historical Foundations of Modern Education (New York: Macmillan, 1928), 113-20.

2. Werner Jaeger, Early Christianity and Greek Paideia ( Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University, 1961), 6.

3. E. H. Gwynne-Thomas, A Concise History of Education to 1900 a.d. (Kansas City: University of Missouri, 1981), 31.

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and cultural contributions laid the foundation for early Christian church education.

When considering the educational changes that occurred between the Roman Empire and the Christian church, one must follow two distinct lines of development. The imperial schools provided their students with one type of training and the Christian schools provided another type. As the centuries progressed, the number and influence of the pagan schools diminished while those established by the church slowly grew to dominate European educa- tion. The latter schools will be the focus of this chapter's investigation. 4

JESUS AS THE MASTER TEACHER

Jesus had humble human origins. Born into a small town far removed from the political leadership of Rome and the mighty learning centers of Athens and Corinth, Jesus came into the world as the son of a commoner. God could have chosen the lineage of a Greek aristocrat or a Roman politi- cian of His day. Instead, much to the dismay of both aristocrats and politi- cians, Jesus' entry into the world was witnessed by simple shepherds. He spent most of his life surrounded by those who had little power or influence. He chose to associate with the weak, the disenfranchised, and the lowly of society. He never studied in any of the great universities of His day and was trained in neither Greek rhetoric nor Roman military planning. Yet, He has become the leading force in politics, religion, science, economics, and phi- losophy since His days on earth. Jesus rarely called Himself a teacher, yet that role seems to be the one that others most often ascribed to Him. He was indeed the great Master Teacher.

The Gospels provide a glimpse into the early years of Jesus, but they focus more on His adult life and teachings. Because Jesus was not born into an economically affluent or socially prominent family, He most likely would not have had the luxury of higher education. His instruction, like that of other people of His socioeconomic background, would have comprised basic synagogue school after His bar mitzvah at the age of thirteen. In addition to this formal instruction, He would have been exposed to Jewish cultural and religious influences while observing the religious festivals and by participating in the temple sacrifices while He was visiting Jerusalem. During His young

4. Luella Cole, A History of Education: Socrates to Montessori (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1962), 72.

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adult years, He would also have become an apprentice in the trade of His earthly father Joseph until the age of thirty, at which time He obviously chose a different career path and became a teacher of some national renown.

Jesus was a skillful educator. Although He was not a formal teacher per se, such as the Greek philosophers or the Roman orators who were paid for their services, He was dedicated and committed to the task of instructing His learn- ers in the knowledge of spiritual truth. He was viewed differently than the rabbis of His day because He was perceived as one who taught with authority (Matt. 7:29). Although He was unlearned in the science of educational instruc- tion, He nevertheless possessed a vast repertoire of instructional methodolo- gies. For example, He often spoke in parables (see Matt. 25:1-30; Mark 4:2-20; Luke 10:25-37), which created a degree of intellectual disequilibrium in his learners. He also used parables because they required higher levels of critical thinking (i.e., more than the simple acquisition of facts) from His disciples and those who came to challenge Him. Parables revealed biblical truths and values through the medium of stories. These stories remained fixed in the mind of the listener and were more easily recalled.

Jesus also taught through proclamation. This form of instruction engaged both the mind and the heart of the learner. Jesus' statements of "You have heard it said … but I say to you" (see Matt. 5:21-22, 27-28, 33-34) chal- lenged the learner to encounter and assimilate new forms of meaning and purpose into otherwise old forms of knowledge. We see frequent opportuni- ties of Jesus to lecture to the masses through His sermons on the mountain (Matt. 5-7), on the plain (Luke 15), and in synagogues (Matt. 4:23; Luke 4). Because Jesus' followers were not highly educated, He often adjusted his instructional methodologies such as to relate His message to their worldview.

Jesus taught through simple object lessons. Jesus revealed some of His most profound symbols by this method (Matt. 13). For example,Jesus used water to communicate the nature and purpose of biblical worship to a Sa- maritan woman at a roadside well (John 4). He used old wineskins to speak of Old Testament curriculum and the need for new paradigms of thinking (Matt. 9:17). He used children as an object lesson to point people to the true nature of kingdom living (Matt. 19:13-15), a lost coin to reveal God's quest for the misplaced soul (Mark 12:13-17), and a ripened field to portray the spiritual harvest that is available to those who serve as ministers of the gos- pel (John 4:35). Perhaps the most profound object lesson was the one that He gave to His disciples during their last meal together. Taking the loaf of

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bread and the cup of wine, He revealed a new spiritual meaning by stating, "This is My body … this is My blood of the covenant" (Mark 14:22, 24). The use of object lessons helped the listeners bring new spiritual meaning and insights to otherwise common elements of their world.

Jesus taught using various methods of speech as well. He used similes in which two different objects are brought together to reveal explicit compari- sons. For example, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants" (Matt. 13:31). He also used metaphors in which an implicit comparison is made between two objects. For example, "I am the vine, you are the branches" Qohn 15:5), and "I am the good shepherd" Qohn 10:11).

Jesus also used poetry in His teaching. The ancient Greeks used this ap- proach frequently as it became a standard element of their curriculum. Speak- ing of this method as employed by Jesus, Prevost and Reed write, "Jewish poetry in Jesus' day was not based on rhyme but on rhythm and parallelism. The educational effectiveness of ancient poetry lies in its repetitive nature and repetition of the rhythmic beat or of parallel thoughts." 5 Examples of such parallelism used by Jesus include, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned" (Luke 6:37).

Another figure of speech that Jesus used in His teaching is hyperbole. Hyperbole is a controversial method because of the methods of hermeneu- tics employed to interpret the passage and make relevant application of the instruction. The difficulty lies in trying to sort through the difference be- tween what is said and what is meant. How literally does Jesus expect us to take Him? An example of this method is found in His admonition to pluck out your eye or cut off your hand if it causes you to sin (Matt. 5:29-30). Perhaps a more controversial example would be the extent to which a Chris- tian is suppose to avoid physical confrontation when Jesus commands us, "Do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also" (Matt. 5:39). A literal interpretation of the latter example would certainly preclude one from service in either the military or any law enforcement agencies. Although Jesus often overstated certain com- mands, a good deal of cross-referencing is needed to bring a balanced per- spective to bear on His message.

5. James E. Reed and Ronnie Prevost, A History of Christian Education (Nash- ville: Broadman & Holman, 1993), 66.

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Jesus was a master of varied methods as well. At times, He taught in a

small village hamlet, whereas at other times He purposefully approached the

synagogue that was filled to capacity. At times, He pulled away from the

crowds to reveal II is teachings to a smaller audience, whereas at other times

He taught at the doorstep of the temple while the city was swollen with the

multitudes. At times, He addressed the religious leaders with a fiery message

filled with passion and conviction; at other times, Ile spoke with the gentle-

ness and grace of a father to his young child. He revealed an expertise that

was anything but expected from such a formally unlearned man. In some

ways, this paradox was what attracted to His teaching those who knew the

difference between the sophists and the commoners. The Pharisees and

other religious leaders of His day knew that Jesus was something beyond

ordinary. Many people feared Hirn and were threatened hy His succes~.

They knew that something about His ways was supernatural; indeed, His

ability to perform miracles added a great deal of authenticity to His mes-

sage. Regardless of hmv the world might have understood His message,

however, there was no mistaking His unique ability to communicate biblical

truth such as to captivate and convict the multitude.

CHRISTIAN EoucATION IN THE ArosTouc AcE

It did not take long for the impassioned followers of Christ to get about the

task of communicating the gospel to the lost and needy world around them. The

apostles began to spread the good news of the gospel message to those with

whom they made contact during the daily occurrenu:s of life. After healing a

lame man who was sitting at the cntrance of the temple, Peter and John boldly

preached a message that resulted in the salvation of five thousand men. The next

day, the religious rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in the temple courtyard to

challenge these two apostles. Even the high priest Caiaphas and several others of

high-priestly descent had gathered for the occasion. It wasn't often that the high

priest entered into public debate to defend Judaism, so undoubtedly the crowd

was enormous. It was an unfortunate day indeed for Caiaphas because he was

about to be publicly humiliated by an unlearned fisherman and the Holy Spirit

of God. So impressive was Peter's eloquence that at the debate the multitude

began asking themselves how such an unlearned man could speak with such

persuasive power and conviction: "they were amazed, and began to recognize

them as having been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).

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Recognizing that the unlearned disciples of Jesus had begun speaking and teaching with a boldness to which the rabbis and the sophists of their day were unaccustomed, the Jewish authorities sought quickly to extinguish the influence of these seemingly academically untrained commoners. While they were meeting to discuss how to rid themselves of such intellectually ignorant men, the acclaimed Jewish scholar Gamaliel warned the Jewish council of elders that had assembled to be cautious. He stated,

Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to noth- ing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not to able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fight- ing against God. (Acts 5:35-39)

What is significant about this passage is that the council of the elders flogged Peter and John for what they were teaching, and the response of the disciples was that "they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name" (v. 41). Such was the effectiveness of being under the tutelage of the Master Teacher for three years of in-depth studies.

In spite of the resulting persecution, the apostles continued to teach and preach the Scriptures to those who would listen. Acts 5 concludes with this summary statement: "And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ" (v. 42). The obvious result is that the Jerusalem church continued to grow numerically and spiritually.

Those of Jewish descent were learning for the first time the true meaning of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. Those who knew the scriptural predictions were comparing current events with biblical references. Many of them were becoming convinced that Jesus was the Messiah and that His death on the Cross and His subsequent resurrection

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provided mankind with the hope for which they had been waiting so many years. Having accepted the message of the apostles' teachings and become partakers of the new covenant, these new Jewish converts began meeting together in small fellowships to study the Scriptures in more detail and provide needed encouragement to one another.

The structure and forms of worship in the Jerusalem church would have looked very Jewish at first. They continued to meet at the temple (Acts 3:1; 5:20), met for worship on the Sabbath (1:12), observed daily prayers (3:1), kept the Jewish dietary laws (10:14), read from the Old Testament Scriptures (2:17-21, 25-28; 6:4), and maintained the practice of circumcision. To the outside observer, Christianity would have looked like a mild revision of Juda- ism. But for a few differences, such as assembling for worship on the first day of the week instead of the Sabbath, meeting in homes for small group fellowship, and structuring the church according to one's giftedness (as op- posed to being born into the priestly tribe), the church would have looked much like a Jewish community of believers. In a short time, however, this situation would all change.

The religious leaders in Jerusalem did not take lightly to seeing their Jew- ish faith compromised by such apostasy. The only reasonable response was to put an end to such cultic practices. Persecution began to spread through the region (Acts 8:2). Those who had come to faith in Christ had to weigh their decision in light of the possibility of facing economic, social, and per- haps even physical consequences. Jewish merchants who had converted to Christianity found that they were unable to buy and sell their products in the marketplace. Members of their own family and community shunned these new believers. Some of them were put on trial and mocked in front of their peers. When that failed to stem the tide, physical retaliation became a rea- sonable option. Many Jewish converts to Christ were put in prison, and some of them were put to death. The result was surprising to those who had planned these events. Rather than eliminating Christianity, such harsh means only resulted in a purification of the faith and a resolve not to bow to such pressure. Enduring under the hardships of persecution gave these new be- lievers a sense of satisfaction that somehow they had been found worthy to share in the suffering and identification with Christ. Jesus had told them before departing not to give up on the city of Jerusalem but to remain there and establish a foothold for the new faith (Acts 1:4, 8). The apostles re- mained firm to their commission and taught the Scriptures to these new

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converts daily. Converts who were not of Jewish descent simply decided to return to their homelands, where the pressure would be inconsequential.

The book of Acts records that many tradesmen and merchants from dis- tant lands were present in Jerusalem during the Passover celebration when Christ was put to death. Many of these individuals remained in Jerusalem an additional fifty days so they could continue their business of selling and trading (Acts 2:6-11, 41). They also witnessed the events of Pentecost and were amazed at what they had seen and heard with their own eyes and ears. Armed with the conviction that they had just witnessed the dramatic hand of God, many of these individuals also became believers. With Passover and Pentecost over, they returned home to resupply their goods and share with their family and friends what they had just experienced. No doubt, many of them were now living radically transformed lives, and the evidence that some- thing profound had taken place was hard to deny. The result was that small fellowships of this new religion began to develop outside the confines of Israel's borders.

The Jewish religious leaders were concerned about these new pockets of resistance and commissioned a zealous young man with impeccable creden- tials to see what could be done to rid the land of these cultic followers. The Jerusalem council of elders sent Saul with the express purpose of exterminat- ing Christians wherever he could find them. Along the way, on his way to persecute Christians in the city of Damascus, Syria, he had an unexpected encounter with the resurrected Christ Himself (Acts 9). The resulting con- version of Saul was miraculous given the extent of his success as a religious bounty hunter. His reputation preceded him, so it is not surprising to dis- cover that the apostles at the Jerusalem church were somewhat skeptical of him once he returned (v. 26).

Simultaneous with these events, new churches were being founded in villages, towns, and cities all along the Mediterranean coast. One such city was Antioch to the north. No one knows for sure who brought the gospel message to this bustling city, but we do know that it was not one of the apostles (Acts 8:1). Perhaps one of the merchants discussed earlier brought the good news to them (11:19-22). At any rate, the church in Antioch took root and began to flourish, and it soon garnered the attention of the apostles in Jerusalem. Because it had not been founded by one of the apostles, and neither had any of the apostles been present to teach them the Scriptures, they agreed that an envoy from the Jerusalem church should be sent to

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examine the legitimacy of what was happening (v. 23). They decided to send Barnabas, who in turn invited Saul (now renamed Paul) to join him. At

Antioch, Barnabas discipled Paul for about a year while providing him with the direction he needed to serve as a church leader (vv. 25-26).

From this point, with the notable exception of Acts 15, the prominence of the apostles' ministry diminished while the service of Paul increased sub- stantially. Paul embarked on three missionary journeys with the intent of

taking the gospel message to Jews and Gentiles throughout the European region. No other man is as deserving of our adulation and respect as Paul for his many sacrifices and service to our Lord. He established new churches;

mentored and trained church leaders; provided necessary discipline like a father to his children; chronicled his teaching and instruction, which have remained for our benefit; and eventually laid down his life for the cause of

world evangelism and discipleship.

6. Robert W. Pazmino, The Evangelical Dictionary of Christian Education, ed. Michael]. Anthony (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001), s.v. "Teachings of Paul."

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Tradition tells us that the other apostles spread throughout the other

countries of the known world, conducting similar church planting enter-

prises. As they journeyed, they wrote letters that remain to this day as

books in our New Testament. Tradition tells us that they also developed a

church manual for the training of new believers. This sixteen-chapter book,

called the Didache, instructs the new convert in matters pertaining to prop- erly living the Christian life ( chaps. 1-6); teachings regarding baptism, com- munion, and fasting (chaps. 7-10); distinguishing between false teachers

and godly prophets; qualifications for church leaders (chaps. 11-15); and

living a godly lifestyle in light of the imminent return ofJesus Christ (chap. 16).

In partnership with the Holy Spirit, the apostles established the founda-

tion for the church that remains throughout the world to this day. Although

they were relatively unlearned men by the world's standards, they were faith-

ful servants to a living God. They established churches and schools where

the …