REFORMED WITNESS
Volume XIII, October 2005, Number 10
Education
By Prof. G. M. Ophoff
An Editorial from the March 1, 1935 issue of The Standard Bearer
See more articles by this author
Also in this issue: Four Pictures - by Rev. J. Kortering
We must now take up the matter of the kind of food with which the soul of the child must be fed. This food is mental/spiritual, in distinction from material. Bread (material) was created for the body of man. But the bread of the soul is the idea, the concept, the word in which the concept is incorporated, and the word is Christ and He only. Christ is the soul's food, the soul's bread of life, living water, wine, milk. The saint eats and drinks Him, His flesh and blood, and therefore lives. "Except," said He, "ye eat my flesh and drink my blood, ye have no life in yourselves." Christ is the sole bread of the soul. Let me prove by quoting from scripture that I now too tread on scriptural ground. Wrote Peter, (I quote the original) "As new born babes long ye after the mental, genuine milk, that by it ye may grow..." Consider that Christ is the milk. But does the believer actually drink Christ? He does, not in the Romish but in the Scriptural sense. Know that Christ gave us a pure, unadulterated revelation of Himself. There is therefore a word, a doctrine, of Christ through which we see perfectly (though darkly) Him - the Christ, the fulness that dwells in Him bodily. Him we see, His person, His natures, the works He wrought in behalf of His people, His glories. We see His face and in His face the glories of God. Because there is perfect agreement between Him and the revelation He gave us of Himself, the soul of the believer eats and drinks Him through eating, imbibing His self-revelation, so that the exhortation of the apostle, "Let the word dwell richly in you" that is, eat the word is tantamount to the saying of Christ, "Eat my flesh and drink ye my blood" and to the exhortation of Peter, "Long ye after the genuine, mental milk."
Thus, if the question be put: What is the only food for the child's soul? The answer must be: The Word of God. From this it follows that the school as well as the church and the home must feed the child with the Word of God, as this Word is the only food that the soul of the child can thrive upon.
But this presentation of the matter raises a question. If the school too feeds the child with the Word, how does the school as an instrument of training differ from the church? Let us reply to this. The feeding of the child with the Word is the sole task of the church. Its exclusive calling is to preach the Word, to lead, as the mother of believers her children, in the green pastures of the Word. Now the school too feeds the child with the Word that it may grow spiritually and morally, trains the child to walk in the way of the covenant. But the task of the school in distinction from that of the church, is also to provide the child with that technical mental equipment it needs for the following of an earthly pursuit in the structure of this earth. The child certainly must be taught how to read, write and spell. He should know something of the science of numbers, of the art of computation by figures. He should be equipped with some historical knowledge. He should know the geography of world, especially of his country or at least of his own place of residence. It will do him no harm to know of how many bones his mortal frame is comprised and how his vital organs function. He should be made to learn a trade, train for some profession or at least be prepared for some kind of useful work. This knowledge, I would say, is as indispensable to the child as his rationality. Ignorance of letters, inability to read and to write is certainly a great handicap. What sense is there in placing a Bible in the hands of a man who cannot read?
Now it is the task of the school and thus not of the church to impart unto the child this technical, practical, earthy knowledge. The sole task of the church, as was said, is to preach the Word. Now Holy Writ is no textbook on the technic of farming and building. It sheds no technical light on the various trades and crafts. The Bible is a spiritual guide, the lamp for the believer's feet, the light upon his pathway of life. It cannot; therefore, be the task of the church to teach the child how to read and to write and to spell. This is the task of the home and of the school. The exclusive task of the church is to attend to the spiritual/moral, the religious training, if you will, of the believers and their seed.
But the task of the school is, as was said, to equip the child with that technical knowledge of the earthly that he/she needs to make his/her way, as the friend of God through this life. However, this is not the sole task of the school. I must express myself even more strongly and say that this is not the task of the school, but to truly feed the child that he/she may grow, spiritually, morally, to lead out and up the child. But consider that to truly feed the child consists of something more than to teach the child how to read and to write and to spell, consists of something more than to fill the child's soul with mere historical and geographical knowledge of country and of the world. Does anyone suppose that a child will grow if his/her soul is made to feed exclusively on mere numbers and dead letters and cold historical data? Dead letters and cold facts are not the soul's food. The acquisition of earthly knowledge and natural, technical skill does not result in true growth. A man may be ever so skilled in some profession, trade or craft and still be a dwarf. The child needs something more for his/her soul than this kind of food, if food it can be called, if it is to truly grow.
Consider that the child (I speak now of the regenerated child) is a spiritual/rational, moral creature, endowed with the holy capacities to spiritually know, discern, will, desire, love, esteem, venerate, worship and serve. Such a child will truly grow intellectually and morally in the positive-spiritual sense, grow socially and religiously, when he/she is made to fix his/her eye upon and to feed his/her soul with the image of another rational moral being that is infinite perfection, the inclusion of all that is true, beautiful, and good, a being; therefore, whom the child can contemplate with all the exalted delight of which he/she is capable, and whom he/she can love, revere, adore, magnify and praise, worship and serve with all the strength of his/her holy devotion. Only with such a being before his/her eye, can and will the soul of the child unfold, grow and come to its own. To such a being only, will the heart of the child go out and will the child feel itself drawn. Only upon the image of such a being will the soul of the child in the power of his/her Redeemer feed. This being is the true God as revealed in the face of Christ Jesus. Therefore, Christ only is the true bread of life and the living water.
Know that what I here present is not so much pious chatter. The world also is saying that the above-given conception is, in a formal sense (mark you, I say in a formal sense) true. The world knows as well as we that the social-religious, the positive-spiritual growth of the child deserves emphasis. The world no more than we feeds the souls of its children with dead letters and cold facts. The world knows as well as we that, if the child will truly grow, he must be made to fix his eye upon the image of a rational-moral being of perfection, a being that is all to the child, a being; therefore, who will lead the child out and up, whose very image arouses in the child its slumbering capacities for love and service and hero worship, a being whose very image, whose accomplishments and achievements, good deeds and excellencies are a constant inspiration to the child and will draw the child out of itself. The world knows as well as we that the moral-spiritual nature will awaken and grow only when brought in contact with the moral-spiritual. To illustrate: it is the suckling child nestling on the mother's breast that awakens the maternal love and pity that was slumbering in her being, that thus it is the mother in her that clasps the child to her heart.
But what the world, the natural man, dead through trespasses and sin denies, is that the rational-moral being upon whose image the child must feed, if it is to grow, is the true God as revealed in the face of Christ. But consider that the world and its children has, must have, its god or gods upon whose image it feeds that it may grow. This god is the worldling himself, if he be thoroughly self-centered as to his conscious life or, if he be an altruist addicted to the principles that involve the sacrifice of self in the interest of others, his god will be humanity at large. The gods of the world are the Lindberghs, the Fords and the Rockefellers, the Washingtons and the Abraham Lincolns, the great benefactors of the race, the men of scientific and industrial achievement, the men of supposed moral grandeur, the Socrates and the Platos of ancient days, the Washingtons and the Lincolns of our day. These and many more, for the world has many gods; idols are the gods of the world, and upon the images of these gods the world feeds and grows not in grace but in sin. It is the images of these gods that the world sets before the eyes of its children, that the worldly schoolmaster sets before the eye of his pupils. Do not imagine for a moment that our public schools are neutral. These schools have their gods as well as our Christian school has its God. The worldly school teaches and enforces moral and religious principles and idealism as well as we; for the world realizes that if it fails in this the child cannot grow. Hence, the worldly school in a purely formal sense is religious as well as our school. But consider that its religion is not from above but from below, as the idealism it inculcates is the love and the service of the gods of this world. The world realizes that without idealism life is vain, that instruction not permeated with moral-religious principles and idealism is quite without any worth, considering that the world through its system of schools aims to serve as an instrument for producing good and useful people, as well as we.
But now contemplate with me for a moment the abject foolishness of the world. The world imagines that it can produce through the instrumentality of its schools truly good and useful people by fixing the eye of its children upon the images of its idols, of its false gods. But this imagination is vain. Fix the eye of the child upon the image of the idol, and the true God will see to it that the child, unless it pleases Him to intervene by His saving grace, develops morally-spiritually into a monster of wickedness and ungodliness. Consider that I now again tread upon scriptural ground. Consider this notice taken from the epistle to the Romans: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man..," and Paul might have added, fed their souls with the image of this corruptible man. But consider that God is not mocked. The men of whom Paul speaks, the heathen, actually ended with prostrating themselves before birds, and four-footed beasts and creeping things, and what was the final outcome? Harken once more unto the Word of God: "For this cause God gave them up to vile affections.... And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful..."
Does not this picture, that Paul here hangs before our eye, reflect perfectly the state of things in our world of today? God is not mocked. Let the child feed its soul with the image of the idol and he develops into a monster of wickedness, whatever that idol may be. Do not say, my friends, that the worldly schools are harmless because they keep silence about the true God of heaven and earth revealed in the face of Christ. The pedagogue in the worldly schools breeds moral monstrosities, despite his efforts to train the child to walk in the way of moral excellency. There is no moral excellency in the world, for the world prostrates itself before the idol and it teaches its children to do so. The world takes its beginning in man, in the creature, and in man it ends. This is the idealism of the world, of the natural man, the idealism taught and fostered by the schoolmaster in the worldly school. The moral excellency in the world is; therefore, an abomination to the Lord.
So we see that the only food of the soul is God revealed in the face of Christ, and the souls of our elect covenant children must be fed with the likeness of the true God, if they are to truly grow. But how then does the task of the school differ from that of the church? Let me say a word about this. As was said, the sole task of the church is to preach Christ, to feed souls with the Word. The school, on the other hand, equips the child with that practical, technical knowledge it needs for making its way through life. But I again hasten to add that this is not the task of our school. The task of the school is to feed the child that in the strength of his Saviour he/she may be able to walk in the midst of the world as the friend of God, worthy of the calling wherewith he/she is called. But how is the school to accomplish this task if it must teach the child how to read and to write and to spell? Teaching the child how to read and to write and feeding the soul of the child with the Word are two distinct engagements. Knowledge of letters and numbers is not as such knowledge of Christ. True, but consider that numbers and words or symbols are creatures of God; and therefore, must and do reflect something of His glory. It means that all things earthy of which knowledge is imparted unto the child must be connected in the child's mind with their Creator (God) as revealed in Christ, that the earthy upon which the child must concentrate must be set before his eye as the image of the heavenly, as the medium for the revelation of His glory. Let the schoolmaster impart unto the child geographical knowledge of our earth. It is well. But let him not fail to tell the child that the earth is God's. Let him study with the child the planets that roam the vast extent of space above our heads, but let him at once declare in the audience of the child that the ordinances of the stars and the moon and the sun were given by God. Let him, the schoolmaster, direct the mind of the child to the glory of God that the heavens declare and to His handiwork the firmament sheweth. Let him in his physiology class say with the psalmist of old: "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; and that my soul knoweth right well. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book, all my members were written, which in continuence were fashioned, when as yet there was none them." Let him, the schoolmaster, tell his pupils that God makes history and that through all the events of time He moves toward a certain goal and that this goal is the appearance of Zion in glory to the everlasting praise of His name. In a word, let the entire instruction be a glass through which the pupils may see the glory of God in the face of Christ. Let him, the school master; therefore, in all his branches feed the child with the likeness of God revealed in Christ. Let him teach and enforce the idealism of Scripture which is the fear and the love of the Lord and the love of the brethren in Christ. Then will he, the Christian school-master, be performing his task, and the regenerated child will grow spiritually also through his instruction in grace and in knowledge and eventually attain to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
Finally, what will be the fruit of such instruction in the regenerated child? True culture. The believer need not go to Athens for culture. He has culture that is true. Consider that the basic meaning of culture is to till. Hath the believer culture? Let us take our answer from the allegory of the wine. Culture calls for a being capable of rational action and for an object that can be acted upon. In the spiritual sphere the Cultivator is God. My Father, said Christ, is the husbandman. The object cultivated is the vine and the branches, Christ and His people. The term culture further signifies the fruit of the labor expended. The divine Cultivator (God) cultivates the branches of the true vine (Christ), and the fruit of this labor is the fruit borne by the branches in Christ; and this fruit is the believer himself, engrafted by the divine Husbandman into Christ the true vine -- the believer himself, his hope, faith and love, his works of love, his praise, his prayer and thanksgiving, his affections, set on things above, the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that called him. The fruit is the bowels of mercy of this man, his kindness, his humbleness of mind, his meekness, his long-suffering and forbearance. 'And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not whither; and whatsoever he doeth will prosper.'
Consider that a Christian school that is truly Christian, and that thus knows and performs its task, is the only institution of true culture on the face of the earth. But the culture of the world is fruitage of sin and; therefore, an abomination to God.
Let us then have Christian schools that are truly Christian.
G. M. O.
For more literature on Reformed Education, we encourage you to read Prof. David J. Engelsma's book Reformed Education (101 pages, paperback), available from the Reformed Free Publishing Association at http://www.rfpa.org. If you do not have access to the Internet or prefer not to order over the Internet, you may write to us to purchase the book.
Related to this month's article about education is the relationship of the child of God to culture. If you would like to read more about this topic, you may write to us for a free pamplet by Rev. Herman Hoeksema entitled "The Christian and Culture".
The Strength of Youth
Four Pictures
By Rev. J. Kortering
From the November 1, 1975 issue of The Standard Bearer
See more articles by this author
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105. How often do we read these words and hardly give them a second thought? The Word of God is written down for us in the Bible, which in its totality makes up the Word of God. The Bible is precious to us. We don't have to be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine; we have the Word of God to guide us into the safety of the haven of rest. We need not dash our souls to pieces upon the jagged rocks of human lust and evil desire, but need only follow the beacon light of God's Word to steer clear of such dangers and be guided safely through troubled waters. When our life is filled with trials and cares and we cry out to Jehovah in our distress, we may be sure that the Word of God will direct us to the comfort of our redemption and loving care of our Heavenly Father Who controls the storms.
About this time of the year, we do well to reflect upon the significance of the great Reformation for us. By the Reformation, we refer to the events which God brought to pass in the lives of Martin Luther and John Calvin, along with others. It was an astounding event in the history of the church; it brought the children of God from the shackles of dead formalism into a vibrant and living faith.
The Word of God made all the difference.
Let's look at that story in the form of four pictures.
The First Picture
Its edges are frayed, it is yellow with age, being taken over 1700 years ago. The first thing that catches our attention is that there is a man sitting on a throne. Its ornate luxury tells us that he is very rich. One thing is disturbing - his face. It reflects rage and hostility. We can hardly be expected to know his name, but we are told that it is Diocletian.
It won't take too long, while we study the picture more carefully, to discover why this king is so angry. Outside the window, we see on yonder hill a stake in the ground. It is not a marker to commemorate some heroic event of the past, rather it stands amidst a thick mat of wood chips soaked in oil. Its lonely vigil announces the fate of some poor soul who shall be bound to it while the flames of death shall consume him.
By now our attention is drawn to yet another part of the picture. Just inside the door of the great palace a group of soldiers surround an old man. Ruthlessly, they press him forward in the presence of his austere majesty. He trembles as his loose-fitting cloak conceals the torture that has been his. His hands are bound and his head bowed low. Soon the silence is broken by the thundering voice of Diocletian. "Where is your Bible?" The tone of his voice indicates the torrent of rage contained within. Yes, this is the mighty emperor who hates God, who has slain countless Christians. His hands are red with the blood of the godly. Some were burned at the stake, others torn by the lions, many rotted away in dungeons.
The answer comes forth without wavering. "Your majesty, it is in my heart!"
The old man knew that the enemy might be able to uncover a Bible hidden amongst his meager possessions and take it away. But, he also knew that if he committed the Word to memory so that it would abide in His heart, they could never take that away.
He knew the meaning of the words, "Thy word have I hid in my heart." Such a word is a lamp unto our feet and a light upon our pathway, even if that way leads through the valley of the shadow of death.
He went to the stake with the Word in his heart.
The Second Picture
It too is very old, about 700 years to be exact. It also is a sad picture.
The center of this picture is a large church. It is very old and by the architecture we can tell that it is in southern France about the year 1200. We can tell that something strange is going on inside this church. There are no happy people entering for worship. Rather, we see soldiers carrying people upon their shoulders, some are old and feeble, others are just children. Some are kicking and putting up a fuss, others are submissive. All are sad faced; they seem to realize what lies ahead.
I hate to tell you to step up closer and look inside the windows, for it is a horrible spectacle. One can just hear the screams and cries of the tortured, the moans of the dying. Soldiers are standing ankle deep in blood; it is seeping into their shoes. On the altar, bodies of the dead are piled high. Soon the church cannot hold any more corpses, for by nightfall over 60,000 men, women, and children are dead by the edge of the sword.
Why this carnage?
Pope Hildebrand had issued a decree that no one could own a Bible, only the priests could have one for their study. The people in this village were Waldenses, they had disobeyed the order of the pope. They had painstakingly copied by hand - sometimes it took a whole year - the Bible, so that they could read and commit much of it to memory. That Word they taught to their children, so that they too could know the God of salvation.
The words of Psalm 119:105 were precious to them, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my pathway." Only that light could swallow up the darkness. Without it they would rather die.
The Third Picture
The next picture is relatively recent, being about 400 years old.
The attraction in this picture is not a palace, not a church, but a large hall. This is not a mob scene, it is very orderly. Two personages are the focus of attention.
The first is obviously a ruler, his dress and deportment indicate that he is a man of importance. He is not here to be entertained, he is here to function as a judge, this is a trial of great importance. He is Charles, ruler of Germany, surrounded by none other than the great and mighty of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, Mr. Eck.
Before him stands Martin Luther - thin, short of stature, robes, skull cap and all. His eyes are sharp and penetrating. His mean figure by no means indicates timidity. The picture tells a different story.
This moment is crucial for Luther. Many strange things have happened to him already. He had nailed the 95 theses on the door of Wittenburg. He had caused a storm of protest and violent theological discussion. The pope had already excommunicated him by means of the papal bull. The pope had also waved his political influence by requesting Charles to call this trial to determine whether Luther was a heretic or not; and if so, he was determined to have Charles put him to death.
Luther's life was at stake here.
The clever Eck begins to ask questions. 'Are these your writings? Do you recant, are you sorry for writing them? Are you willing to destroy them?'
The answer of Luther sends chills down our spine.
"Since then your majesty and your lordship desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by the Scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of popes and councils for they have contradicted each other; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant. For to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, God help me."
This was the man who had struggled personally until God showed him the truth of justification through faith in Jesus Christ and not righteousness based upon our works. His comfort had been found not in the words of men but in the infallible Word of God. The floodgates of righteousness were opened unto him as he read, "The just shall live by faith." His fervor for the Word of God led him to translate it carefully into the language of the people. It didn't take very long and his fellow German, Gutenberg, invented movable type. Then the common people had their Bibles.
Yes, where else could he stand but upon the certain ground, "My conscience is captive to the Word of God!"
The light of that Word had illuminated the whole of his life.
The Fourth Picture
This one is very new, its edges are crisp and clean.
The center of this picture is a house. By its structure we can see that it is a house in suburbia America. The tree-lined streets are enhanced by the presence of the dwelling.
What is important to us, however, is not the outside, but the inside. With our zoom lens we are able to enlarge one room of this house to sizable proportions. This room is obviously someone's private abode. No, it is not spotless, the rumpled bedspread, the shirt hanging over the doorknob, the junk in one corner, tell us that someone lives in this room. It is not a museum; it is a bedroom, very special. Amidst the adequate furnishings we notice a desk in one corner. It too tells of neglected papers, piles of abandoned games, books, etc.
But look on.
There at that desk is a young student. Tonight he is working hard at his math. He has finished his English, and he has yet to tackle History. Amongst his books is a Bible, so commonplace he hardly gives it a second thought, yet so precious that he wouldn't think of studying without it. From time to time his textbooks make reference to this one great Book. His teachers ask penetrating and thought-provoking questions that force him to examine the texts of this Book carefully. He has memorized verses and chapters in great quantity. You can give him chapter and verse, and he can find it readily. His Bible is part of his life.
And that's not all.
His Bible is at the table, at school, in church, in society.
Very seldom is there not a Bible available within an arm's reach.
Is this a picture of you?
You too have learned that, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light upon my pathway." What would our life be without our Bibles? How could we ever really know the answers without its authority. Where would we find direction without its guidance, comfort without its words of hope. The Bible is so much part of our life we almost take it for granted.
Now look back. Four pictures. Two are sad, one is a picture of courage, one is a happy scene. Between the sad ones and the happy one is the picture of courage.
That's what the Reformation must mean to us.
God used Martin Luther and John Calvin and others to give us our Bible, that we might have its lamp upon our feet.
Next time you reach for your Bible, think of these four pictures.
| Back to top | Back to main Reformed Witness page |
The Reformed Witness newsletter is published monthly under the auspices of the Evangelism Committee of the Hope Protestant Reformed Church of Redlands. This newsletter is available to anyone who is interested in the Reformed Faith. If you would like your name added to our mailing list, please write to:The Reformed Witness
Hope Protestant Reformed Church
1307 E. Brockton Ave.
Redlands, CA 92374-3802
or email us: