Over the past year we have been looking at some of the distinctives of being a Reformed believer. These distinctives are rooted in the Scriptures, in history, and in our practice. It is important to evaluate our distinctives and practices from time to time to make sure that they are pleasing to the Lord and rooted in his Word. I hope this series of articles has helped you do that. We have seen what it means to be Reformed in terms of the home, worship, the kingdom, salvation, evangelism, and work. Today we look at education.

Ironically, I am writing this at a time where national governments have turned every parent into a homeschooling parent. With these new joys and difficulties, people might be reflecting on the role of Christian education.1 What I hope to lay out is the rationale behind Christian education. But first, a bit of history.

A Bit of History

Beginning around 1890, a shift began to take place in the mind of the Reformed believers in the Netherlands. Prior to this, the Christian schools were parochial or church-run schools. In many villages, where the church was central to all activity, the elementary school was connected to the church. This began to be challenged, especially in the mind of theologian Dr. Abraham Kuyper. He began to emphasize what he called “sphere sovereignty.” This teaching focused on the principle that each particular sphere of life has its own authority.

All of life is under the authority of Christ, but each sphere has its own unique authority. The church, home, and school should all support common truths, though each should remain distinct in their own spheres.2 The fruit of this teaching is the parent-governed elementary school.

This teaching of Kuyper was taken by his followers to North America. The followers of Kuyper found themselves joining the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), which was more of a Dutch denomination than the Reformed Church of America (RCA), which had begun in the early half of the seventeenth century. Members of the RCA have traditionally sent their children to the public school, whereas members of the CRC, and now the URCNA, have emphasized the Christian school.

In the early twentieth century, when men like John Dewey (1859–1952) emphasized the secular nature of public education, many Reformed believers were that much more suspicious of public schools and their philosophy of education. This solidified them in their resolve to seek to establish Christian day schools wherever churches were planted. As immigrants from the Netherlands continued to arrive in North America, they brought with them their emphasis on parent-run day schools.

Interestingly, where I pastor in Canada, there are Catholic schools and public schools that are fully funded by the government. Historically, the public schools have been Protestant, and Catholic schools were obviously Catholic; therefore, this was written into the educational charter in Canada. The Kuyperian influence came to Canada as well, and my children are recipients of that in a parent-run day school.

Reasons for Christian Education

The Sovereignty of God

God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. As the Creator, he has cared for what he created. His hand of providence guides all that comes to pass. Through redemptive history, we see God leading and guiding his people in grace. When God concluded the creation, he saw that it was very good. Man was the crown of his creation. Man was the only creature created in the image of God. It was with Adam that God walked in covenant fellowship and communion in the garden.

As an image bearer of God, Adam was to fill and subdue the earth. He was to have dominion over the rest of creation. How was he, and his descendants, to do that? When we study the Scriptures, we read in Psalm 36:9, “In your light we see light.” In Proverbs 1:7 we learn that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We begin to develop a picture that understanding the world around us happens in a far greater and deeper way when one has bowed the knee to God. God sanctifies the minds of his people so that they might exercise godly dominion in this world.

   

The great astronomer Johannes Kepler said regarding his work in astronomy, “I was merely thinking God’s thoughts after Him. Since we astronomers are priests of the highest God in regard to the book of nature, it benefits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God.”3 For Kepler, faith was seeking understanding. Faith in God moves the believer to a deeper understanding of reality. This has been emphasized in the history of the church by men like Augustine (354–430) and Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109).

These are some of the underlying principles that must govern education: a recognition of the creator/creature distinction, the dominion mandate of Genesis, faith seeking understanding. This all falls under God’s sovereignty. In each area of the curriculum, this must be emphasized. Connected to this is Christ’s lordship.

Christ’s Lordship

The Lord Jesus Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). This emphasis upon his lordship keeps the believer from singling out certain areas of life in which Christ is to be central (e.g., the spiritual life). Proper education must emphasize Christ’s lordship over our minds and how we understand economics, reality, and science. Christ has lordship over our bodies, and we are then to care for them. Physical education is an important area of the curriculum, along with nutrition, regarding our own self-care.

One can take the principle of Christ’s lordship and apply it to each arena or field of study.4 It is the role of the teacher to impress upon the minds of students how to apply this principle in real world settings. They do this in light of the Scriptures.

Imagine, for instance, trying to teach ethics without using the Scriptures and recognizing Christ’s relation to the law, virtue, and vice. It seems like it would be impossible. A secular teacher could teach about the history of ethics, but there could be no moral expectations laid upon anyone with any real authority. If God is not on the throne, then man is on the throne. To teach ethics in light of Darwinian naturalism is a fool’s errand. It would become a subjective, culturally irrelevant mess.

Even though students might not understand the nuances of the principle of Reformed education, teachers must understand this, and it must be their conviction as well.

Covenant

The covenant is an extremely important concept when it comes to Christian education. The primary responsibility of the education of children is given to parents. Neither the state/government nor the school is given the authority in Scripture to educate children. This is the role of the parents. The importance of the covenant then is how parents view and treat their children.

Children are to be nurtured in the covenant. Covenant children belong to the Lord; he claims as much in their baptisms. God entrusts these children to believing parents. It is then the responsibility of parents to guide and direct their children so that they might rightly respond to the covenant of grace. The question might then arise, if it is the responsibility of parents to teach children the things of the Lord, then shouldn’t all Christian parents homeschool their children? Though homeschooling is a valid form of Christian education and one that has become more popular in the last twenty-five years, it is not the only option for believing parents.

Believing parents who establish, support, and govern Christian day schools do so with the understanding that teachers at Christian school are in loco parentis (in the place of parents). Parents do not pass off the responsibility of the education of their children to others. However, they might use the school as an aid in the education of their children. This is why it is so extremely important for parents to be intimately involved in the life of the school. Not only should they be board members, but also they must support the teachers in the classroom.

The church, home, and school should all be saying the same thing. Each sphere should support what the other one is teaching. This three-legged stool will lay a solid foundation for children to grow up in the covenant and then live as faithful kingdom citizens.

The covenant relationship must recognize the distinction between the children of believers and the children of unbelievers. Though they might act very similar, it is only to covenant children that covenant promises are given. All children must told that they must repent and believe in Christ. Those in the covenant are told that in the garden of Christian nurture, speaking from within the church, whereas the children of unbelievers are told that as the objects of evangelism. Taking God’s Word seriously and understanding the covenant will enable parents to step up to their covenantal calling in their involvement in the education of their children.

Antithesis

The antithesis refers to the battle taking place in the world around us. It began in Genesis 3, and it distinguishes between the seed of the woman (and those in him) and the seed of the serpent. This spiritual battle will not end until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to pronounce the final victory and put an end to the fighting in the final judgment (Rev. 20).

In terms of education, the antithesis recognizes the fact that there is no neutrality. There are no bare facts. All things have a context. Whether it is in science or mathematics, the answers to questions are still rooted in a context. Both a public and a Christian school can teach that two plus two equals four. Both would be correct. However, in the Christian school only will the students be taught that the reason why is because math and order is a reflection of God’s own perfect and ordered nature. When God created space, time, and matter, he did so perfectly and consistently. How do we know that in one hundred years from now two plus two will still equal four? Because God has ordered all things when he created the laws of logic. Cornelius Van Til puts it well regarding the motivating factor of education: “For the non-Christian, this is faith in man himself, but for the consistent Christian position it is faith in the triune God of the Scriptures.”5

In terms of the covenant and antithesis, I have heard the argument that often times the students at Christian schools are no better behaved than students at public schools. I hope that this is not the case, though I don’t disbelieve the accusations at times. The reason I wouldn’t pull my children out of a Christian school and send them to a public school is because the principles of education are different. I could list many other benefits that are good, though not necessarily principles of education (e.g., having the same worldview of the other parents whose children attend the school; or of teachers who are committed to honor the Lord’s Day). These benefits help support the principles by showing the fruit of a consistent Christian worldview.

Calling

Calling, or vocation, plays a prominent role in how we view our work. As each Christian holds the office of believer, each is called to particular tasks in life. The calling of students is to be a student. Education is not simply a means to an end. Students do not merely work their way from grade to grade so that some day they can graduate and then find a job and make money for their whole life. As a student, their job is academic. They do not get paid for it, but it is nonetheless their calling.

Parents and teachers ought to impress this truth upon the students. A student should not study for a math test so that she can feel good about her ability to answer all of the questions correctly on a test. There is more to it than that. She should try her best because God calls her to love him with her mind. He gives gifts and abilities which are to be nurtured and used in his kingdom.

For instance, I have a daughter who is very much like me. She has a tendency to rush through her work. We have to remind her to slow down, double check her work, to make sure she is doing her best (and not just her fastest). When I say these things to her, it reminds me of my childhood. I always wanted to be the first one done. So, why am I repeating to her what my parents told me? Because God wants us to do our best. He wants us to hone our skills that he has blessed us with. He wants us to work hard in order to bring him glory. At the end of the day (or of the test) we can say, “Thank you, Lord, for your guiding hand.” This is our calling.

Conclusion

We have a treasure in our Christian schools. Let us thank God for that. Many of our schools have given up their Reformed emphasis, and this should be lamented. In seeking greater enrollment, the lowest common denominator of Christianity oftentimes wins out. Let us hold fast to the principles of Reformed Christian education, whether in the home or in the day school. Soli Deo gloria.

A Closing Remark

In writing these articles, I wanted to avoid pride and self congratulation for our churches. I wrote these with the prayer that we might grow in our devotion to the Lord and his Word. I understand that there are Reformed and Presbyterian believers who would hold slightly different opinions. That is okay. What I sought to lay out is the historic understanding of what it means to live as sanctified Christian in this world, applying the Word of God to all of our lives. May God move each of us to greater devotion to him.

1 When I refer to Christian education, I am referring to the parent-governed Christian day school or to Christians who homeschool their children.

2 A number of secondary sources go into further detail on this subject. See T. Van Der Kooy, The Distinctives of a Christian School (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1925), or N. H. Beversluis, Christian Philosophy of Education (Grand Rapids: National Union of Christian Schools, 1971).

3 “Thinking God’s Thoughts, “May 23, 2014, Faith Seeking Understanding,” https://faithseeking-understanding.org/tag/thinkinggods-thoughts-after-him/. This emphasis was later taken up by Dr. Cornelius Van Til. A helpful study on this subject is Cornelius Van Til, Essays on Christian Education (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1971).

4 To see how this applies on a larger scale, see Abraham Kuyper, Lectures on Calvinism (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors, n.d.).

5 Van Til, Essays on Christian Education, 82. 

Steve Swets is the pastor of Rehoboth United Reformed Church in Hamilton, ON, and the co-editor of Faithful and Fruitful: Essays for Elders and Deacons (now available at reformedfellowship.net).