FILAMER CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL

EDUCATION 403
PHILOSOPHICAL, HISTORICAL & LEGAL FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION

Early Christian Education

by:
Maria Catalina F. Porcadilla
MAT-English

Submitted to:
Dr. Exequiel A. Calimutan
Professor
 MARIA CATALINA F. PORCADILLA
MAT- ENGLISH

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH

(AB ENGLISH) -1998
WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY ILOILO CITY
SECONDARY TEACHER LICENSURE BOARD PASSER

44, SINGLE, EX-OFW, A DO-GOODER, AN ANIMAL & NATURE LOVER,

A SMALL TIME ENTREPRENEUR AND A CERTIFIED TITA

“A small act of kindness create an endless ripples” “The Lord is my strength and my song”
Brief History

During the reign of Augustus Caesar when there was Roman peace (Pax Romana), Jesus
Christ was born in the little town of Bethlehem. Christ is the Greek name for "Messiah."
About thirty years later, he started his preaching that last three years. Jesus was probably
taught by his parents at home and attended religious services in the synagogue, a place
for Jewish worship. Jesus never attended school and never wrote a book but his
preaching exerted the greatest influence upon the course of human history.
Educational Attitude and Practices of Jesus
Jesus himself said, "I am the truth" (John 14:6). "If you hold to my teaching you
will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32).
Jesus compared God’s kingdom to yeast that changes an entire lump of dough
(Matthew 13:33).
One way this has happened is that the Christian commitment to truth has resulted
in the advancement of education in general. But Jesus also warned of another kind
of yeast, the yeast of false teaching, of education that was not in tune with God’s
truth (Matthew 16:11-12).
Aims of Education
1. Relationship between God and man- Jesus' paramount aim is to develop the
right relationship between God and man. He wants to build God's kingdom
with no geographical limits but a kingdom that would rest in the hearts and
minds of man.
2. Salvation- It is an important aim of Jesus to save men from eternal
damnation.
3. Social relations based on love- Jesus wants to reform society. He taught
that instead of hatred, love should be the basis of social relationships
Types of Education
 Religious (spiritual) - to restore the right relationship between God and
men for salvation of mankind
 Ethical (moral) and social education - to remove all injustice, greed,
hatred, slavery etc.
 Universal and democratic education - education is open to all
Content to be studied
1. The word of God, principle of love, requisites for salvation, faith and
forgiveness.
2. The Sermon on the Mount (Beatitudes) Matthew 5:1-12
The Beatitudes
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a
mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him and he began to teach them.
He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you
because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:1-12 (NIV)

Agencies of Education

 Informal teaching
 Home
 Church
Methods of Instruction
 Lecture (telling)
 Memorization
 Dialectic (question and answer)
 Concrete examples
 Motivation
 Modelling
 Parable
 Teaching with authority
 Figure of Speech
a) Simile
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hide in a field that which when a man hath found, he hide it
and for joy goeth and sell all that he have, and buy that field.” (Matt 13:14)

b) Metaphor
“Feed my lambs.” (John 21:16-18)

c) Hyperbole
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of
heaven.” (Matt 19:24)
Foundation

The best foundation for pursuing education is the conviction that there is such a
thing as truth and that truth is worth knowing. If there is no truth or if truth doesn’t
matter, then education is pointless. But if truth is real and precious, then education
is important. This is why Christianity has been such a powerful force in education.
People who know Jesus are certain that truth matters more than anything else in
the world.
Ultimate Purpose

The early Christian educators influenced an abundant of heritages and

resources to Christian life.

Early Christian Educator’s ultimate purpose was only to preach the

gospel of Jesus Christ using various methods which were learned by
Him for three years.

Their instruction was the foundation of early Christian education.

Cultural Influences
Throughout the centuries, as Christian missionaries carried the gospel to various people
of different languages, they found that many were illiterate. It wasn’t just that people had
not learned as individuals to read and write. In many cases, the language itself had no
writing at all.
Missionaries worked hard to change this. Reading the Bible was a vital part of knowing
Christ and hearing the Holy Spirit’s message, so missionaries learned the spoken
languages of these tribes and set the languages to writing so that the people could have
the Bible in their own language and be able to read it for themselves.
In tribe after tribe, in language after language, literacy and education came as a by
product of Bible translation. Many missionaries also established schools which not only
taught the Bible but also helped people learn more about the world. And still today
missionaries bring literacy and learning to tribes that were previously unable to read and
write.
Educational Influences
Luther may have been the first to press for public schools funded by government and
to insist that every child should have access to a good education.
John Calvin promoted elementary education for all children, including reading,
writing, arithmetic, grammar, and religion. Calvin also led a movement toward
establishing secondary schools to train people for leadership in church and
government.
Christians could learn much about law from lawyers, philosophy from philosophers,
speech from orators, medicine from doctors, maths from mathematicians, astronomy
from astronomers, and so on – whether these people knew Christ and believed the
Bible or not.
Influence of Early Christian Approach to Present
Educational System

The Christian approach to education combined a rock-solid confidence in the Bible

with an eager curiosity to learn about the world and a glad willingness to learn from
many different sources. This was a way to honor the Spirit of God as the source of
all truth. Education flourished wherever people had this confidence in Scripture and
this curiosity about the world and its people.
Contribution of Early Christian Education

The early Christians believed in basic teaching for every church member, whether a
child or a new convert. They also wanted church leaders to be well educated in
God’s Word and to have a solid grasp on the workings of God’s world. This led them
to establish schools.
The Discipler's Model

The Bible + Needs of People (foundation)

Helping People Think, Relate, Value (pillars)
Helping People Grow in Christ (capstone)
Holy Spirit as Teacher (encircling)

"The goal of early and present Christian education is

Christlikeness"
 REFERENCES

https://ldweeks.gitbooks.io/a-student-s-history-of-education/content/part1/chapter_4.
html

https://www.preceden.com/timelines/147497-a-history-of-christian-education

https://www.rsisinternational.org/virtual-library/papers/tag/contribution-of-early-chri
stian-education/
 THANK YOU
and
GOD BLESS US ALL!