Biblical Philosophy of Education Research Paper

Biblical Philosophy of Education - Research Paper Example The Purpose of Education According to the Biblical message, the purpose of education is to increase in the knowledge of God and to subject the Earth and the Sea and the Sky to Gods glory. To illustrate, it is stated in Habakkuk 2:14 that â€Å"Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea†. A look into John 8:31-32 gives further clarification to the issue. It states â€Å"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.† Evidently, the purpose of Christian education is to become the Disciples of Christ by knowing the truth. Education has no meaning except as it relates to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To illustrate, Matthew 16:26 states, â€Å"What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?† A similar notion comes from Ecclesiastes 1:14, which states â€Å"I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Philippians 3:8 proclaims â€Å"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ†. ... The second main point evident from the biblical philosophy is that education should support our proclamation of the truth. For example, 1Peter 3:15 states â€Å"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.† The third purpose of education is that it should facilitate our service to God and to people (Matthew 22:37-39), and the fourth purpose is that it should equip us to watch out that no one deceives us (Mathew 24:4, 5). However, if someone is to believe that the Bible is against using education as a means of livelihood, it is necessary to look into Genesis. It states, learning should equip us to work for a living and to support our families (Genesis 3:19). In addition, Proverbs 31:10-31 shows how skilled the wife of a noble character is. She does a number of works ranging from selecting wool and flax, and works with eager hands. Evidently, Bible is not against using skills and education as a means to survive, but it only glorifies the same. For evidence, 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 says that â€Å"man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work†. In order to understand the purpose of education in a church perspective, one should listen to Colossians 1:17. It states, â€Å"He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together†. Thus, it is evidently said that true knowledge is possible only when it is grounded in God. In other words, the ones who do not acknowledge this fail in their interpretation of facts. A look into the Colossians 2: 2-10 will prove what the purpose of education is. It goes â€Å"my purpose is that they may†¦know the mystery of god, namely Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by