Teaching Children through Interactive Discipleship Methods
Teaching Children through Interactive Discipleship Methods
The biblical basis for teaching children through interactive discipleship methods is rooted in the importance of passing on faith to the next generation. In Proverbs 22:6, parents and instructors are enjoined to "train up children in the way they should go" [2]. This involves not just imparting knowledge, but also guiding them in the paths of righteousness. The Nonconformist/Puritan tradition emphasizes the need for catechizing children, initiating them into the faith, and keeping them under discipline [2].
The concept of discipleship is central to Jesus' teaching, where he emphasizes the importance of obeying his teachings as a mark of true discipleship (John 8:31-32) [1]. This involves more than just knowing who Jesus is; it requires a deepening relationship with him and a commitment to following his teachings. As Calvin notes, faith is not a solitary experience, but rather it involves a desire to spread the doctrines of religion to others [3].
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were instructed to pass on their faith to their children, teaching them about God's laws and statutes (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). This involved interactive methods such as storytelling, questioning, and discussion. The prophet Isaiah lamented the fact that the people were unteachable and made no improvement despite the means of grace available to them (Isaiah 28:9) [5]. Matthew Henry notes that the goal of teaching is to enlighten minds and bring about a transformation in understanding and behavior.
The New Testament also emphasizes the importance of teaching children. In Ephesians 6:4, parents are instructed to bring up their children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" [4]. This involves not just formal instruction, but also a holistic approach that includes prayer, example, and guidance. The Baptist/Reformed tradition emphasizes the need for parents to be actively involved in their children's spiritual development, using various means such as family worship and Christian education [4].
The early Christian church also recognized the importance of teaching children. The writer of Hebrews urges his readers to move beyond basic teachings and to grow in their understanding of Christ (Hebrews 6:1-3) [6]. This involves a process of ongoing growth and development, initiated by God and facilitated by human agency.
In terms of practical application, the Methodist/Wesleyan tradition emphasizes the need for early religious education, with Adam Clarke noting that parents who neglect this responsibility have an "awful account to give to the Judge of quick and dead" [7]. This highlights the importance of intentional and interactive discipleship methods in teaching children.
The Reformed tradition, as represented by Calvin, emphasizes the importance of diligence in teaching others, particularly those in positions of responsibility [3]. This involves a willingness to share one's knowledge with others and to guide them in their spiritual journey.
Sources
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 8:31: 8:31-32 Discipleship is more than knowing who Jesus is. It is also about obeying his teachings (3:36; 14:15, 21, 23; 15:10). • Because Jesus is the truth (14:6), knowing him brings discernment of what is true and what is false. • set you free: The truth brings freedom from darkness, falsehood, and sin.”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 22:6: Here is, 1. A great duty enjoined, particularly to those that are the parents and instructors of children, in order to the propagating of wisdom, that it may not die with them: Train up children in that age of vanity, to keep them from the sins and snares of it, in that learning age, to prepare them for what they are designed for. Catechise them; initiate them; keep them under discipline. Train them as soldiers, who are taught to handle their arms, keep rank, and observe the word of command. Train them up, not in the way they would go (the bias of their corrupt ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 1, section 8.8: an ardent desire to spread the doctrines of religion, that every one not satisfied with his own calling and his personal knowledge will desire to draw others along with him. And indeed nothing could be more inconsistent with the nature of faith than that deadness which would lead a man to disregard his brethren, and to keep the light of knowledge choked up within his own breast. The greater the eminence above others which any man has received from his calling so much the more diligently ought he to labor to enlighten others. This points out to”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go,.... As Abraham trained up his children, and those born in his house, in the way of the Lord, in the paths of justice and judgment; which are the ways in which they should go, and which will be to their profit and advantage; see Gen 14:14; and which is the duty of parents and masters in all ages, and under the present Gospel dispensation, even to bring such who are under their care in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, Eph 6:4; by praying with them and for them, by bringing them under the means of grace, the ministry of ”
- Isaiah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Isaiah 28:9: The prophet here complains of the wretched stupidity of this people, that they were unteachable and made no improvement of the means of grace which they possessed; they still continued as they were, their mistakes not rectified, their hearts not renewed, nor their lives reformed. Observe, I. What it was that their prophets and ministers designed and aimed at. It was to teach them knowledge, the knowledge of God and his will, and to make them understand doctrine, Isa 28:9. This is God's way of dealing with men, to enlighten men's minds first with the knowledge of h”
- Hebrews (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Hebrews 6:1: 6:1-3 In light of the hearers’ immaturity (5:11-14), the author urges them to move beyond basic teachings. The six basic teachings here were all foundational elements of Jewish instruction. The author might be challenging them to move beyond these basic teachings to further understanding about the person of Christ, which he elaborates in 7:1–10:25. 6:1 Let us go on: Or Let us be carried on, suggesting that God initiates growth to maturity (Phil 2:12-13) and that it is an ongoing process. • Repenting and faith are the basic commitments that initiate a person to the”
- Joshua (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Joshua 4:22: Then ye shall let your children know - The necessity of an early religious education is inculcated through the whole oracles of God. The parents who neglect it have an awful account to give to the Judge of quick and dead.”