EARLY TRAINING

And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)

Observe that Timothy was taught, not only to reverence holy things in general, but especially to know the Scriptures. The teaching of his mother and his grandmother was the teaching of Holy Scripture.

Suppose we get the children together on Sabbath days and then amuse them and make the hours to pass away pleasantly; or instruct them, as we do in the weekdays, in the elements of moral education—what have we done?

We have done nothing worthy of the day or of the church of God. Suppose that we are particularly careful to teach the children the rules and regulations of our own church and do not take them to the Scriputres.

Suppose that we bring before them a book that is set up as the standard of our church but do not dwell upon the Bible—what have we done? The aforesaid standard may or may not be correct, and we may therefore have taught our children truth or taught them error; but if we keep to Holy Scripture, we cannot go aside.

With such a standard we know that we are right. The Book is the Word of God, and if we teach it, we teach that which the Lord will accept and bless. O dear teachers—and I speak here to myself also—let our teaching be more and more Scriptural!

Fret not if our classes forget what we say, but pray them to remember what the Lord says. May divine truths about sin and righteousness and judgment to come to be written on their hearts! May revealed truths concerning the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Ghost never be forgotten by them! ((Charles SpurgeonAt the Master’s Feet [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005], September 21.))

Charles Spurgeon

Further reading