#82 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – March 23, 2003 p.m.

WORLD SYSTEM EDUCATION CONFRONTED IN THE GOSPELS

This message focuses on some of the truths that are taught in the Gospels concerning the world system's secular education. In these accounts it is evident that there are ways of thinking that exhibit a secular perspective coming from secular training. The teacher-student order is common in all education. It is evident in the education of the world system. Secular education exhibits a provincialism that produces a "we are right and you are wrong" intolerance of any viewpoint that disagrees with its perspective. This is seen in the Gospels. Jesus Christ confronted those who had been trained by the system especially in non-biblical Judaism.

In Matthew 10:24, 25 Jesus Christ addresses the disciples that He is sending out. He tells them that they can expect persecution because He is persecuted. He uses the analogy of a student and a teacher and a slave and a master. Neither the student nor the slave is above the teacher or the master. It is sufficient for either to be similar to the teacher or slave master. If the master of a household is called Beelzebub, his slaves will be derided more so. Beelzebub was considered to be the prince of evil spirits or demons among the people of Palestine. Christ sent his disciples out as sheep among wolves and therefore they needed to be as wise as serpents (vs. 16) and even so would suffer ongoing persecution in the ministry of the kingdom of the heavens. Jesus also uses the student and teacher analogy in Luke 6:40. In verse 39 Christ asks the question as to whether the blind can lead the blind and questions concerning the probability that both of them will fall into the ditch. "The student is not above the teacher, but everyone that is thoroughly adjusted will like his teacher (vs. 40). The idea of being thoroughly adjusted is that of making someone useful as a result of an external adjustment. The student and teacher relationship is normal in world system education and to a lesser degree in the training under the Law. Be reminded that under the Mosaic Law parents were primarily responsible for the instruction of their children in the tenets of the Mosaic Law.

II. describes the fact that secular education produces loyalty toward a specific teacher. A good example of this is in the pseudo-science of secular psychology where students have their own gurus as Freud, Rogers, Jung and others. Each had very different presuppositions and conclusions of the same subject. The scribes and Pharisees confronted Jesus in Mark two in the matter of fasting. Two groups following teachers practiced fasting but the students of Jesus did not. One group was identified with John the Baptizer and the other group with the sect of the Pharisees. Jesus' answer is simple. Why fast when the Bridegroom is present? When He is gone, then they can fast. We have already touched Matthew 22:16 in a previous message. The Pharisees sent their students to Jesus to trap Him with the question of taxation. To the teachers it was a win-win situation. Any answer Jesus gave would provide grounds for attack. The students of the Pharisees attempted to emanate their teachers and to meet their approval. Jesus ruined their plan with His "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's" statement. In Mark 5:7 we learn that the provincialism of some teachers attempts to require certain things of the students of other teachers. The Pharisees replaced divine absolutes with trivial traditional human absolutes (from their point of view). That is to say, the Pharisees pervert the divine standard by replacing it with their own standards. The Pharisees appealed to the tradition of the elders as the standard. Note "tradition" in vss.3, 5, 9 and 13. Verse seven summarizes Jesus' view of the traditions inherent in Pharisaical Judaism: "But they worship me in uselessness, while teaching teachings for faith that are injunctions of man." Men persisted in twisting the Law to make it fit into their life by making their own traditions. This is true in a multitude of elements of the world system and its secular education. In John 9:28 the Pharisees confront the healed blind man with the statement that they are students of Moses and that they are uncertain concerning the teacher that healed him.

When Jesus was 12 years old, He was involved with the top teachers of Israel (Lu. 12:42). He is described as a "learner (vs. 43)." The family had come to Jerusalem for the seven day Passover pilgrimage feast. His parents had left thinking that He was with other family members on the journey home. After they had traveled a day, they realized He wasn't with them. They returned to Jerusalem and searched for Him for three days before they found Him in the temple. Evidently this was one of the last places that they would have gone to find Him. What twelve year old would hang out at the temple? He was sitting in the midst of the teachers (AV "doctors"). He was listening to them. He was thoroughly asking them questions as an equal (Gk.). These teachers would have been the top teachers in the land having gathered for the Passover and now had discovered a child prodigy who showed phenomenal capabilities. All them were amazed when they heard Him because of the way that His mind put things together and because of the questions He asked (vs. 47). They had four days of exposure to Him. His parents confronted Him and He simply asks, "Don't you know that I must be about my Father's business?" The text focuses more on the reaction of the parents than on the reaction of the teachers of the world system of Judaism. He dealt with the intellectual elite of his people in His day and left them astonished. When He entered His earthly ministry, His teaching often left the listeners filled with astonishment (cf. Matt. 7:28; 22:33; Mark 1:22; 11:18; Lu. 4:32). The word "astonish" has the idea striking one out of his or her wits and therefore to amaze or astound.

John three brings secular education to the front in Nicodemus' night visit to Jesus. He comes as a teacher to another teacher (3:1, 3). Nicodemus makes one statement and then asks Jesus two questions in response to Jesus' teaching. The rest of the chapter is Jesus' teaching. Nicodemus' view is stated in verse 2. ". . . We know intuitively that you are a teacher that has come from God, for no one has the power to be doing these sign miracles which you are doing except that God is with him." Jesus responds by anticipating the need for a new birth. Nicodemus is confused. This is especially important because Jesus identifies him as the teacher of Israel (3:10 – the article is in the Greek text). The best rabbi of the best rabbis approaches Jesus. Jesus' instruction is presented but there is no revelation of the response of Nicodemus to that instruction. Nicodemus protected his reputation by coming to Jesus at night probably for fear of others of the religiously secular teachers of his own group.

The secular education of the world system was manifested in the religion of the Pharisees. It had a religious flavor and was built on tradition rather than divine revelation. It is amazing how much teaching in churches is similar to this. Tradition is rooted in secular education and human religion rather than the Word of God.

Blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies,

DKS

WORLD SYSTEM EDUCATION CONFRONTED IN THE GOSPELS

1 John 2:15

Proposition: To examine several circumstances in which secular education is described and evaluated in the Gospels. This involves normal relationships in the world system and teachers and students as well as the touches of Jesus with the educators of the world system as manifested in the Gospels.

Introduction

A. The Order Evident in Education in the World System

B. The Allegiance Evident in Education in the World System

C. The Challenge Evident Toward Secular Education in the World System

D. The Structure Evident for Secular Education in the World System

TRANS: There are special relationships between teachers and students that are true on all levels of education. Christ uses this twice in His communication with people giving them as illustrations of specific truth.

I. THE ACCEPTED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS AND TEACHERS THAT IS NORMAL – AN ANALOGY FROM RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WORLD SYSTEM – THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A STUDENT AND HIS TEACHER – Matthew 10:24, 25; Luke 6:40

A. A Student Is Not Above His Teacher – vs. 24

B. A Slave Is Not Above His Master

C. The Sufficiency of a Student Being Similar to His Teacher – Vs. 25

D. The Sufficiency of a Slave Being Similar to His Master

E. The Sharing with Wolves as Sheep and Being Wise as Serpents (cf. vs. 16) – vss. 26-28

F. The Significance of a Thorough Adjustment for the Student – Luke 6:40

TRANS: The relationship between students and teachers in the world system is often exhibited in the gospels. This is evident in several circumstances in some interesting passages.

II. THE ANTICIPATED RESPONSIBILITES OF STUDENTS TO TEACHERS AND THEIR TEACHING – AN ALLEGIANCE TO A TEACHER AND HIS TEACHING IS NATURAL IN THE WORLD SYSTEM – THE IDENTIFICATION WITH THE TEACHING OF A TEACHER

A. Practices Often Identify a Teacher – Mark 2:18

1. The Continued Practice of Fasting by the Students of John and the Pharisees

2. The Contrasted Practice of Jesus' Disciples

3. The Continues Presence of the Bridegroom Prevents Fasting – vss. 19, 20

B. Pressures by a Teacher Can Make Disciples Do Specific Things – Matthew 22:16

1. Their Plan to Trap Jesus

2. Their Placement to Thwart Jesus' Teaching

C. Provincialism by Teachers Expect Certain Things of Students of Other Teachers – Mark

7:5

1. The Establishing of Traditions for Practice

2. The Expectation of Others to Follow the Practice

3. The Expectation Because of Inconsistency

D. Pronouncement of Loyalty as Students of Moses – John 9:28

TRANS: When Jesus was 12 years old, He confronted the education of the world system in the teachers that were gathered in the temple in Jerusalem. They did not attack Him but were amazed at His intellectual capabilities.

III. THE ASTONISHED REACTION OF THE TEACHERS IN THE TEMPLE TO JESUS' UNDERSTANDING AND ANSWERS – AN AMAZEMENT OF THE TEACHERS CONCERNING JESUS – THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN TEACHERS AND THE TEACHER WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN A STUDENT – Luke 2:46-49

A. His Age of 12 [vs. 42] = A Learner (pai/j) [vs. 43]

B. His Remaining in Jerusalem – vs. 46

C. His Continuing Three Days in the Temple

D. His Sitting in the Midst of the Teachers

1. Listening to Them

2. Thoroughly Questioning Them as an Equal

E. His Speaking Brings Astonishment – vs. 47

1. At His Understanding

2. At His Answers

F. His Doing the Father's Things – vs. 49

G. His Dealing with the Educational Elite of the World System

TRANS: Late in His ministry Jesus was confronted by the chief rabbinical teacher in Israel. Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night secretly to discuss some specific teachings with Jesus. He ends up asking questions and hearing pertinent answers.

IV. THE ANALYTICAL RECOGNITION OF THE DIRECTION OF JESUS' SIGN MIRACLES AS FROM GOD – AN ACKNOWLEDGING THAT JESUS WAS A TEACHER THAT HAD COME FROM GOD – THE INSTRUCTION OF THE TEACHER OF ISRAEL BY JESUS CHRIST – John 3

A. The Reason for Nicodemus' Coming to Jesus – 3:1, 3

1. Teacher to Teacher

2. Secrecy = At Night

B. The Instruction of Nicodemus by Christ

C. The Questions from Nicodemus – 3:4, 9

D. The Position of Nicodemus as the Teacher of Israel – 3:10

E. The Distinction Between Earthly and Heavenly Instruction

TRANS: Two sets of results take place in the lives of the man and the Pharisees. He is met by Christ and believes and they remain in their sins having been blinded by their own education to the reality of Christ's deity.

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119