By Ricardo García
Education is a fundamental element within any society and seeks to form individuals in the values of a culture. However, it is necessary to recognize the basic presuppositions behind it.
The word education comes from the Latin word educere, which means “to guide” or “to lead.” This leads us to ask the following questions: Who will guide? And toward what destination?
To answer these questions, we must understand that education is tied to the concept of sovereignty—that is, in whom the ultimate authority resides to decide what should be taught. This is important because, in the end, education will guide the student toward the goal established by that sovereign authority.
This is precisely the starting point: Who is sovereign—God or man?
As Christians, we understand that God is the source of all authority and the sovereign of all creation (Psalm 24:1). Therefore, He has dominion over every area of life, including education.
Ideological neutrality is a myth. There is no middle ground in education or in any other area of life. Our loyalty must belong to Christ alone. Education is central within Christian society because it instructs in values, ethics, and morality. No society can endure for long if these elements are not firmly grounded in the Word and Law of God.
Within the biblical order, God as the sovereign has delegated the instruction of children to the family:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4–9
This passage teaches us that the responsibility for education is given directly to parents. It also shows that the nature of education is not merely “academic” but “worldview-oriented.”
This means that education is not limited to classrooms or to certain hours during the week, but rather encompasses the whole of life. Every aspect, situation, and resource placed before us can be used as a teaching tool. Education is not merely the accumulation of knowledge; it is wisdom that must be applied.
Humanistic education, although it may appear to teach the same subjects, has a radically different foundation because it seeks to instruct from the assumption that the world can be understood and interpreted apart from God. For this reason, there is no common ground between Christian education and humanistic education.
Christian education equips the student to think God’s thoughts after Him. It transmits God’s culture and provides the tools necessary to correctly interpret reality according to the Word of God. It equips the student for a life of service, providing what is needed to faithfully fulfill his or her calling under God.
If this is true—and Scripture affirms it clearly—then the question before us is not merely pedagogical or pragmatic, but deeply covenantal. It is not simply about choosing between different teaching methods, but about deciding under whose lordship our children will be formed.
God did not give parents responsibility for their children as an optional suggestion, but as a covenantal command. In Deuteronomy 6 we see that the instruction of children was meant to saturate the entire life of the home.
At this point we must speak honestly. Many Christian families sincerely love the Lord, yet they have chosen a “neutral” education without examining the presuppositions of the system that is shaping their children.
It is often assumed that it is enough to add family devotions at home, attend church on Sunday, or occasionally speak about God, while the majority of daily formation takes place under a different worldview—one that is not only different, but often hostile to God and His Word. Yet Scripture reminds us that a child’s heart is shaped by what continually instructs it.
Here we must remember a simple but profound principle: education is discipleship. To educate is to form loyalties, affections, and ways of interpreting reality.
If Christ is Lord of all, then His lordship must also govern the intellectual, moral, and cultural formation of our children. There is no neutral sphere where God can be set aside without consequences.
For this reason, Christian education is not simply an “alternative” among many available options. Rather, it is the visible expression of parents’ obedience to God’s calling in their lives.
To educate in a Christian way is to prepare children for life under God: to teach them self-government, to discern good and evil, to understand reality as God’s creation, and to faithfully exercise their calling under Him. It is to form men and women who not only know the truth but are able to apply it in every sphere of life.
Therefore, the call for us as parents is clear and also full of hope. God does not leave us alone in this task. He gives us His Word, His Spirit, and a community of faith so that we may walk together in this great endeavor.
Christian education, then, is an act of faithfulness. When parents faithfully embrace this calling, they participate in something far greater than the formation of a student or future professional. They are contributing to the preservation and rebuilding of a culture that recognizes Christ as Lord.
