Essays: a blog
- Messages and considerations of education, ministry, and life.
- Worthy topics engaged by earnest learners.
- From the French infinitive, "essayer," which means "to try."
- Originally "to test the weight or worth of."
- Consider the mining town fixture, the "assay office," which assigned value to gold presented.
Posts Tagged "Bible"
Knowledge is (Bible understanding) power
May 26, 2015
Knowledge improves understanding of God's Word
Knowledge improves understanding in Bible reading. "Just give me Jesus," some say, rejecting that the histories, geneologies, and odd names of peoples and places might matter. Of course, Jesus is preiminent and faith in God through Him is the only critical and saving knowledge. That stated, the Bible "comes alive" for the Christian who has a firm knowledge of geography and culture, and it makes him a better Bible student -- and teacher, to a generation that typically lacks the core knowledge or the concern that the knowledge is shallow. Consider this simple example: Someone reads in Matthew chapter 15 that, after walking on water and crossing over to Gennesaret...
"Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” (Matt. 15:21-22) ¶
The reader who lacks knowledge in the region, the people, and the history reads it this way:
Jesus went from "Place A" to "Place B" and there was a woman there. She asks Him to heal her daughter, something Jesus is in the business of doing. In fact, people were bringing the sick to Jesus to heal before He left Gennesaret. Surprisingly, Jesus refers to her as "a dog," and initially doesn't seem interested in helping her.
What's all this about.
The reader who does have associated background knowledge reads it this way:
Jesus went from the western shore of the Sea of Galilee all the way over to Tyre and Sidon at the coastal area of the Mediterranean Sea -- a distance of approximately 35-50 miles, apparently on foot! He arrives in what is present day Lebanon. He meets a woman. The reference to a woman of Tyre and Sidon triggers a clear refrence to Jezebel, the wicked queen of the the evil king of Israel Ahab.
¶ Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 1Kings 16.29
Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all who were before him. 1Kings 16.30
¶ It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him. 1Kings 16.31
She is a Canaanite, one of the initial inhabitants of the Promised Land that was so evil that God commanded Joshua to exterminate them, lest their evil practices entice the Israelites away from trusting and following the Lord She asks Jesus to heal her daughter, something Jesus is in the business of doing. In fact, people were bringing the sick to Jesus to heal before He left Gennesaret. Jesus refers to her as "a dog," in the presence of His disciples, because the Jewish understanding of their differences was that the people of Tyre and Sidon were beneath the Jews and were enemies. He uses the term "dog," because that's likely what the disciples are thinking. Then Jesus does heal the girl because of the commendable "faith" expressed by the woman.
Posted in
Classical education
Three ways that facts matter in a Google world?
April 25, 2015
Some say that in an information-laden world, knowing facts isn't as important as knowing where to find them. Consider this statement for a moment. Do you agree? What are the implications and patterns?
While it is certainly true that students today need to learn solid skills in how to access the tremendous amounts of information available, there is no subsitute for possessing internalized core knowledge.
Memorized information gives the student helpful, accessible information in immediate recall that will benefit him the rest of his life. Here are four examples:
1. Daily usage benefits
For example, people can "look up" how to spell the one hundred most commonly mispelled words and how to properly use English grammar, but they typically don't. And since they don't take the time to do so, theireveryday usage or accuracy is hampered. The student who knows these things... well, he or she knows them. The student then simply uses them, quickly, effortlessly, and often.
2. Better understanding and appreciation
The student who deeply knows his subjects -- history, literature, geography, the Bible, science, math, and Latin is one who easily recognizes references and allusions in various literature, speeches, and plays, etc. This provides the student a much more vivid understanding of what is going on. She understands more, because she "sees" more. A student who has to "look up these things" probably won't, and so misses much.
3. Knowing language facts unlocks doors later
Why are the sciences apparently so much easier to the student who knows Latin? She can recognize meanings in scientific words because they are quite literal to her. These scientific terms are not diffcult to learn, nor were they intended to be; they were simple, clear names in Latin, and the student who knows even basic Latin easily recognizes their meaning. She doesn't have to look up most of them and isn't confused by having to figure out how to distinguish betweeen what others might find to be confusing names. Similar doors are open in literature, foreign languages, etc.
4. The "real world" appreciates core knowledge
Parents often say they want their students prepared for the "real world." Those in the business workplace should easily recognize the benefits of memorizing core knowledge. Two junior employees at a meeting hear their boss describe a problem to the group. One is able to answer the questions and to articulate possible solutions and costs in real time by her knowledge in math, geography, culture, etc. The other is unable to make the quick connections between apparently disparate details and is trying to Google for help. All other things being equal, which one will be found more favorable?
Posted in
General education