Texas Christian Alliance
Supporting Home Education

Biblical Mandate for Homeschooling

Who has the primary responsibility for teaching your child?

As the spiritual head of his family, the dad has the ultimate responsibility to ensure the children are raised according to Biblical truths.

The following verses will help you to understand this concept:

Josh. 24:15  If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve:... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua, as the spiritual head of his family, made this declaration to the nation of Israel after they had defeated all of those who had lived in the promised land and reached a stage of national peace. With this declaration, Joshua mandated the religious worship of all members of his household. In subsequent verses, we are told that the entire nation was faithful to the Lord for all the days of Joshua's life. Clearly, Joshua was faithful to his convenant promise.

1 Sam. 3:12-14  In that day, I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them. Therefore, I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shalll not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.

Eli, the high priest of Israel, refused to train his sons while they were young; and, once they had grown and were continuing to behave in a manner requiring discipline, Eli refused to bring correction. As a result, the Lord brought a distructive judgement on Eli, his sons, and his future descendants. Eli's failure could not be atoned for by sacrifice. The Lord required his obedience.

What is the parent primarily responsible for teaching?

Naturally, your children need to be taught the basic subjects; and, the law levies certain requirements on this training. The most important training, however, that any parent can instill into their children is the proper and godly fear of the Lord.

The following verses will help you to understand this concept:

Deut. 4:5-9  See, I have taught you statutes and judgements just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and uderstanding people.' For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him? Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgements as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today? Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen, and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.

Deut. 6:1-2  Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.

Deut. 6:6-9  And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on you forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Prov. 4:1-9  Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, and give attention that you may gain understanding, for I give you sound teaching; Do not abandon my instruction. When I was a son to my father, tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, then he taught me and said to me, 'Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live; Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding. Prize her, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a garland of grace; she will present you with a crown of beauty.

Prov. 4:10-13  Hear, my son, and accept my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; and if you run, you will not stumble. Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.

Prov. 10:1  A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

Col. 2:6-8  Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty desception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

1 Tim. 1:3-6  ...instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

No educational system can provide the godly instruction for your children that the Lord has delegated to you.

As Christians are instructed throughout the Bible, we are to be separate from the ungodly.

2 Cor. 6:14  Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

While most often applied to marriage, this passage has a much more generally applicable meaning. Within an educational system, especially a 'public' version, the student is bound in a very unequal manner with those who cannot be presumed as righteous or godly. By placing your child in that situation, you as the parent literally cause your child to violate a principle of the Holy Scriptures.

Eph 5:6-11  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them...

Also, according to the Scriptures, you place your child directly in the path of discipline which the Lord intended for those practicing evil.

Prov. 13:20  He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Apart from teaching your children as outlined above, how will you respond ...

Deut. 6:20  When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What do the testimonies and the statutes and the judgements mean which the Lord our God commanded you?'