In Bible times, it was a Jewish custom for parents to begin instructing their children in Scriptures in early childhood. In the case of Timothy, we are told that his mother and grandmother were instrumental in that instruction (2 Timothy 1:5). As the Apostle Paul reminded Timothy,
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 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. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
These timeless words serve to remind every believer of the great responsibility we have to acquaint the next generation with God’s Word so that, by God’s grace, they would become men and women of faith, being firmly established in Christ and living as His faithful disciples. In other words, they were pursuing “biblical literacy.” But practically speaking, what would a serious commitment to biblical literacy look like in our homes and churches? The following are 10 foundational priorities to consider.
1. Impress upon children a reverence for the holy nature of the Bible and its authority.
As we teach the Bible to our children, will they see it as sacred and God-breathed by our demeanor and how we interact with it? Both in the classroom and at home, our engagement with the Bible should reflect a holy reverence. God’s Word speaks with absolute authority. (See: https://desiringgod.org/articles/be-ready-to-answer-your-kids-questions-about-the-bible)
2. Demonstrate a genuine delight in God’s Word.
Our children notice when we genuinely delight in something. And, when we delight in it, they are more likely to be drawn to it, too. When you read the Bible with your children, will they sense in you a heartfelt delight? A holy reverence, mingled with sweet enjoyment? Here are a few examples from Psalm 119:
3. Have a long-term strategy for acquainting children and youth with the entire Bible.
By the time our children reach adulthood, how much of the Bible will they have been exposed to? A partnership between the church and home is crucial here. But here are simple ways to start in the home:
- Spend 10 minutes a day to gradually read through a book of the Bible together. When finished, add a new book.
- Use a child-friendly Bible reading plan like the one in the booklet Meeting God in His Word.
- Make use of time spent in the car with audio versions of the Bible. Children will pick up and remember more than you think.
4. Emphasize the whole counsel of God.
Reading the entire Bible, while important, will not automati-cally give children and students categories for understanding the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. Therefore, it’s important to see the Bible from these theological perspectives: Bible survey, biblical theology, systematic theology, moral instruction, and gospel presentation. How is your church doing in this regard? (See: Truth78.org/scope-sequence-explanation) A great resource for your family is More Than a Story (Truth78.org/pages/story).
5. Teach children to rightly read and interpret Scripture by equipping them with age-appropriate Bible study skills.
Will our children and youth become adults who are able to rightly handle the “word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15)? They will need to be taught how to use proper Bible study skills, intro-duced in a step-by-step manner as they grow and mature—skills that teach them how to read, observe, interpret, and apply the text. Find some age-based goals in the booklet From Childhood You Have Known
6. Guide and implore children to rightly respond to and apply God’s Word.
Knowledge of the Bible is meant to lead to transformation of the heart and will. While only God can bring about this trans-formation, it’s our responsibility to guide and implore children to rightly respond to God’s Word. We don’t want to raise up children who come in first place in the Bible quiz contest or can recite a winning number of verses—but have hearts that are cold toward Jesus. (See: Truth78.org/blogs/blog/mind-heart-will)
7. Instill in children the need for humble dependence on the Holy Spirit as they read and study the Bible.
For children and youth to truly understand, embrace, and apply God’s Word, they need the Holy Spirit to awaken the soul and illuminate the truth (John 14:26). Even as believers, we need the ongoing help of the Spirit. One easy way to remind our children of this dependence on the Spirit is to teach them to pray before and after reading Scripture. Even a simple prayer echoing the psalmist in Psalm 119:18 can be helpful: “Open my eyes, that I might behold wondrous things out of your law.”
8. Integrate and connect biblical truth to all of life.
The Bible applies to EVERYTHING in life! We must show our children how biblical truth is like a lens for seeing and inter-preting all of life. When reading Scripture, guide children in discovering how the Bible applies to friends, homework, sports, emotions, world events, and everything else. The more we help children do this, the more they will see the amazing sufficiency of the Bible. It provides a sure, unshakable foundation on which to stand firm with joyful confidence. (See: Truth78.org/blogs/training/helping-children-develop-a-biblical-worldview)
9. Foster a parent-church partnership that promotes biblical literacy in both home and church.
Pursuing robust biblical literacy for our children is an ongoing endeavor. God has designed that this responsibility be shared by the church and the home. The church can assist parents by encouraging them and equipping them with resources and ongoing training. The church should also carefully consider the content/curricula used in Sunday school, midweek classes, etc. Parents serve a vital role in encouraging and helping the church pursue a more rigorous biblical education for children.
10. Devote and prioritize the necessary time required to do points 1-9.
As life gets busier and busier, the time devoted to reading and studying the Bible can easily become crowded out. How much family time is devoted to the Scriptures? How much Sunday school time is spent interacting with the Scriptures? What does this say about the urgency of acquainting our children with the “sacred writings”? Do we need to readjust our priorities and give more time to what is most important?
The apostle John expressed his heart for his spiritual children when he wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4). Here lies the crux of the matter: The first battleground of family discipleship is not my child’s heart—it is my heart. Each parent must decide whether he is more concerned that his child be accepted into Heaven, or “Harvard.” We all have “Harvards”—those worldly successes we desire for our children, but the question remains, “Which is most important to me?” Each parent must finish the sentence “I have no greater joy than…” I would emphasize here that the challenge of priori-ties is often not the good versus the bad, but rather, the good versus the better. Given a finite amount of time, energy, and money, what will you choose?
—Chap Bettis (The Disciple-Making Parent: A Comprehensive Guidebook for Raising Your Children to Love and Follow Jesus Christ)
