King Solomon, the wisest man that has ever lived, speaks to us of the importance of training our children the truth of God’s Word. He says, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it; get wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous has great joy: and he who has a wise son delights in him.” Proverbs 23:23-24 Bible Academy quote of the Week. “If you have children, train them to learn the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. If you urge them diligently to do this, they will learn much in a year’s time. But when they have learned this, there are many excellent passages scattered throughout the Scriptures; these they should learn afterwards; if not all, at least some of them. God has appointed you a master and a wife in order that you should hold your family to this. And you can do this easily enough by praying in the morning when you rise, in the evening when you go to bed, and before and after meals. Thus they will be brought up in the fear of the Lord. I am not saying this for nothing; I am determined that you shall not cast it to the winds. I should never have believed that you were such ignorant people if I did not learn it every day.” Martin Luther
Bible Academy quote of the Week.
“If you have children, train them to learn the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. If you urge them diligently to do this, they will learn much in a year’s time. But when they have learned this, there are many excellent passages scattered throughout the Scriptures; these they should learn afterwards; if not all, at least some of them. God has appointed you a master and a wife in order that you should hold your family to this. And you can do this easily enough by praying in the morning when you rise, in the evening when you go to bed, and before and after meals. Thus they will be brought up in the fear of the Lord. I am not saying this for nothing; I am determined that you shall not cast it to the winds. I should never have believed that you were such ignorant people if I did not learn it every day.” Martin Luther
Bible Academy quote of the Week.
Luther comments on being over confident in our knowledge.
I have often felt this particular devil and temptation myself, and even today I cannot guard and cross myself against it too carefully. I confess this freely as an example to anyone; for here am I, an old doctor of theology and a preacher, and certainly as competent in Scripture as such smart alecks. At least I ought to be. Yet even I must become a child; and early each day I recite aloud to myself the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and whatever lovely psalms and verses I may choose, just as we teach and train children to do.
Bible Academy quote of the Week.
“These portions, which you have heard me recite, were called by the ancient fathers the catechism, that is, an instruction for children, which the children and all who want to be Christians should know. And one who does not know them should not be counted among the number of Christians. For when a person does not know this, it is a sign that he has no regard for God and Christ. Therefore I have admonished you adults to hold your children and servants and yourselves to this; otherwise we shall not admit you to Holy Communion. For if you parents and masters do not help, we shall accomplish little with our preaching, and if I preach all year long and the crowd only comes in and looks at the walls and windows of the church, it is of no use.”
Martin Luther
Bible Academy quote of the Week. “These portions, which you have heard me recite, were called by the ancient fathers the catechism, that is, an instruction for children, which the children and all who want to be Christians should know. And one who does not know them should not be counted among the number of Christians. For when a person does not know this, it is a sign that he has no regard for God and Christ. Therefore I have admonished you adults to hold your children and servants and yourselves to this; otherwise we shall not admit you to Holy Communion. For if you parents and masters do not help, we shall accomplish little with our preaching, and if I preach all year long and the crowd only comes in and looks at the walls and windows of the church, it is of no use.” Martin Luther
Bible Academy quote of the Week.
Luther comments on being over confident in our knowledge.
I have often felt this particular devil and temptation myself, and even today I cannot guard and cross myself against it too carefully. I confess this freely as an example to anyone; for here am I, an old doctor of theology and a preacher, and certainly as competent in Scripture as such smart alecks. At least I ought to be. Yet even I must become a child; and early each day I recite aloud to myself the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and whatever lovely psalms and verses I may choose, just as we teach and train children to do.
Martin Luther
Bible Academy quote of the Week.
“If you have children, train them to learn the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. If you urge them diligently to do this, they will learn much in a year’s time. But when they have learned this, there are many excellent passages scattered throughout the Scriptures; these they should learn afterwards; if not all, at least some of them. God has appointed you a master and a wife in order that you should hold your family to this. And you can do this easily enough by praying in the morning when you rise, in the evening when you go to bed, and before and after meals. Thus they will be brought up in the fear of the Lord. I am not saying this for nothing; I am determined that you shall not cast it to the winds. I should never have believed that you were such ignorant people if I did not learn it every day.” Martin Luther
Bible Academy quote of the Week.
Deuteronomy 4:9-10
Bible Academy quote of the Week.
Luther comments on being over confident in our knowledge.
I have often felt this particular devil and temptation myself, and even today I cannot guard and cross myself against it too carefully. I confess this freely as an example to anyone; for here am I, an old doctor of theology and a preacher, and certainly as competent in Scripture as such smart alecks. At least I ought to be. Yet even I must become a child; and early each day I recite aloud to myself the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and whatever lovely psalms and verses I may choose, just as we teach and train children to do.
Bible Academy quote of the Week.
Bible Academy quote of the Week.
Concerning the importance of giving our children a strong spiritual gift of God’s Word, Luther said:
For as the common saying goes, “Small children are a small anxiety, big children a big anxiety.” People accumulate things for their children and want to leave them wealthy and to gain the highest possible honors for them. Everyone has these wishes and desires, which are nevertheless vain in the extreme. For what good is it when a living man has everything and yet does not make use of anything but is constantly being distracted by things that are in the future and that do not exist, while neglecting the things that are present?
“If you have children, train them to learn the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. If you urge them diligently to do this, they will learn much in a year’s time. But when they have learned this, there are many excellent passages scattered throughout the Scriptures; these they should learn afterwards; if not all, at least some of them. God has appointed you a master and a wife in order that you should hold your family to this. And you can do this easily enough by praying in the morning when you rise, in the evening when you go to bed, and before and after meals. Thus they will be brought up in the fear of the Lord. I am not saying this for nothing; I am determined that you shall not cast it to the winds. I should never have believed that you were such ignorant people if I did not learn it every day.” Martin Luther
“If you have children, train them to learn the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. If you urge them diligently to do this, they will learn much in a year’s time. But when they have learned this, there are many excellent passages scattered throughout the Scriptures; these they should learn afterwards; if not all, at least some of them. God has appointed you a master and a wife in order that you should hold your family to this. And you can do this easily enough by praying in the morning when you rise, in the evening when you go to bed, and before and after meals. Thus they will be brought up in the fear of the Lord. I am not saying this for nothing; I am determined that you shall not cast it to the winds. I should never have believed that you were such ignorant people if I did not learn it every day.” Martin Luther
Bible Academy quote of the Week.
Luther comments on being over confident in our knowledge.
I have often felt this particular devil and temptation myself, and even today I cannot guard and cross myself against it too carefully. I confess this freely as an example to anyone; for here am I, an old doctor of theology and a preacher, and certainly as competent in Scripture as such smart alecks. At least I ought to be. Yet even I must become a child; and early each day I recite aloud to myself the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and whatever lovely psalms and verses I may choose, just as we teach and train children to do.
“Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.” Psalm 78:1-4
Bible Academy quote of the Week.
“Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’” Deuteronomy 4:9-10
Think not ye housefathers that you are freed from the care of your household when you say: ‘oh, if they are unwilling to go (to catechism instruction), why should I force them? I am not in need of it.’ You have been appointed their bishop and house‑pastor; beware lest you neglect your duty toward them!
“Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” Proverbs 20:11 11
Dr. Luther understood the importance of learning the Word of God and encouraged both children and adults to commit it to memory. He said,
“A person who wants to be a good citizen owes it to his family to urge them to learn these portions of the catechism, and if they will not, do not give them any bread to eat. If the servants grumble, then throw them out of the house.”
Dr. Luther understood the importance of learning the Word of God and encouraged both children and adults to commit it to memory. He said,
“A person who wants to be a good citizen owes it to his family to urge them to learn these portions of the catechism, and if they will not, do not give them any bread to eat. If the servants grumble, then throw them out of the house.” Hell is no more easily earned than with respect to one’s own children. The greatest mistake parents can make is to indulge their children and make every kind of provision for their physical wants and temporal needs while neglecting to provide for their souls. If parents cannot or will not make such provision, they should seek out those who will.
In God’s promise to destroy Israel, one of the reasons was their lack of concern in raising faithful children.
“They do not direct their deeds toward turning to their God, for the spirit of harlotry is in their midst, and they do not know the Lord. The pride of Israel testifies to His face; Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; Judah also stumbles with them. With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the Lord, but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them. They have dealt treacherously with the Lord, for they have begotten heathen children. Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage.” Hosea 5:4-7
