基督教育原理_第45章重要的教育

第45章重要的教育

我主要写的是学生们在获得教育时不合理地长时间求学问题；但我希望人们不要误解何为重要的教育。我的意思并不是说应该做肤浅的工作，象澳大利亚有些地区做的那样。犁耕得只有几英寸深，没有为撒种预备好土壤，收成就很少，与对土地所做肤浅的预备工作相称。{FE 368.1}[1]

上帝已赐给青少年和儿童爱追根究底的心。他们的推理能力是所托付给他们的宝贵才干。父母的责任是始终使他们知道教育问题的真意；因为它包含许多方面。应该教育他们善用每一种才干和器官，希望用来侍奉主，提拔堕落的人类。我们的学校是上帝特别的工具，要准备儿童和青少年做传道工作。父母应当明白自己的责任，帮助儿女赏识上帝所赐教育方面种种优势的大特权和大福气。{FE 368.2}[2]

但他们的家庭教育应当与他们的文化教育同步。应该在孩童和青年时期将实际的训练和文化训练结合起来，在心中存储知识。父母应当感到自己有一项严肃的工作要做，且应认真地把握这项工作。他们应当培养和塑造儿女的品格。他们不应满足于做表面的工作。每一个孩童面前都敞开着涉及最高权益的人生；因为要藉着上帝所提供的手段使他们得以完全。应当先占领心田；应当在他们最年幼的时候就将真理的种子撒在他们的心田里。父母若是在这事上粗心，就要蒙召为自己不忠心的管家工作交账。应当温柔慈爱地对待孩童，教他们知道基督是他们个人的救主，藉着将他们的心思意念献给祂这种简单的方法，他们就成为祂的门徒。{FE 368.3}[3]

应当教育孩童分担家庭责任，教导他们如何在他们力所能及的小事上帮助父母。应当训练他们的心智去思考，努力记住所指定给他们的工作；使他们养成在家中作有用之人的习惯，这样就是在教育他们履行合乎他们年龄的实际责任。孩童若是受到适当的家庭训练，就不会接受随便的街头教育，象许多人所接受的那样。以明智的方式爱儿女的父母不会容许他们带着懒散的习惯长大，不懂如何履行家庭义务。无知是不蒙上帝悦纳的，也不利于为上帝做工。不可将无知当作谦卑的标志，或某种应当受到人们赞扬的东西。然而尽管人们无知，上帝仍为他们作工。那些没有机会获得知识，或虽然有机会却没能善用机会的人，若是悔改归向上帝，也能藉着祂圣灵的运行而在侍奉主方面成为有用的人。但那些受过教育并且献身侍奉上帝的人，却能以更多的方式服务，成就更广大的工作，使人认识真理，过于那些没有受过教育的人。他们处在有利的境地，因为他们的心智受过训练。我们一点不要贬低教育，而要劝人进行教育，充分意识到时间的短促和在基督降临之前要完成的大工。我们不要让学生以为他们可以花很多年获得教育，而要让他们利用在合理的时间段所能获得的教育，推进上帝的工作。我们的救主正在圣所中为我们辩护。祂是担任我们中保的大祭司，为我们作赎罪的牺牲，用祂宝血的功效为我们辩护。父母应当向儿女陈明这位救主，在他们心中坚固救恩的计划，说明如何因为人类违犯了上帝的律法，基督才成了我们的担罪者。上帝的独生子因人类的过犯而舍命，以满足公义、维护上帝律法的尊荣，应当始终把这个事实摆在儿童和青少年面前。应当始终让他们谨记这一伟大牺牲的目的；因为正是为了提拔因罪堕落的人类，才做出了这一伟大牺牲。基督受难为的是我们的罪可以藉着对祂的信心得到赦免。祂成了人类的替身和中保，亲自接受了刑罚，尽管这是祂完全不该受的，好使我们这些该受刑罚的人可以得自由，藉着一位被钉而又复活之救主的功劳，重新效忠上帝。祂是我们得救惟一的指望。我们藉着祂的牺牲，现在处于宽容时期，是被囚而有指望的人。我们要向宇宙、向堕落的世界和未堕落的诸世界显明：在上帝有赦免，藉着上帝的爱，我们可以跟上帝和好。人便悔改，变得内心痛悔，相信基督的赎罪牺牲，认识到上帝与他和好了。{FE 369.1}[4]

Children should be taught to have a part in domestic duties. They should be instructed how to help father and mother in the little things that they can do. Their minds should be trained to think, their memories taxed to remember their appointed work; and in the training to habits of usefulness in the home, they are being educated in doing practical duties appropriate to their age. If children have proper home training, they will not be found upon the streets receiving the haphazard education that so many receive. Parents who love their children in a sensible way will not permit them to grow up with lazy habits, and ignorant of how to do home duties. Ignorance is not acceptable to God, and is unfavorable for the doing of His work. To be ignorant is not to be considered a mark of humility, or something for which men should be praised. But God works for people in spite of their ignorance. Those who have had no opportunity for acquiring knowledge, or who have had opportunity and have failed to improve it, and become converted to God, can be useful in the service of the Lord through the operation of His Holy Spirit. But those who have education, and who consecrate themselves to the service of God, can do service in a greater variety of ways, and can accomplish a much more extensive work in bringing souls to the knowledge of the truth than can those who are uneducated. They are on vantage ground, because of the discipline of mind which they have had. We would not depreciate education in the least, but would counsel that it be carried forward with a full sense of the shortness of time, and the great work that is to be accomplished before the coming of Christ. We would not have the students receive the idea that they can spend many years in acquiring an education. Let them use the education that they can acquire in a reasonable length of time, in carrying forward the work of God. Our Saviour is in the sanctuary pleading in our behalf. He is our interceding High Priest, making an atoning sacrifice for us, pleading in our behalf the efficacy of His blood. Parents should seek to represent this Saviour to their children to establish in their minds the plan of salvation, how that because of transgression of the law of God, Christ became our sin-bearer. The fact that the only-begotten Son of God gave His life because of man's transgression, to satisfy justice and to vindicate the honor of God's law, should be constantly kept before the minds of children and youth. The object of this great sacrifice should also be kept before them; for it was to uplift fallen man degraded by sin that this great sacrifice was made. Christ suffered in order that through faith in Him our sins might be pardoned. He became man's substitute and surety, Himself taking the punishment, though all undeserving, that we who deserved it might be free, and return to our allegiance to God through the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. He is our only hope of salvation. Through His sacrifice we who are now on probation are prisoners of hope. We are to reveal to the universe, to the world fallen and to worlds unfallen, that there is forgiveness with God, that through the love of God we may be reconciled to God. Man repents, becomes contrite in heart, believes in Christ as His atoning sacrifice, and realizes that God is reconciled to him. {FE 369.1}[4]

我们应当一生怀有感恩的心，因为主已公开宣布：“因为那至高至上、住在永远、名为圣者的如此说：我住在至高至圣的所在，也与心灵痛悔谦卑的人同居；要使谦卑人的灵苏醒，也使痛悔人的心苏醒”（赛57:15）。当达到某些要求时，上帝与人、人与上帝就必定和好。主说：“上帝所要的祭就是忧伤的灵；上帝啊，忧伤痛悔的心，祢必不轻看”（诗51:17）。祂又说：“耶和华靠近伤心的人，拯救灵性痛悔的人。”“耶和华虽高，仍看顾低微的人；祂却从远处看出骄傲的人。”“耶和华如此说：天是我的座位；地是我的脚凳。你们要为我造何等的殿宇？哪里是我安息的地方呢？耶和华说：这一切都是我手所造的，所以就都有了。但我所看顾的，就是贫穷痛悔、因我话而战兢的人。”“主耶和华的灵在我身上；因为耶和华用膏膏我，叫我传好信息给谦卑的人，差遣我医好伤心的人，报告被掳的得释放，被囚的出监牢；报告耶和华的恩年，和我们上帝报仇的日子；安慰一切悲哀的人，赛赐华冠与锡安悲哀的人，代替灰尘；喜乐油代替悲哀；赞美衣代替忧伤之灵；使他们称为“公义树”，是耶和华所栽的，叫祂得荣耀”（诗34:18；138:6；赛66:2；61:1-3）。诗人写道：“祂医好伤心的人，裹好他们的伤处”（诗147:3）。祂虽是堕落人类的恢复者，却“数点星宿的数目，一一称它的名。我们的主为大，最有能力；祂的智慧无法测度。耶和华扶持谦卑人，将恶人倾覆于地。你们要以感谢向耶和华歌唱，用琴向我们的上帝歌颂。……耶和华喜爱敬畏祂和盼望祂慈爱的人。耶路撒冷啊，你要颂赞耶和华！锡安哪，你要赞美你的上帝”（诗147:4-7,11,12）！{FE 370.1}[5]

We should cherish gratitude of heart all the days of our life because the Lord has put on record these words: "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." The reconciliation of God to man, and man to God, is sure when certain conditions are met. The Lord says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Again He says, "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." "Though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knoweth afar off." "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me? and where is the place of My rest? For all those things hath Mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word." "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified." The psalmist writes, "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." Though He is the restorer of fallen humanity, yet "He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifteth up the meek: He casteth the wicked down to the ground. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God. . . . The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion." {FE 370.1}[5]

这首诗篇的教训是多么宝贵啊。我们尽可以致力于研究大卫的最后四首诗篇。先知的话也非常宝贵：“黎巴嫩的雪从田野的磐石上岂能断绝呢？从远处流下的凉水岂能干涸呢？我的百姓竟忘记我，向假神烧香，使他们在所行的路上，在古道上绊跌，使他们行没有修筑的斜路。”“耶和华如此说：倚靠人血肉的膀臂，心中离弃耶和华的，那人有祸了！因他必象沙漠的杜松，不见福乐来到，却要住旷野干旱之处，无人居住的碱地。倚靠耶和华、以耶和华为可靠的，那人有福了！他必象树栽于水旁，在河边扎根，炎热来到，并不惧怕，叶子仍必青翠，在干旱之年毫无挂虑，而且结果不止”（耶18:14,15；17:5-8）。——《教育特别证言》1895年4月22日。{FE 371.1}[6]

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