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Lessons for Little Ones.
#15. A Matter of Method.
"Apt to Teach" (II Tim. 2: 2).
pp. 30, 31
In teaching children it should be our endeavour to draw from them correct answers to
questions rather than put the answers ready made before them. The reason is this: if you
define for a child, say, "sin" as "unrighteousness", the child will accept the statement, but
probably will have no clear idea as to what "unrighteousness" means. If you draw out
from the child the words "naughty", "not doing what we are told", "doing wrong", etc.,
you will define "unrighteousness" in intelligible terms, and unrighteousness will become
simply that which is "not right".
Some time ago we stood before a gathering of children, and our subject was the
words, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God". It may be of service to go over the
method then adopted.
Teacher--If I stand here with this blackboard for the next twenty minutes and SAY
nothing and WRITE nothing, will you understand what I want to tell
you?
Scholar--No.
Teacher--What then must I do if you are to hear and understand the WORDS I have
in MIND?
Scholar--You must TELL us.
Teacher--So far so good. God intends that we shall know His Will. His Will is
expressed in His Word, and in order that this Word may be heard and
understood, He must tell us. We proceed.
Teacher--What ways have we of "telling" anything?
Scholar--Speaking. Writing, Acting*.
Teacher--Yes, these are the three principal means we use. God has spoken His
mind--That is His Word. God has caused that Word to be written--That
is the Scripture. God has sent His Son, Whose name also is the Word
and by His life, death and resurrection, as well as by His sayings, He has
revealed God himself. Let us now see how this helps us with our texts,
All Scripture.
Teacher--What other words do you know which sound like Scripture?
Scholar--Scribe . . . . . Scribble . . . . . Script.
Teacher--What do all these indicate?
Scholar--Scripture is something WRITTEN.
Teacher--Boys and girls may like to know the actual word God used for Scripture.
It is graphé. Do you know any words which include this in their
composition?
Scholar--Phono-graph = Sound-writing.
Photo-graph = Light-writing.
Tele-graph = Distance-writing.