The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1949-02-03

may not be found in
the New Testament, 1'.'.i.= ss'a3is. ''7
but the thing is there.
If Jesus did not he
lieve that religion
could be taught, then
he was guilty 0 81 @
wasting much of his III
time, for he worked ~
at teaching in season
and out of season. He EailzsaSsl 2Aass &ass&
was a product of the mr. Foror,or
Sunday school, in a
sense. During his childhood he
would go to the synagogue school
week days and especially on Sab
baths; we know that by the time he
was grown it was his custom" to
attend synagogue services.
And in every Jewish COM
munity the synagogue was the
place where for two hundred
years and more, children and
youth and older people had been
taught the Word of God.
If Christians today are faithful
to Christ's example, we also will
keep at the job of teaching our reli-
gion to every child within cur reach.
Body and Soul
PEADERS of the gospels will note
that when Jesus went home
from the synagogue on the Sabbath,
his days work was not done. He
would spend hours, sometimes till
far into the night, healing people
brought to him for cure. Jesus min
istered to mind and soul. Jesus was
interested in personalities, whole
people, not half-people. Our minds
have to be fed, but we live in bodies,
and bodies have no little to do with
personalities. Jesus was not content
with teaching sick people; he made
sick people well. So the church to-
day, if it is faithful to Christ's prin-
ciples, will consider people as com
plete personalities.
The Common People
yE7E FIND that Jesus did not insist
w on university audiences. In
deed, he never spoke to a university
audience. There were great univer-
stiles in those days, but it was not
necessary for any one to be a grad
uate of one of them in order to enter
Jesus school, or to understand what
he taught. He taught the plain
people plainly. Again the church Of
today takes leaf out Of Jesus
book. Most Of our Sunday schools,
for instance, have graded lessons;
the little tots do not study from the
same quarterlies the grown people
use.
In all our teachings we try to
use the pupii's language and to
put cur Christian ideas in the
thoughts that the pupils can
understand.
At the best serninaries, young
ministers-to-be are carefully taught
how 70 put the great Christian doc
trines in ways that the simplest
over peoples heads is not teaching.
God and Education
JESUS did not try to teach people
, carpentry, or arithmetic, or geo.
graphy. No doubt he could have
done SO. But he had something more
important on his mind, something
which he alone could teach. He
taught religion, or in other words
he taught the truth about God, and
about man, and about right rela-
tons between God and man. So the
teaching church, whether in the
Sunday school or in the books writ
ten by its scholars or in its schools
and colleges, w h e it follows
Chrlst's example, is always teach
ing religion first and foremost. We
do not believe that religion is a sec
ondary issue, something you can
take or leave"
Religion On Two Feet
TESUS did more than talk. He
lived. His whole life and char
acter were saying more loudly and
plainly what his words said.
So the Christian church today,
when it is faithful to Christ,
must translate into actual living
the faith she teaches in Sunday
school lessons, in catechisms
and books and sermons.
What we do, as Christians, speaks
louder than what we say. Every
Sunday school teacher needs to re-
member that what is said on Sun
day is important, but what the
teacher does on Monday is more
impressive by far. The reason why
Jesus was more effective than John
the Baptist was that John, after
all, was a Voice, while Jesus was
a Friend.
Copyright by the International Coun.
Gil of Religious Education on behalf of
go Protestant denominations. Released
by WNU Fcatures.)