Tyler Homeschool

The Seven Principles

I. God’s Principle of Individuality

A. There is diversity in mankind both internally and externally.

1. Internally-Each individual has his own personality, spiritual gifts, etc.

2. Externally-Each individual is unique and different. There are no two people who look alike. (Except identical twins, but even they have differences)

B. God created mankind in His own image and likeness because He wanted to have a relationship with us. We are His children who have been created in His likeness with:

1. A mind

2. Will

3. Emotions

C. Biblical Basis- The end purpose of the principle of individuality is to show God’s infinity, diversity, and His infinite individuality.

D. Applied Educationally- The educational applications of the principle of individuality is that every subject should reflect the Bible and is distinct. The subject can be expanded but not evolved into something else.

E. Revealed Historically- It is revealed historically through the chain of Christianity. (Links on this chain may be defined as a life, event, or a nation in Christ, His Story, that reveal God’s plan and purpose of bringing people to Him. The Chain begins in Asia, the continent of origins, with the Law and the Gospel. The chain later moves to Europe, the continent of development, when Paul obeyed the “Macedonian Call”. The chain moved to America when the Pilgrims settled in 1620.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” –Psalm 19:1

II. The Christian Principle of Self-Government

Self-Government is the government of oneself. Government is direction, regulation, control, and restraint.

“Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32)

A. “When a teacher and a class of students discuss the government of the classroom it is easy to fall into the socialistic concept of good government. Under a man-based form of government, such as socialism, each individual is but a part of the state- and the state is made up of the parts. In a Christian Republic, because the individual Christian accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior- whole and complete- each individual is whole and complete in Christ.” (Teaching and Learning America’s Christian History p. 187) In order to have a governed classroom there must be governed students. The focus must be on the individual self-government.

B. “Obedience to the internal demands of conscience brings greater freedom than mere compliance with the external law.” (Teaching and Learning America’s Christian History p. 188) If we want to live in freedom we must follow the law that is written on our hearts then the external laws would not be restraining you but protecting you from evil and giving you freedom.

“Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” –Proverbs 7:2-3

III. America’s Heritage of Christian Character

A. “As the whole life of the Christian, from the beginning to the end, is a conflict with the world and the powers of darkness, a conflict within and without, the kingdom of God in this world must appear as militant, and must make its way by conflict; so that often in the Holy Writ, the calling of the Christian is compared to that of the military life, and the Christian is represented as the soldier of his Lord.” (Teaching and Learning America’s Christian History p. 211) To live a life of Christian Character is a battle “not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

B. Christian Character is not something that comes mechanically or by force, but it is a choice that each individual has to follow Christ and do what is right.

C. It is highly important to have models of Christian Character for ourselves and for students. When we teach in the classroom or at home, we have many examples of people and stories of people. We should be highlighting on people in history who have had Christian character, and stories that clearly portray good as good and evil as evil.

IV. Conscience is the most sacred of all property.

A. “We find the founding fathers reminding us that ‘we have a property’ in our rights- and that the right to conscience is the most important. As we were reminded in the writings of Neander, liberty of conscience did not exist until Christianity appeared in the world. With its appearing the individual became important- and his most sacred possession was his conscience.” (Teaching and Learning America’s Christian History p. 228) We have a right to life, liberty, and property. The most sacred of all property is the conscience.

B. “Conscience: the principle within us, which decides on the lawfulness or unlawfulness of our own actions and affections, and instantly approves or condemns them.” (Teaching and Learning America’s Christian History p.229) Our conscience helps us to detect what is right and what is wrong.

C. “Conscience is first occupied in ascertaining our duty (legislative), before we proceed to action (executive), then in judging of our actions when preformed (judicial).” (Teaching and Learning America’s Christian History p. 229)

D. Be a good steward over all property that is under your care. God will reward you if you are a good steward. Luke 12:42-44 “And the Lord said, ‘Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when He comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.”

V. The Christian Form of Government

A. Internal->External

1. Internal government includes property, Christian self-government and union. We must have stewardship over our property, learn to govern ourselves and unite with others before we see external changes and have freedom from restraint.

2. External government includes: “The principle of representation, the separation of powers, and the dual form of government.” This is the structure and framework of our constitution.

B. The three branches of government:

1. Legislative- “giving or enacting laws…” (Websters 1828)

2. Executive- “having the quality of executing or performing…carries the laws into effect, or superintends the enforcement of them.” (Websters 1828)

3. Judicial- judging or giving justice.

“for the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our law giver, the Lord is our king; it is He who will save us.” Isaiah 33:22

C. Wycliffe said “Dominion belongs to grace.” Our founding fathers knew that a government must be founded on moral principles from God’s Law.

D. We cannot have civil liberty without a Christian form of Government. ‘God grant that in America true religion and civil liberty may be inseparable…” (John Witherspoon)

VI. How the Seed of Local Self-Government is Planted

A. The Seed of Local Self-Government is first planted in the heart of the individual and when it is rooted it spreads to the rest of the family and church through the influence of the individual. It then spreads to the community/neighborhoods, then to the city, then to the state, then to the nation, and then to the world.

B. In order to have a self governed nation, there must be self governed people.

VII. The Christian Principle of American Political Union

A. Union- “The act of joining two or more things into one, and thus forming a compound body or a mixture; or the junction or coalition of things thus united.” “’One kingdom, joy and union without end.’-Milton” (Websters 1828)

B. “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” –Ephesians 4:25 Though each individual is unique and different in personality, gifts and so on, we are all a part of one body. We must learn to work together, not in the fact that we should all act alike and try to be like each other for unity is not uniformity, but in the fact that we are stronger when we are united and we need each other.

C. “It was from the churches of the New Testament that the Pilgrims derived their ideas of Christian Unity.” (Teaching and Learning America’s Christian History p.267) America has a rich heritage of Christian Political Union. America is very diverse with many independent states. But yet every state pledges to each other, and to be united under God.

To think governmentally we need to think whom or what is in control, has authority, that which we should yield to. Martin Luther King Jr. said: “if a man hasn’t discovered something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” We must choose to yield to that which we believe in, and to that which we will die for. What is it? Abraham Lincoln believed that “the only assurance of our nation’s safety is to lay our foundation in morality and religion.” It is our religion, which is that God is in control of us, He loves  us, and our desire should be that His Will will be done.

Submitting to Christ’s authority starts in the heart/character first and then with actions.”Putting others first is a sign of character, not compromise.” (Mary Jenson).

“Unrestricted water is a swamp; because it lacks restriction it also lacks depth.” (Tim Hansel) We need restriction and laws so that we can see a clear boundary of what is right and wrong and so we can then grow in what is right. God has given us His Word to abide by but He has also appointed leaders over us to give us restrictions and guidelines to abide by. Abiding by the law will bring about safety and peace.

• Child Centered Philosophy is based on the child’s feelings. The curriculum waits for “pupil readiness” and only teaches what pleases the child. This is a form of anarchy.
• Subject Centered Philosophy expects the child to adapt to the curriculum. This is a form of tyranny: tyranny of the majority or democracy. The majority determines the methods of learning and the rest has to adapt to that.
• The Principle Approach however gives principles from the Bible and teaches self-government to learn through guidance. The main end is to know Christ. It puts Christ as the center of learning. For Christ is the foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.

“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” 1Timothy 4:7

It requires diligence to be disciplined, self-governed, and wise. A child will not know how to read over night nor will a child obtain stewardship over night but it is a process of forming good habits. I like what Jacob Riis writes: “When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter, hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it-but all that had gone before.” –“Why can’t I understand calculus and get it over with?” the student asks. It is the same reason that the stone cutter couldn’t split the stone in one try. There needs to be diligence. Start out by understanding algebra and trigonometry. Persevere through it.