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Barajas

How Did Sunday School Begin?

Does it originate from the Holy Scriptures? Was it a practice of the

first Christians? Can we read from such a school, in the pages of
New Testament?

The Bible says that the church is a divine institution, planned from
before the foundation of the world. Today, we hear many say
that this is true. They believe that the church is the result of the work of
God, but many times they ignore their organization, their structure, their
order. They forget that it is God who made the arrangements and designed the
methods that were to be used.

This is what happened with what is now known as 'school'

"dominical" in most religious groups, and "Bible classes in
others." Very few recognize that this is a method that does not have its
origin in the Sacred Scriptures. Even many brothers in the
Churches of Christ have the idea that it is a biblical or established method.
through Jesus Christ. But: Are 'the Bible classes' part of the worship of
Worship? Is Sunday School of biblical origin?

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When I say Bible classes or Sunday school, I am referring to the fact of

how the church assembly is divided for teaching (children,
young people, adults, newly converted etc.) something that we do not find in
no part of the sacred scriptures. So, how did it begin
Sunday school?

The Sunday School and its Principles

Some people's opinion is that Sunday school originated

when Hannah Ball, a native of High Wicombe,
in Buckinghamshire, England, founded a school in the year 1769.
Although most have linked it to Robert Raikes in 1780, and to whom more
Later, another man named Thomas Stock joined him in this.
effort. The movement began with a school for children, to which
Later on, the girls were also added.

The biography of Robert Raikes says, "Everything

it started in the year 1780, in the city of Gloucester,
England. A journalist named Robert Raikes,
baptized in the Anglican church, did not accept the
idea that poor children in the city do not
they will enjoy a basic education, which
contribute to a good educational formation.
On Sundays, he would sit by his window and watch the children.
poor, ragged, dirty people who infested the streets and caused
disorders, causing disturbances in urban life transforming the
streets in schools of vice and wickedness. The parents of the children, for
neglect and due to extreme misery, they were not bothered by this situation,
but Robert Raikes, who employed many of these children during the
week in the sale of his newspaper, he worried about the fate and
lucky are those little ones who would later transform into
thieves, murderers, counterfeiters and that the English government was deporting

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for the Indies, Oceania, thus distancing them from the social environment. In the
seaports, Raikes observed old and young who would be
deportees, others even executed, and his heart was troubled by
to remember that he had done nothing to prevent that. One day, he invited
to the children who sold newspapers and showed them the big ones
advantages of studying something useful. He talked to them about the necessity of the
moral and then taught them to read and do something important for their
lives in those days. In this way, they already had a good amount
for the first Sunday and asked the children to bring other children
the next class. The second Sunday had double the attendance, and so
It happened the third Sunday onwards. Then he had to
organize several classes with the help of
other teachers. Raikes received criticism and
came to be called: 'master of
rags
professor of beggars
poor

In 1787, seven years later, the school of

Raikes was recommended by the bishops of
the official church of the State, for its school
it already reached 20,000 students. The enthusiasm for the organization
it was spread across all social classes, as the results were
patents and royalties. The Queen of England herself was informed of the
social changes that were happening in his kingdom, and Raikes was called
officially to the Royal Palace to present his project, which of this
from that date onwards, started receiving many contributions from the
rich, which led to the creation of other schools, producing fruits
abundant in the lives of children, thus changing an entire society.
For this reason, Robert Raikes is currently known as the founder of
the Sunday School, however, he had created it with methods
simple and modest, very different from today's Sunday school that
has gone through several transformations, always in search of
Improvements. (Information taken from Protestant Biographies).

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Brother friend, the origin of 'Sunday school - Bible classes'

it is not in the doctrine of Christ, we do not find it in the teachings
of the apostles and also in the practical life of the church. This
practice has its origin in the mind of the carnal man according to this
story, something that is in turn forbidden by God 'But this, brothers,
I have presented it as an example in me and in Apollos for the sake of
you, so that you may learn in us not to think more than what
it is written, lest you become conceited against one another
others” (1 Cor. 4:6).

The Biblical Method?

In the Old Testament, the assembly of the Jews by

example, it included men, women, and children, read: "You will gather the
people, men and women and children, and your foreigners who were in
your cities,so that they hear and learn, and fear the Lord your God
God, and take care to fulfill all the words of this law; and the children of
Those who did not know, listen, and learn to fear the Lord your God.
every day that you live on the earth where you go, passing the
Jordan, to take possession of it” (Deut. 31:12-13). “There was no word
any of all that Moses commanded, that Joshua did not have read before
from all the congregation of Israel, and from the women, from the children, and from
the foreigners who lived among them” (Joshua 8:35)

Currently, the main reason for separating or dividing the

assembly is 'because children cannot learn at the same
speed of an adult, equal to a listener or a new convert.
The question is, could the children learn the law of the Old Testament?
If not, then for what reason did God order it to be done this way?

A study of preaching in the New Testament tells us that it

was done publicly (for the whole congregation, men, women
and children), and private (for individuals). "And every day, in the temple and
through the houses, they did not cease to teach and preach about Jesus Christ" "and how
nothing that was useful I have avoided announcing to you and teaching you,
publicly and from house to house” (Acts 5:42, 20:20).

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What would we find when visiting a first-century congregation?

The adults in one place and the children in another compartment.
apart? No. The truth is not like that, the apostle Paul, in his first letter to
the Corinthians refers to the church meeting for worship
it happened in the same place, read;

But in announcing this I do not praise you;

why do you not gather for the best, but for the worst. For in
First of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are among you
you divisions; and in part I believe it

1 Cor. 14.23, 26 "If, therefore, the whole church assembles in one place
place, and all speak in tongues, and unlearned or unbelievers enter,
"Won't they say that you are crazy?" "What's going on, then, brothers?"
When you come together, each of you has a psalm, has
doctrine, has language, has revelation, has interpretation.
Let everything be done for building.

The context of this chapter shows us that the purpose of the

the assembly of the church is to worship God and receive edification;
Because you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone
"learn, and all be exhorted" (14.31). Dear reader, like
You can see, the church always gathered all in one place.

Consider other texts where it mentions that the church meeting

it happened in the same place.

Acts 14:27; "And when they had come and gathered the church,
they referred to how great things God had done with them, and how
had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles
Acts 20:7-8; "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together
disciples to break the bread, Paul was teaching them, having to
to leave the next day; and he extended the speech until midnight. And
there were many lamps in the high room where they were
gathered

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The Sunday School in the Churches of Christ

The 'Sunday school' movement quickly spread to other

countries that appear in the United States, in Virginia in the year of
1786, from there to the main cities like Philadelphia in 1790, Boston
and New York in 1791, later moving to Canada in 1830 (Global
Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia

The Sunday school is an institution created by men with the

purpose of helping in the teaching of the Word of God. But
it should also be noted that it was created without the approval of the
Scriptures although many try to justify their use today.

When were they first used in the churches of Christ? No

we have information about any particular congregation, the opinion of
some brothers is that at that time there was a lot of confusion about
regarding. See it in the following information;

La E. Lubbock (Broadway Church of Christ) built its venue to

gather with other Christ churches in West Texas...
first that had individual cups in the communion in the plains
from Texas; and he also started the first Bible classes for the
Sunday morning in the year 1908. To make these changes
we had to proceed with great caution, because many brothers
they made no distinction between custom and faith. They believed that the
the way everything had been practiced until that moment was
detailed by the Scripture, which we had preached all the
time, "that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
prepared for every good work," and that is why all the details are
data in the Scriptures...

After the division over the organ and mission societies

in the last part of the 1880s and the first part of the 1890s, the
churches in Texas rejected the Sunday school that was managed
separated from the church. Such a Sunday school chose superintendents.
almost every three months with other officials, and it was usually in this

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way in which the organ voted for its use, and from there put into
the church...

Finally, most of the congregations handed over their premises.

where the deviants gathered. Truly, the deviants
they became the majority and the faithful brothers left. Therefore,
we were against the old Sunday school and the way that
it was handled. However, we understood that if we did nothing
we would lose our children and the other churches would take them away
also. That's why we started to arrange the Bible classes under the
supervision of the elders as a work of the church...

We had some opposition, but we told them no.

we were forcing nothing on them. We handled things in such a way
so that we avoid any division, which many churches
they had. In this way we were able to maintain peace in the church in
Lubbock while others had more or less struggle and controversy and even
divisions." (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, October 1, 1970, Liff Sanders.
Wait for the Word by Jerry Dickinson. Information taken from, The Herald
Latino, April 1998.

As you can see and confirm in history, Sunday school was

Invented by men and brought from Europe to America by the
denominations. Time passed, and some churches of Christ
they adopted even knowing that it meant going beyond what is
written. Just to vary a little and not seem denominational, I
they changed the name and called it "biblical classes". But, what
changing its name, does it turn into something biblical? For example, if to the
the tail of a horse, we call it a leg, is that why we can say that the
Does a horse have five legs? We know that it doesn't. In the same way, if to the
we call Sunday school 'Bible classes', it will continue to be a
practice that cannot be justified with the Bible.

Some Churches of Christ 'imitating the denominations'

Those who are honest with the record of history will admit that the
Churches of Christ took the idea of Sunday school from the

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names that were already being used. In 1967 "The Twentieth

Century Christian
that use the Sunday School, printed the following admission: "The
Christ's churches borrowed from denominational neighbors the idea of
the Sunday School

Certificates of Attendance
The church of Christ at the beginning of this practice began to give
certificates of attendance to their students with the portrait of Robert Raikes and
below it reads 'Founder of the Sunday School, 1780. (See
photocopy: Certificate of attendance utilized by Nashville 'Church of'
Christ, p. 119.

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A part of the problem today is that the majority is unaware of this reality.
about the origin of the "Bible classes". Most of this
accustomed to its use, they participate without questioning. How is it that
Where did these biblical classes come from? And even worse, they do so without verifying...
the Scriptures "to see if these things are so" that is, according to the
Word of God, as the first Christians did (Acts 17:11).

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Conclusions: Is Sunday school a biblical practice?

First: The Sunday school, mistakenly called 'the school

bíblicadominical”, “clasesbíblicas”, “clase decatecismo(doctrina)”
etc., it is actually a method for teaching that bears the name
"biblical," which is impossible, because it is simply a procedure.
that is not found anywhere in the Holy Scriptures.

Second: His function added a new role to the church, that of the
teacher. Something that we also do not find in the Bible. One of the
basic problems regarding the so-called 'Sunday school' is that it
came to undermine God's intention for families, coming to occupy
the place of the parents. For example, in the case of the law of the ancient
testament for the Jewish nation, God's intention was that the parents
they had the responsibility to teach their children; "And these words
what I command you today shall be upon your heart; and you shall repeat them to your
children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way,
and when you lie down, and when you get up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your
and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes; and you shall write them on the
posts of your house, and on your doors” (Dt. 6:6-9).

On the other hand, this is likewise ordered in the law of the New Testament;
And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up
in the discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Eph 6:4), “that he rules well
his house, which has his children under control with all honesty (for the
he who does not know how to govern his own house, how will he take care of the church of
God? (1 Tim 3:4-5). Originally, the purpose of 'the Bible classes'
It was to help. But over time, without realizing it, the
the responsibility that God had given to the parents was being relegated to
the "teachers".

Third: it is not a biblical practice because the method is not part of

the law for the church. During the worship service, the assembly of the
the church was never divided. It always remained as one body and one
minds to be edified (1 Co 14:16-17). But in this procedure,

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there is no "one single mind". For example: I remember an occasion when

I was visiting during a meeting, the brother who was serving dinner of the
Sir, I took her to the present members, then she went out to the patio where
the children and 'the teacher' in charge of taking care of them would find each other,
will participate in this act. The question is; Where, in the scriptures
Can we read something similar?

Fourth: the origin of the so-called 'Sunday school' is another form of

to demonstrate that it is not a biblical practice but rather that it comes from
the mind and the 'good intentions' of man, in his eagerness to
improve
word. A monument in honor of Robert Raikes at the entrance
from Gloucester Park (see the photos below), in the city of the same name
name for his sunday school, is the best proof to say that it is
he, who originated this curriculum and not God. A movement
that from the beginning has been the result of the influence of the
secular education in all senses (theory, techniques, philosophy and
methodology) as Hayward Armstrong well points out in his
"Bases for Christian Education."

Additional Notes:

Robert Raikes. Born on September 14

1736, son of Mary Drew and Robert Raikes. He was
baptized according to the rite of the Anglican church.
In December 1767, he married
Anne Trigge with whom he had ten children. Seven
women and men. Robert Raikes passed away on the 5th
April 1811.

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Gloucester Diary
(Here is a photocopy of the Diary published by D. Walker, successor of R.
Raikes dated September 9, 1805.

Robert Raikes was an apprentice at a printing house founded by his father the
"Gloucester Diary." When his father died in 1757, he took over.
said Diary, which he used and served in the advertising of his movement
called 'Sunday School' (including also the reforms
about the penitentiary and hospital care.)

Statue of Robert Raikes

Gloucester Park.
England
Photograph of the monument in honor
of this character for his 'school'
"Dominical" is the best way to
demonstrate the origin of said
movement.

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The inscription says:

Robert Raikes founder of the Sunday school movement.

He was born in Gloucester in 1735 and died in 1811.

In 1930, the third jubilee of the movement was celebrated (150 years of school)
Sunday

This statue was erected with contributions from the teachers and
students of the Sunday schools of the earth, gathered under the
favorable of the United Council of Sunday School Organizations
from the National Union of Sunday Schools.

It is presented in her hometown, and unveiled on Thursday, October 2nd

1930.

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LET US REFLECT; 'THE SUNDAY SCHOOL'

WITH WHAT AUTHORITY?

VERSE

CHAPTER

BOOK

"GREAT CHANGES"

LARGE DEVIATIONS

In conclusion: we know that movements such as the reform or the

the restoration of the church has been important, as well as the calling of
many, today, returning to the path of the Holy Scriptures.

I consider it important to say that if we are to recover the purpose of

God for families, and for His Church, we must start by assuming
our responsibilities as parents and as leaders in service
of the teaching as the Lord has commanded. "Sanctify them in your
truth; your word is truth" (Jn. 17:17)

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We can realize that Sunday school is of human origin.

well it is born from the mind of a man. Even worse is that said
the movement has become so popular that the majority of the
people of our time have accepted it blindly, and instead of
to recognize that the biblical method has been changed, still it
they defend. Henry Halley in his manual compendium of the Bible says that
the Sunday school... has become a substitute for the
"church" Doesn't it seem somewhat lamentable to you?

Dear reader, this is the sad reality, man made "arrangements" to the
adoration, He made "changes" to the rules established by the Lord, something
that He warned should not be done. Maybe this doesn't matter to you now,
but remember the words of Jesus Christ; "But answering, he said:
Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.
15.13).

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

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