Just out of curiosity, I looked up the definition of educate in dictionary.com.
Here's what the definition is:
"To develop the faculties and powers of (a person) by teaching, instruction, or schooling."
The definition they gave to education is:
"The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life."
The definitions for the two similar words kept bouncing around in my head for a while now. The reason for this is because that the definition for educate implies that the ability of a person to succeed in what they are meant to do is already there. The definition for education, meanwhile, can be summed up as acquiring knowledge to prepare for things to come. I've also recently heard from my chemistry honors teacher that to educate meant to "bring out the treasure from within someone." His definition, combined with the two others, made me realize that educating and education are words that mean so much more than pointless studying. To educate means that you're bringing out the best of someone, their "treasure" of knowledge to do work. "Education" is acquiring knowledge to prepare for what is to come.
The Bible here is a great metaphor to use to explain what these words mean. The Bible, being God's living word, educates us when we look into it, bringing out the knowledge, the treasure, from within us. It brings out what is already in us; the characteristics that God has given us. The "education" part comes in that it prepares us for our work in this world and the second coming of Jesus.
God is the Great Educator. God not only gives us our education (giving us the necessary tools to do our work), but also educates us (teaches us how to use those tools to the fullest extent).
The definition they gave to education is:
"The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life."
The definitions for the two similar words kept bouncing around in my head for a while now. The reason for this is because that the definition for educate implies that the ability of a person to succeed in what they are meant to do is already there. The definition for education, meanwhile, can be summed up as acquiring knowledge to prepare for things to come. I've also recently heard from my chemistry honors teacher that to educate meant to "bring out the treasure from within someone." His definition, combined with the two others, made me realize that educating and education are words that mean so much more than pointless studying. To educate means that you're bringing out the best of someone, their "treasure" of knowledge to do work. "Education" is acquiring knowledge to prepare for what is to come.
The Bible here is a great metaphor to use to explain what these words mean. The Bible, being God's living word, educates us when we look into it, bringing out the knowledge, the treasure, from within us. It brings out what is already in us; the characteristics that God has given us. The "education" part comes in that it prepares us for our work in this world and the second coming of Jesus.
God is the Great Educator. God not only gives us our education (giving us the necessary tools to do our work), but also educates us (teaches us how to use those tools to the fullest extent).
