# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1920_S10
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

10 Proceedings of the twenty-seventh convention

corrupted, they have by nature a liking for sinful things, and a dislike of the good. — Above all the will is perverted and inclined to evil. — This nature is still in the children, even though they have been born again through Baptism.

The Christian school further presupposes redemption through JESUS Christ. Christ, by his vicarious obedience, by his vicarious suffering and death, has not only freed the children from all guilt, he has also released them from the dominion of sin. And now that the children have been born again through the Holy Spirit in Baptism, they share in the merit of Christ by faith.

The educational task of the school now consists in strengthening the new man in the children in the struggle against the old. The Christian teacher expects in this that the children will still often stumble, indeed will perhaps even fall into willful sin now and then; but he also expects that they will submit to the Word of God and thereby win the victory.

The state school knows no original sin, no corruption of nature. When it perceives the weakening of the mental powers, it stands before insoluble riddles. It knows no redemption, only one that man works himself. It therefore seeks nothing further than to develop the natural powers, and in doing so unfailingly develops sin. The result is, at best, the "splendid vices" of the heathen, a civil righteousness which as such has its worth for this life, but which, severed from the righteousness of Christ, leads to damnation.

We too cannot wholly escape this spirit of self-righteousness; it presses in upon us everywhere. What then, if we let our children be brought up from the start in this spirit! That would be the ruin of the church. Even with Christian education they can hardly ward off the poison.

Finally the spirit of a school also shows itself in the choice of means which it employs in education. The Christian school knows only one, the Gospel. It seeks to bring up the children by painting the Savior before their eyes and making them love him. It works upon the children with the message of the Father's love, of Christ's sacrifice of atonement, in order thus to warm their hearts for Christ and to cultivate faith in the Savior. It encourages them, out of gratitude, for Christ's sake, to be diligent and obedient, with this mind to fight sinful desire, and to use God's gifts rightly.

The means of education of the state school is, in a word, the law. The state has only the sword; with the sword it keeps order among its citizens, with the sword it educates in the school. The form which the legal character takes in the school is well known. Hope of distinction and reward, fear of being set back and of punishment are the motives that are cultivated. Ambition is spurred on.