The recent posts on home discipleship (here and here) have prompted some interesting discussion. An email that I received said:

Jewish custom requires everyone go through religious study in their youth. The study is not conducted by the parents but by scholars. Why do we think our parents are going to be able to take the place of those scholars even if their own lives are devoted to Christ?

and recently Scott posed the question:

I’ve been thinking alot about the email you received and wanted to ask a couple of questions that I have myself. It was admitted in the email that the training of children by scholars was “Jewish custom.” Does that make it right? As I read the Old Testament (especially the Torah) there are countless of verses that point to the training of children should happen in the homes. This was long before the synagogue system arose. It seems that the training of children by scholars may have been a deviation from God’s plan. Any thoughts?

I think this is a question worth exploring. Personally, I tend to think of Jewish training by scholars as more of religious training than real spiritual training. There is a large gap between the religious and the spiritual. So, having a rabbi teach children about laws, practices, and customs doesn’t necessarily mean it helps those children draw close to the Lord.

Any thoughts?