What is My Goal?
I want to convince you that apprenticeship as discipleship is one of the most powerful biblical levers to build Christian society and that it is one of the best tools we can use to disempower the current humanist society around us—to deconstruct the coliseum as one man so succinctly put it. It is a practical means by which we can train our children to support themselves and to make their way in the world without incurring huge college debts and without putting themselves under attack by professors who have opposing worldviews to promote.
Who am I to Talk?
At age sixty-five I am younger than many of you. But my health is problematic, so from behind these eyes I am, if you will permit me to mix a metaphor, starting to look long in the tooth. I have three children one being my only son whom I reared carefully in the carpentry trade and in a Christian worldview. I took him to work with me from an early age. He learned the names of all the tools, fetching them as his first work. He learned principles of how to work—never walk around with empty hands, and later on, never doubt you are a real carpenter. I also wrote books, seven so far, on biblical worldview including a book on homeschooling—a biblical defense of homeschooling. So I have practiced what I am advocating. Nevertheless, I am not unaware of my failings or of the obstacles and struggles in achieving the end I promote.
Old Time Apprenticeships
I want to write a, perhaps the, book on apprenticeship as discipleship. I have been reading apprenticeship contracts out of old Christendom. Those ancient contracts force the master tradesman to teach the apprentice all the “secrets and mysteries” of the trade. The master also agrees to provide room and board for the apprentice. Typically in the first year little or nothing in the way of wages is provided. In every case the apprentice swears not to steal the masters’ “goodes” among other promises. The contracts were typically short and often imperfect. The terms set by masters were strict. The apprentice could not marry without the master’s approval, the apprentice must attend church, the apprentice must collect firewood, supply his own clothes, receive only one pair of boots per year, not gamble or get drunk or…
Bible Time Apprenticeships
I have been reading about Bezalel and Oholiab in Exodus chapters 31-40. This is the largest section on work in the Bible. The writer diverges to other topics but then returns faithfully to his original discussion. These two men, master and apprentice, were commissioned by God to build the tabernacle the movable tent of meeting in the wilderness). God gave them, the text informs us, skills sufficient for this great work. We are told that God gave many people skills to assist. The skills God gave them however were undeveloped gifts. Thus Bezalel and Oholiab were commanded to teach the people to do the skilled work. There is much more but it makes my point that apprenticeship is often God’s chosen method to teach trades—life skills—and apprenticeship is discipleship. If we want to rebuild God’s tabernacle, if we want to replace the crumbling humanist coliseum, the Lord has given us the tools to begin the work. Apprenticeships; Christian, Godly, properly-conceived apprenticeships are one of those tools.
Now is the Time for Apprenticeships
Apprenticeship as discipleship is an everyman’s tool. You do not have to be clergy or have public speaking skills to disciple apprentices, keeping them out of public universities (and we do want to extract as many students as possible from those humanist prisons). They must be freed to use the gifts and talents God has given them. For gifts, skills, and talents are God’s created means by which we are to advance His kingdom. Our everyman need not be a physical laborer either. Here in Virginia I have been told you can ‘read for law’ to become an attorney. It is essentially a form of apprenticeship left from a wiser era. The gates for apprenticeships ought to be a great deal wider than only into physical labor intensive lines of work. This pie is much bigger than what we now imagine (and who doesn’t like bigger pies?).
The humanists, the Greeks in biblical parlance, measure men by intelligence. They use logical syllogisms of Aristotle and Plato—all the reasoning of the ancient city. But we are not humanists. Biblical logic is ethical. It presses to develop a righteous society built on, and reasoned from the standards of Moses, the prophets, and the apostles. God’s law is, borrowing the Lutheran analogy, in, with, and under our every endeavor. I mention this because when we apprentice people we have the grand opportunity to teach the moral principles behind the trade. We are not merely teaching the logic of the business. We are training in the morals as well—all that Christ commanded us.
Christian Apprenticeship: Build the Future
With apprenticeships we create the financial basis for future ministries. If we are to defeat the tax-funded humanistic culture we must be aided by successful Christians embedded in trades and businesses across this country. So by training our apprentices we achieve the double benefit of emptying the public universities and building the future financial foundations to defeat some of God’s enemies. This is worth more than just talking about, it is worth doing.
I ask you all to pray for me and my household. Currently I have a wonderful apprentice. I discuss my work and training with him often on this blog. Please ask the Lord to give us success in our discipleship and in my efforts to write the book on apprenticeship, on work and working.
Thank you all and may God bless our small beginnings.
Dr. Don Schanzenbach
Mendota, VA