The following quote appears in a May 1 Watchtower study article. Does anyone have any information on the Greek educational system? When did education begin? When did it end?
Regards,
Justitia
The Watchtower
May 1, 2007
Youths – Pursue Goals That Honor God
“Fight the Fine Fight” (Page 27 – pp14-16)
14 Giving priority to goals that honor Jehovah is the wisest course but by no means the easiest. When it comes to choosing a career, for example, you may come under a great deal of pressure from relatives, peers, and well-meaning educators who believe that a higher education and a lucrative career are the keys to true success and happiness. (Romans 12:2) Like Timothy, you will need to “fight the fine fight of the faith” in order to “get a firm hold on the everlasting life” that Jehovah holds out to you. – 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 3:12.
15 When unbelieving family members disapprove of your choices, the test can be especially severe. Possibly, Timothy had to overcome such opposition. According to one reference work, Timothy’s family probably “belonged to the educated and upper income bracket.” His father may well have expected him to seek higher education and to continue a family business.* Imagine how Timothy’s father may have reacted on discovering that Timothy preferred the dangers and financial uncertainties of missionary work with Paul!
16 Young Christians today face similar challenges. Matthew, who serves at a branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses, recalls: “When I began serving as a pioneer, my father was extremely disappointed. He felt that I had ‘wasted’ my education by taking a job as a cleaner to support me in my ministry. He would taunt me, reminding me of how much I could earn if I took a full-time job.” How did Matthew deal with that opposition? “I kept up a solid Bible-reading schedule and constantly prayed, especially at moments when it would have been easy for me to lose my temper.” Mathew’s determination had been rewarded. Over time, his relationship with his father improved. Matthew had also drawn closer to Jehovah. “I have seen Jehovah provide for me, encourage me, and protect me from bad decisions,” says Matthew. “I would not have experienced any of these things if I had not reached out for spiritual goals.”
*Greek society placed a high value on education. Plutarch, a contemporary of Timothy, wrote: “To receive a proper education is the source and root of all goodness…It is this, I say, which leads on and helps towards moral excellence and towards happiness…All other advantages are human, and trivial, and not worth our serious concern.”
– Moralia 1, “The Education of Children.”