The Urantia Book presents a unique and profound view of Jesus’ attitude toward education. Far from being indifferent to learning, Jesus is portrayed as a strong believer in the value of study, training, and lifelong growth. His understanding of education went well beyond the accumulation of facts; for him, true education was a pathway to intellectual maturity, moral integrity, and spiritual enlightenment.

The Value of Study and Learning
From an early age, Jesus showed a remarkable dedication to study. The Urantia Book describes him as spending countless evenings in the synagogue library, reading the Scriptures and carefully organizing knowledge for later use.

His approach was systematic he accumulated information in childhood, classified it during youth, and then drew on it with wisdom in his adult teaching. He also encouraged his family members and apostles to set aside time for study, knowing that serious learning was essential preparation for effective living and ministry.

Education as Character Growth
For Jesus, education was not merely intellectual. It was about the transformation of personality and the growth of character. He emphasized fairness, justice, and service in the upbringing of his siblings, preferring positive exhortation over negative prohibition. His belief was that knowledge must lead to wisdom, and wisdom must inspire higher living. In this sense, education was both moral training and spiritual preparation.

Practical Training and Experience
Jesus’ educational philosophy was highly practical. When training his apostles, he used a hands-on method: sending them out two by two to preach, then reviewing their experiences with them. This apprenticeship-style learning allowed them to grow through experience, not just through listening. He demonstrated that education must be lived, not merely studied.

Selective and Spiritual Learning
The Urantia Book also highlights Jesus’ emphasis on choosing the best spiritual nourishment from the Scriptures. He guided his followers to focus on what was eternally true and divinely beautiful rather than getting lost in rigid debates or ritualistic interpretations. For him, the highest form of education was the feeding of the soul with uplifting truth.

Respect for Individual Growth
Perhaps most importantly, Jesus respected the freedom of the learner. He never forced belief or imposed truth through fear. Instead, he used parables, questions, and real-life examples to draw people into self-discovery. He believed faith must be chosen freely and education must respect personal dignity. In this way, he created a model of teaching that nurtured individuality while inspiring collective growth.

Conclusion
In The Urantia Book, Jesus stands out as a great advocate of education. But his idea of education was far richer than formal schooling. For him, it was a lifelong journey of the mind, heart, and spirit—a process of knowing God, embracing truth, and serving others. His teachings remind us that true education is not just about what we know, but about who we become.

A New School of the Prophets

148:1.1 (1657.6) Peter, James, and Andrew were the committee designated by Jesus to pass upon applicants for admission to the school of evangelists. All the races and nationalities of the Roman world and the East, as far as India, were represented among the students in this new school of the prophets. This school was conducted on the plan of learning and doing. What the students learned during the forenoon they taught to the assembly by the seaside during the afternoon. After supper they informally discussed both the learning of the forenoon and the teaching of the afternoon.

148:1.2 (1658.1) Each of the apostolic teachers taught his own view of the gospel of the kingdom. They made no effort to teach just alike; there was no standardized or dogmatic formulation of theologic doctrines. Though they all taught the same truth, each apostle presented his own personal interpretation of the Master’s teaching. And Jesus upheld this presentation of the diversity of personal experience in the things of the kingdom, unfailingly harmonizing and co-ordinating these many and divergent views of the gospel at his weekly question hours. Notwithstanding this great degree of personal liberty in matters of teaching, Simon Peter tended to dominate the theology of the school of evangelists. Next to Peter, James Zebedee exerted the greatest personal influence.

148:1.3 (1658.2) The one hundred and more evangelists trained during this five months by the seaside represented the material from which (excepting Abner and John’s apostles) the later seventy gospel teachers and preachers were drawn. The school of evangelists did not have everything in common to the same degree as did the twelve.

148:1.4 (1658.3) These evangelists, though they taught and preached the gospel, did not baptize believers until after they were later ordained and commissioned by Jesus as the seventy messengers of the kingdom. Only seven of the large number healed at the sundown scene at this place were to be found among these evangelistic students. The nobleman’s son of Capernaum was one of those trained for gospel service in Peter’s school.

Let's join hands in the establishment of the school of future evangelist and teachers of the urantia book teachings!