Rhetoric is the art of persuasive speech. When the subject of Rhetoric is fully understood, an ECA student is apt to be drawn to the truth, goodness, and beauty of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our prayer is that each student will benefit from the wisdom of knowing both the positive and negative implications of the tools of persuasive speech.
Scripture contains a mention of the concept of persuasion in Acts 26:28, “And Agrippa said to Paul, ‘In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?’”
This verse is the response of King Agrippa to a persuasive speech given by the Apostle Paul. In the setting, Paul has been imprisoned and is appealing his case to King Agrippa. I commend to you the reading of this section of Acts found in and around Acts 26.
Perhaps the most appealing point of Paul’s testimony is that he makes detailed reference to his conversion. You see, Paul was a persecutor of Christians until the Lord Jesus had an encounter with Paul on the road to Damascus. It is important to notice that the work of salvation in Paul’s life is being performed by the Lord. Then Paul responds in faith and obedience while being willing to speak boldly about his redemption. In fact, King Agrippa and many others around were able to benefit from Paul’s bold speech.
At ECA our prayer for each and every student, regardless of grade, is that they might continue to grow in their exposure to and understanding of the Savior – leading to genuine faith in Him.
This year, I have the privilege of teaching our Rhetoric class to many of our Juniors and Seniors; and while I am still getting acquainted with them, I trust that many have already expressed faith in Christ. However, only the Lord knows the proclivity of the hearts of these young adults! I pray that what is learned in class throughout the year will be instrumental in drawing students nearer to Him, and I am thankful for the work of Mrs. Leslie Schwager who developed and honed this special curriculum over the last decade to do just that.
When we made a formal commitment to align with the Classical Christian educational paradigm in 2009, we knew it would require us to grow as a school. In hindsight, I am delighted that we chose to do this. Many students have already been impacted through Rhetoric.
Let us continue to pray that as our children advance grade by grade, they will be nurtured to love, honor, and obey the Lord who is powerful enough to save each one! Ultimately, may each one “pursue their purpose in Christ.”
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