Although Catholic schools as we know them today did not come into existence until the about a century after the birth of Christianity, Christian education can be traced back to Biblical times. Christian education predates the establishment of the early church, as a Christian school without walls existed everywhere Jesus went throughout the New Testament. Jesus can easily be seen as the first Christian school instructor and his disciples and the crowds to whom he ministered his students. In addition to his twelve disciples, most of the people with whom Jesus came into contact referred to him as a teacher, and the scripture refers to his work in different towns throughout the land of his ministry as teaching. Further evidence of Jesus' early work in Christian education can be seen in his location and manner of teaching. He corrected existing teachings and instructors' interpretations and methods through his teaching of law and his rebuking of the Pharisees. Just as important teachers of the contemporary era frequent universities to offer lectures and answer questions, the Bible often records Jesus lecturing and interpreting from the steps of the synagogue, arguing with other learned scholars of his time.
             After Jesus' ascension into heaven, the early church was tasked with being his "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Sumeria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). While this statement is a command to evangelize, it is also a command to teach. In essence, the early church was tasked with continuing Jesus' work after his return to heaven. Thus, the disciples of the church became visiting lecturers and teachers at many centers of learning throughout the ancient Middle East. While the primary purpose of evangelism, Paul's and Peter's journeys, letters, and interactions with the various peoples of villages across the Middle East also served as teaching methods. In addition to teaching Biblical principals, Paul's letters t...