--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If ever the church is to flourish again…" description: "\"If ever the church is to flourish again, one must begin by instructing the young.\" — Martin Luther" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/martin-luther-106_church_if-ever-the-church-is-to-flourish-again_2564277.jpg" --- # If ever the church is to flourish again, one must begin by… ![“If ever the church is to flourish again, one must begin by instructing the young.” quote by Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/martin-luther-106_church_if-ever-the-church-is-to-flourish-again_2564277.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/martin-luther-106_church_if-ever-the-church-is-to-flourish-again_2564277.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/martin-luther-106_church_if-ever-the-church-is-to-flourish-again_2564277.jpg) > “If ever the church is to flourish again, one must begin by instructing the young.” [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education of youth is essential for the renewal of the church. **In simple terms:** Teach the young to revive the church. Key Takeaway Invest in youth education. Themes faith education renewal Mood hopeful determined Type theological motivational When to use this quote - church leadership - Sunday school - family catechism - community outreach Key Concepts Reformation generational influence Questions to Reflect On - How can adults mentor youth in faith? - What barriers exist to youth education? A Different Perspective Youth alone cannot sustain reform without adult support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Begin Instructing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begin-instructing-1633443/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church Flourish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-flourish-1185786/) [Flourish Begin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flourish-begin-1633444/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Instructing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instructing-1208005/) [Instructing Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instructing-young-1633442/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) ## Related quotes > [Begin by instructing yourself, then you will receive instruction from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/begin-by-instructing-yourself-then-you-will-receive-instruction-from/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Ministers should impress upon the people the necessity of individual effort. No church can flourish unless its members are workers. The people must lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/ministers-should-impress-upon-the-people-the-necessity-of-individual/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [I have never met Saroj Ji when she's not instructing someone, she's always ready to make you understand, she's always ready to help you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-shah/i-have-never-met-saroj-ji-when-she-s-not-instructing-someone-she-s/) [Daisy Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-shah/) > [I'm not about either entertaining or instructing. The entertaining and instructing are secondary fallout from the fundamental thing, which is basically to create an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/i-m-not-about-either-entertaining-or-instructing-the-entertaining-and/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [Evermore the Law must prepare the way for the gospel. To overlook this in instructing souls is almost certain to result in false hope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-grandison-finney/evermore-the-law-must-prepare-the-way-for-the-gospel-to-overlook-this-2/) [Charles Grandison Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-grandison-finney/) > [The aim of the poet is to inform or delight, or to combine together, in what he says, both pleasure and applicability to life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/the-aim-of-the-poet-is-to-inform-or-delight-or-to-combine-together-in/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“I kept my expression deadly serious as I went about instructing him how to perform”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/i-kept-my-expression-deadly-serious-as-i-went-about-instructing-him/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [I've got no interest in educating or instructing people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/i-ve-got-no-interest-in-educating-or-instructing-people/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) ## More by Martin Luther > [“It was easy for you to say these things, since you either knew you were not writing to Luther, but for the general public,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/it-was-easy-for-you-to-say-these-things-since-you-either-knew-you/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [In a delightful garden, sowing, planting or digging are not hardship but are done with a zeal and a certain pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/in-a-delightful-garden-sowing-planting-or-digging-are-not-hardship/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [If you could understand a single grain of wheat you would die of wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/if-you-could-understand-a-single-grain-of-wheat-you-would-die-of/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [He who believes in God is not careful for the morrow, but labors joyfully and with a great heart. "For He giveth His beloved,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/he-who-believes-in-god-is-not-careful-for-the-morrow-but-labors/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“God made man out of nothing, and as long as we are nothing, He can make something out of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/god-made-man-out-of-nothing-and-as-long-as-we-are-nothing-he-can-make/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“But the truth will win out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/but-the-truth-will-win-out/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [God wants us to pray, and he wants to hear our prayers-not because we are worthy, but because he is merciful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/god-wants-us-to-pray-and-he-wants-to-hear-our-prayers-not-because-we/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Our office...subjects us to great burdens and labors, dangers and temptations, with little reward or gratitude from the world. But Christ himself will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/our-office-subjects-us-to-great-burdens-and-labors-dangers-and/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“Our faith in Christ does not free us from works but from false opinions concerning works, that is, from the foolish presumption that justification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/our-faith-in-christ-does-not-free-us-from-works-but-from-false/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The works of the righteous would be mortal sins if they would not be feared as mortal sins by the righteous themselves out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-works-of-the-righteous-would-be-mortal-sins-if-they-would-not-be/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Do not suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused. Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/do-not-suppose-that-abuses-are-eliminated-by-destroying-the-object/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Romans 3:28”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/for-we-maintain-that-a-man-is-justified-by-faith-apart-from-observing/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [There are only two days on my calendar... today and the day of judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/there-are-only-two-days-on-my-calendar-today-and-the-day-of-judgment/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [ Antichrist is the pope and the Turk \[Muslim\] together. A beast full of life must have a body and soul. The spirit or soul… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/antichrist-is-the-pope-and-the-turk-muslim-together-a-beast-full-of/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [It is not the imitation that makes sons; it is sonship that makes imitators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/it-is-not-the-imitation-that-makes-sons-it-is-sonship-that-makes/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) [Explore all 1,292 Martin Luther quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) ## More Church quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [The minute you walk outside of your church on Sunday you're in mission territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/the-minute-you-walk-outside-of-your-church-on-sunday-you-re-in/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) [Browse all 9,430 Church quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If ever the church is to flourish again, one must begin by instructing the young.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Luther" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/if-ever-the-church-is-to-flourish-again-one-must-begin-by-instructing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Church" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/if-ever-the-church-is-to-flourish-again-one-must-begin-by-instructing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/martin-luther-106_church_if-ever-the-church-is-to-flourish-again_2564277.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/martin-luther-106_church_if-ever-the-church-is-to-flourish-again_2564277.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f89/martin-luther-106_church_if-ever-the-church-is-to-flourish-again_2564277.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If ever the church is to flourish again, one must begin by instructing the young.” — Martin Luther", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Martin Luther", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If ever the church is to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/if-ever-the-church-is-to-flourish-again-one-must-begin-by-instructing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/if-ever-the-church-is-to-flourish-again-one-must-begin-by-instructing/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```