Save money. Learn theology. Become a better writer. Minister more effective. That’s my hope for you. In this second year of my column, The Ministry of Writing, I want to take you to seminary — writing seminary. If you have had the chance to go to seminary then let this be a refresher. If you haven’t please soak up this tuition free theological education given each month in 5 points. God has called you to write. You want to glorify Him and reach the world, but the problem is that we can easily be false teachers and not know it. This is why growing and learning in biblical and theological knowledge is vital to your writing ministry.
Disclaimer…
You are reading this because you want to be a better minister through your writing, and I believe that necessitates intentional biblical and theological training. That training does not have to be in a formal seminary, but the teaching must be correct. Last month I wrote on five reasons why you must receive training. Again I can’t stress enough the importance — when you go to a doctor and your physical life is on the line you definitely want someone who has been trained. Right? So shouldn’t we desire that as much or more with the minister who is sharing eternal life.
Even though I am strongly for theological training, I agree with your grandmother, uncle, neighbor, and that guy at church who has warned you that seminary messes up good ministers. Training can and has messed up good writers — good servants of the Lord. Yet the risk far outweighs the dangers, but I do want to warn you of five dangers of theological training.
The Five Dangers…
- The Danger of Puffing Up (Pride & Self-Righteousness)
Not only is the danger realized by countless examples we have witnessed with our own eyes, but Scripture directly warns of this. In 1 Corinthians 8:1, we are warned that knowledge can puff up while love builds up. The difference between knowledge and love expressed in this passage seems to be on their reach beyond ourselves. Although our possession of knowledge can help others, it can also cause us to become prideful and full of ourselves. Yet, love for one another builds each other up in Christ.
The context of the passage is instruction on how these newly converted Christians should deal with eating meat that had been served to idols. Paul is trying to explain Christian liberty, but he knows legalism is the enemy of that liberty. It seems in history and today the religious people or churches who focus on knowledge and sincerity of doctrine tend to be those who are the most mean spirited. They are the churches full of truth, but void of love. This was the nature of the Pharisees in the Bible.
Not only can knowledge make one legalistic or not loving, but it can make one prideful.
Gaining knowledge through theological training does not have to puff one up or cause them to be legalistic, but the danger has been proven over and over.
2. Danger of Not Relying on God
This danger of theological training has been gained by personal experience, and I have heard others express the same sentiment. Although this is gained from experience, Scripture makes clear that as followers of Christ we are to rely on God. In John 5 we read Jesus say that He could do nothing without the Father. In which He was pointing to the God sized results. We can use human efforts, but only God can bring the supernatural harvest.
I would not trade the theological and ministry training I have received, but I look back on the early days of my preaching with great joy. I began preaching at 16 and had no clue with what to do. Armed with a Bible and an A-Z Topical Concordance I went to work. I have to rely on God for everything and He delivered. It was amazing messages were given to me more spontaneously. God showed me things in unique and surprising ways. Messages came to me almost verbatim. Then I had to pray through every aspect of any ministry work.
Through seminary I had a greater understanding of the Bible. I learned teaching and preaching techniques. I learned how to do it in my strength. I was a better preacher, but I struggle with the temptation to rely on my training and not God.
As a Christian writer you need theological and writing training, but still only God can bring the supernatural harvest and transformation that you desire to see. Rely on Him.
3. Danger of Doing Ministry in Own Strength and Not Letting the Spirit Work Through You
This is very similar to the last danger, but I share it to make a point. The more we learn, the better we get as writers and ministries, the more we get in the way of the Holy Spirit. Again it God who is the Lord of the harvest. We are just His workers. Although we may have learned to correctly divide the Word of God, and to effectively convey it in writing, we should still desire to see the Holy Spirit work.
4. Danger of Losing Your Own Personality
As you probably can tell from my writing, I was trained in preaching not writing. I had a preaching class in which you would preach before the class, and then the professor would you evaluate you. One particular professor pushed each of us to follow this certain pattern, I hated it. But we took it as the way one must preach. So I went through a phase where I threw out my creativity and sense of humor to preach a “certain way.” I lost my personality. This can happen in our writing. Training can push us to do it a particular way, but we still need to be us. Don’t lose your personality.
5. Danger of Losing Evangelistic Zeal
First and foremost you are ministering through writing because the Lord has called you to do so. Then I imagine the second reason is that you hope others would come to Christ and experience a relationship with Him. You are driven by your evangelistic zeal. I have watched over and over as fervent soul winners lost their fire in seminary as they became wrapped up in knowledge and forgot what mattered most. Don’t let that happen to you. Listen to this warning given by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:6, “Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.” Don’t get wrapped up in the secondary, please focus on the primary.
Promise Me…
Although there are dangers to theological training, you must still recieve training, but promise me that you will not lose your fire in the process. You only need to focus that fire.
