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 3-5 points. God has called you to write. You want to glorify Him and reach the world 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.
My Seminary Testimony…
God gifts us all for the work He calls us to do. I wish God had gifted me to excel on the gridiron, baseball diamond, or with a guitar, but He saw fit to bless me with mad skills in the classroom. I was given a photographic memory and good reading comprehension. In High School, my God-give classroom gift drove the girls wild as you can imagine L.
During High School to add to my absolute coolnesity I was called to preach. At 16, I began preaching and working in ministry. I wanted to glorify God and set this world on fire with the Gospel. I gave up professional bass fishing dreams and went to a Bible College to study Bible and pastoring. But I told God and my family that I would go until a ministry opportunity came up then I was quitting school. Fortunately, God did not open that door until He opened my eyes to the importance of a minister being educated. I became convinced that if a doctor who deals with physical life has to go through so much training than one who deals with eternal life should do far more. It was crazy how I never put it together that I needed to use my nerd skills in ministry.
Now a formal education in seminary is not necessary, but learning the information that is taught in seminary is necessary for your ministry. It is also important that you are receiving the correct teaching.
So I hope the Holy Spirit will convict you as He did me. In this orientation I want to share five reasons why you need a theological education.
Orientation in 5 Points…
- You Should Seek Biblical Training Because The “Ministers” in the Bible Received Training.
I challenge you to think of a leader in Scripture who was called by God to teach and share the Gospel who was not trained. Again they may have not sat in a classroom, but they were taught. Not only is there an absolute precedent of His servants being trained, but learning is valued throughout Scripture. Beginning in the given of the Law, Moses continually instructed the people to teach others and especially their children the precepts of God. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, we read that parents were taught to teach their children the law everywhere they went. This importance of learning is expressed in the nature of the Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
This value of training was made evident in its practice. Here is a short list of those who were trained for God’s work.
- Moses was “educated” in the wilderness
- Moses trained Joshua
- Elijah trained Elisha
- Eli trained Samuel
- Jesus was “educated” in the wilderness
- Jesus trained the disciples
- Paul also had a wilderness time in Arabia
- Paul trained leaders in his church plants.
- Paul trained Timothy
- You Should Seek Biblical Training Because of The Warnings of False Teachings and False Teachers.
The warnings given of false teachers in the New Testament is almost overwhelming. We find several in Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels. In Matthew 7, Jesus teaches false teachers can be spotted by their fruit. Jesus later teaches that it would be better for a false teacher to have a millstone hung around their neck and be thrown in the sea than to lead little ones astray. The battle Jesus had with the Pharisees and Sadducees centered on their false teaching.
The Epistles in the New Testament are devoted to warning of false teachers. Here are some chapters where such warnings are given: Romans 16, 1 Cor. 2, 2 Cor. 13, all of Galatians, Ephesians 6, all of Colossians, 1 Thess. 5, all of 2 Thessalonians, all of 1 Timothy, all of 2 Timothy, Hebrews 13. Then all of 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, Jude, and most of Revelation.
False teaching is also warned against in the Old Testament. This is seen in the Balaam scenario and in the problem of idolatry.
We need to know the truth so that we are not false teachers. We also need to have the truth to combat false teaching.
- You Should Seek Biblical Training Because The Call of a Minister Includes the Call to an Education.
Timothy’s call which is not much different than the call of ours, is found in 2 Timothy 2:15:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. – 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV84)
Did you catch that Timothy was not only to share the Gospel and help others, but he was called to correctly divide the truth. One has to be trained to do this. The best course I took in helping me correctly divide Scripture was hermeneutics. This will be our monthly course in September.
- You Should Seek Biblical Training Because The Nature of How God Works Through Us Necessitates It.
2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:20-21 detail how God works in us.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, – 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV84)
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. – 2 Peter 1:20–21 (NIV84)
Yes, the Holy Spirit inspires us and carries us through our writing, but God uses what we have in us. In all the writings in Scripture the personalities and education of the Bible writers show through. You will be a better tool in God’s hand if as He “carries” you along in the Spirit, you have a strong theological training for Him to utilize.
- You Should Seek Biblical Training Because We are Held to a High Standard.
James 3:1 says it all,
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. – James 3:1 (NIV84)