Featured Alternatives to seminary education

Our association is doing this"

 

There are Bible colleges, but most are about as spendy as seminary these days. There are a couple of Bible Institutes that are cheaper. They operate on faculty that raise their own support so the tuition is minimal.

Buy some good books and be hard on yourself and study though that is a hard to do kinda thing

 

There is always TNARS.

http://www.tnars.net/

 

Brother Possum Preacher man,

Theological Seminaries, in attempting to qualify men to preach the gospel, virtually profess to hold at their disposal the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and to impart them to men for money. This is anti-scriptural, and consequently anti-christian; as it was fully demonstrated by the apostle Peter, in the case of one Simon. "20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." (Acts 8:20). Seminaries are an invention of man, with no scriptural basis in the New Testament. One who is called to preach is done so and enabled by the Holy Spirit himself as were the apostles (considered unlearned fishermen who never went to seminary as can be said for all preachers of the gospel in the New Testament). Primitive Baptists require all of their ordained ministers to be called of, taught by, and enabled to preach by none other than the Holy Ghost, not a mere man, and thus do not send their preachers to "seminaries".

God bless,

Brother Joe

 

I can understand that seminary is no substitute for the Holy Spirit, but are you saying one shouldn't go to seminary???

 

Hi BrotherRobust,

Seminaries are not found in the Bible, therefore I disagree with churches that have this as a prequalification for one to preach. There is no warrant or sanction for them from the New Testament, nor in the example of Christ and the apostles.

 

Humm, you suggest the apostles did not go to seminary - true - however they spent many months with JESUS CHRIST the one that taught them what they needed to know - seminary scriptural? Not so much however education is not an unscriptural idea.

"virtually profess to hold at their disposal the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and to impart them to men for money"

Have never heard of a seminary or prof that would in any way agree with such a statement - maybe a bit of a stretch to make your point? Not a great fan of seminaries, they tend to take gifted men and turn them into babbling idiots but I think your impression of them might be a tad off base. Rather a cheap shot to many godly men that have given their lives to assist men in their efforts for the Lord.

 

Well said. :thumbsup:

 

Toilets are not found in the Bible.

 

If seminaries were necessary for one to become a preacher or Elder, the New Testament would declared this, however nothing is mentioned when Paul states, "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee" (Titus 1:5). Not only did the apostles not go, but men such as Stephen and Apollos who did not sit under the ministry of Christ were preachers in Acts and had no such training. These institutions are man made and have their origin in none other than the mother of harlots the Catholic church themselves. "The establishment of modern seminaries resulted from Roman Catholic reforms of the Counter-Reformation after the Council of Trent.[5]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seminary

 

It matters not why the Catholics did it. That has no bearing on what we are doing or why we are doing it.

 

No one has said they are necessary for one to be a preacher.

The Scripture also challenges us to study to show ourselves approved. Seminaries are a great asset to that.

 

The Holy Spirit in combination with the written word of God is more than sufficient. "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him" (1 John 2:27)

Also, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." If the scripture makes a man "thoroughly furnished" and "perfect" then I do not see what seminary could add as nothing further needs to be added upon (so as long as the reader of scripture has the Holy Ghost in him to teach him).

 

Quote From The Black Rock Address September 28, 1832, regarding Seminaries,

"The idea of a Baptist College and a Presbyterian College, etc., necessarily implies that our distinct views of church government, of gospel doctrine and gospel ordinances are connected with human sciences, a principle which we cannot admit: for we believe the kingdom of Christ to be altogether a kingdom not of this world. In the second place, we object to the notion of attaching professorships of divinity to colleges; because this evidently implies that the revelation which God has made of Himself is a human science, on a footing with mathematics, philosophy, law, etc., which is contrary to the general tenor of revelation, and indeed to the very idea itself of revelation.

...But when a person professedly called of Christ to the gospel ministry concludes that, in order to be useful, he must first go and obtain an academical education, he must judge that human science is of more importance in the ministry than that knowledge and those gifts which Christ imparts to his servants. To act consistently with his own principles, he will place his chief dependence for usefulness on his scientific knowledge, and aim mostly to display this in his preaching. This person, therefore, will pursue a very different course in his preaching from that marked out by the great apostle to the Gentiles who determined to know nothing among the people save Jesus Christ and him crucified.

As to Theological schools, we shall at present content ourselves with saying that they are a reflection upon the faithfulness of the Holy Ghost, who is engaged according to the promise of the great Head of the church to lead the disciples into all truth. See John 16:13."

Source-http://www.asweetsavor.info/exc/rock.php#6


I will post one scripture on this matter that I think sufficiently summarizes my position and that of the word of God,-"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth..." (John 16:13a)

 

Might be why much of what he is saying smells like ______.

 

Curious......did Charles Haddon Spurgeon ever go to a seminary?

 

So here he misuses jn 16.....which was a promise to the Apostles ALONE.....They were guided into all truth......not you.......Seminary might have helped here.

 

I went to seminary to study to show myself "approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed." Oh, hey, I guess that's in the Bible. So is Prov. 1:7, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

I thank God for the godly profs I had in Bible college and seminary.

 

Brother, if money is what is keeping you from seminary, then you might as well forget being a preacher. Bible college and seminary taught me to live by faith. Also, God gave me a good, 40 hour factory job so that I was able to pay as I went.

If it is God's will for you to go, then He will provide a job and other funds to get you through. This will teach you to live by faith as a preacher, because let me tell you, there is not salary out there in any church that will meet all your needs. You'd better learn to live by faith sooner than later.