Featured BBN: Update on my Progress

" For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. " ( Romans 15:4 ).

 

How about giving an example of one of the "absolutes" that the teacher is stating?

I've read through the thread again, but I don't see any mention of an example... so I figure that I must have missed something.

 

Kathleen...
Not to be a pain or anything, but do you see a pattern in what you've just written above?

To me, you're describing a man-made curriculum that is used by secular institutions of learning ( for example, the "University of fill in the blank" ) in order to pass down agreed-upon information to students;
Only in this case, the "textbook" is God's word and you're the student sitting in the chair, absorbing what is handed down to you by the "instructor"...
and then being "quizzed" and "graded" for it.


In other words, instead of studying the Bible for yourself and learning about all that God has done for you in the Person of Jesus Christ through His preserved word, and trusting your Teacher to show you the answers ( Isaiah 54:3, John 6:45, Hebrews 8:7-13, 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Peter 2:2, 1 John 2:20-27 ), you're participating in a process that men have developed in order to "teach the Bible" their way, to whomever will listen.

Plus, in many cases the "student" ends up paying for what they have learned.

Does that not seem odd to you?
It does to me.
In fact, the whole thing makes me think that someone wants to put me under a system that make me dependent upon it, and not God, for everything I need as a believer.


Question:

Do you see any of this process being what the Lord Himself has described us needing, or having to depend upon, in His word?

 

I hold that all "Bible colleges" and "seminaries" are ultimately created by men ( who all disagree with one another, by the way ) and they were not created by God;
So, to me, there's no need for God's children to be involved in them.

Secular schools are secular, and are used to teach us things like reading, writing and arithmetic...
Things that we can use while we are here in this life.

But I believe that any attempt by men to develop "curriculum" that can potentially stand between the believer and His words is wrong, and any attempt by mere men to take the place of the Holy Spirit as the believer's Teacher is also wrong.

You can do whatever you like.
I have no right to mandate anything.

I'm only making you aware of my opinion.

With that said, I can see that my "radical views" are a shock to you, and I've also received several such reactions from others in my time here...
As if to say, "But what about our long-held traditions of relying on our teachers for our understanding?".
What I find to be alarming, is that not only is it so very prevalent with professing believers today, but it's as if I'm introducing a novel concept that no one has ever thought of.

My question will be, and always has been:

Don't Christians today understand that they have both the right and the privilege to learn from His word for themselves, instead of having their understandings handed to them by their pastors?
Secondly, does no one check their teachers against what the Bible says?

Kathleen,
No one seems to care why things are being done the way they are today because we are so used to it.
Neither do they ever ask, "Why didn't a bunch of fishermen, tax collectors, farmers and other average people ( from the world's point of view ) ever need "Bible colleges" to read, believe and understand His words?"



With all that said, I wish you well.
This is my last reply in this thread, and I hope that whatever you decide, you find the answers you're looking for.

 

So you still obey the Old Covenant dietary restrictions, and clothing?

 

We cannot just use the Bible only though, as required to know the theology and doctrines of others, and also good to know historical theology and other theology views!