-
Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
Bible Vendor
- Thread starter BibleVendor
- Start date
Do you remember Edgar Whisenant?
From Wiki Whisenant (September 25, 1932 – May 16, 2001[citation needed]) was an American NASA engineer and Bible student from Little Rock, Arkansas, who predicted the rapture and World War III would occur during Rosh Hashanah in 1988, sometime between September 11 and September 13. Through studying the Bible and using numerology, he gathered 23,000 clues which he used to predict the date.
I met Whisenant personally. I had also interviewed him on my radio show back in 1988.
Yes, he was a NASA engineer - thus he was no dummy. HE told me he had stopped attending church so he could spend as much time as possible to study his Bible in his search for the timing of the Rapture. Unless, I missed it - I don't think the rapture has yet happened.
So all that study he did for years - his ended up with his theology being wrong. Sometimes we have to admit that others may know more than we do.
Two last thing withing 2 weeks of his predication, I asked him - if the Lord does not return - would he come back and do an interview on my radio show. Well, as we know, it did not happen. So I called him back - never got an answer.
Also, many will state - "No man knoweth the day or the hour..." Well, he never claimed to know the day or the hour - he claimed to only know the week ! NICE LOOPHOLE! But you know, I did like Edgar as a person - he was very nice. In fact he had told me that Syracuse would be his last public appearance as he would have to get home and take care of things - including making provisions for his dog!
Excellent post. We have folks with "credentials" (such as a NASA engineer) who hold mistaken views. We must judge them not by their pedigree, but on the content of their views. Such as no one knows the time....
Again, great post
I stand by my question to BibleVendor about his credentials to be called a "Bible scholar." I know many genuine faculty members at Bible colleges and Seminaries, some with high degrees and great production of articles and books. Not one single faculty member or genuine scholar I know calls himself a scholar! I've lectured with them, attended academic conferences with them, read scholarly papers with them. Yet BibleVendor calls himself a scholar, then says he is proud of being one, but does not tell us why he deserves to be called that. "Pride" = "Arrogance." Oh, right, he said he knows how to read the Bible. Okay.
In my world, you have to have academic credentials to be hired as a professor. A BA is an absolute minimum for a college prof, with a master's degree of some kind preferred. A doctorate or decades of experience (my way) is preferable for teaching graduate school or seminary. To get a BA and MA takes at least 6 years of your life, many, many thousands of dollars, and thousands of hours sitting in class, taking tests, writing papers, doing other homework, etc. (That is, unless you buy your "diplomas" on the Internet.
) 15 years or so after getting his BA, MA, MDiv, and PhD, my scholar son still owes 1000s of dollars on that PhD. But it was worth it to him. He delights in teaching these precious young people to serve the Lord, as do I.
We just had our graduation exercises, and I am so proud of these precious young people I have had a part in training. Any one of them could run circles around the naysayers here on the BB in Bible and theology knowledge, and service and dedication for Christ.
People like BibleVendor and Van have not a single clue about what it takes to be a real, genuine Bible scholar: the dedication, the years, the bills, the praying and serving God. (You can't get hired at a Bible college without years of serving the Lord.) So they criticize and complain and claim untrue things. Do I sound offended? I am. "These things ought not so to be."
In my world, you have to have academic credentials to be hired as a professor. A BA is an absolute minimum for a college prof, with a master's degree of some kind preferred. A doctorate or decades of experience (my way) is preferable for teaching graduate school or seminary. To get a BA and MA takes at least 6 years of your life, many, many thousands of dollars, and thousands of hours sitting in class, taking tests, writing papers, doing other homework, etc. (That is, unless you buy your "diplomas" on the Internet.
) 15 years or so after getting his BA, MA, MDiv, and PhD, my scholar son still owes 1000s of dollars on that PhD. But it was worth it to him. He delights in teaching these precious young people to serve the Lord, as do I.We just had our graduation exercises, and I am so proud of these precious young people I have had a part in training. Any one of them could run circles around the naysayers here on the BB in Bible and theology knowledge, and service and dedication for Christ.
People like BibleVendor and Van have not a single clue about what it takes to be a real, genuine Bible scholar: the dedication, the years, the bills, the praying and serving God. (You can't get hired at a Bible college without years of serving the Lord.) So they criticize and complain and claim untrue things. Do I sound offended? I am. "These things ought not so to be."
Last edited:
Something every true scholar would admit!
Armchair Apologist
New Member
When one refers to being "Self-Taught," it usually means they have lacked opportunity to seek out a more formal and structured educational track and have basically done the best they could on their own. It should never be regarded as a source of pride or a "dig" towards educational establishments or those who actually have certain academic credentials. Some of the greatest heresies throughout Church history come from those who were "self-taught" and took an anti-intellectual, anti-establishment stance! Exhibit A would be the "restorationists" during the second great awakening.
In other words, one who is "self-taught" is usually not self-taught by their own choosing. Even if you are "self-taught," the bulk of your learning will be based upon what you learn when your thoughts, ideas, and observations are reviewed and critiqued by your peers as it is (and should be) in the actual scholastic world.
Does a "Piece of Paper" mean you know something? Of course not! Educated idiots abound everwhere. It is your own diligent hard work and determination that will make that piece of paper worth something and I am certain that everyone would be in agreement here! I am largely "self-taught" myself and have only recently acquired a lowly MA Seminary degree but I worked hard for it and hopefully it punches well above its weight class and that God can use it for his glory. I have considered progressing towards a PhD but at 63, I am somewhat long in the tooth and I doubt I would have sufficient time left to see a return on such an investment.
I would never call myself a "Bible Scholar" even if I had certain credentials. If someone else calls me such, I would be flattered but I have also come to the realization that the more you learn, the more you realize you really do not know!
Looks like these guys can be brutal! Hope you have thick skin. I am a "noob" as well but welcome aboard.
In other words, one who is "self-taught" is usually not self-taught by their own choosing. Even if you are "self-taught," the bulk of your learning will be based upon what you learn when your thoughts, ideas, and observations are reviewed and critiqued by your peers as it is (and should be) in the actual scholastic world.
Does a "Piece of Paper" mean you know something? Of course not! Educated idiots abound everwhere. It is your own diligent hard work and determination that will make that piece of paper worth something and I am certain that everyone would be in agreement here! I am largely "self-taught" myself and have only recently acquired a lowly MA Seminary degree but I worked hard for it and hopefully it punches well above its weight class and that God can use it for his glory. I have considered progressing towards a PhD but at 63, I am somewhat long in the tooth and I doubt I would have sufficient time left to see a return on such an investment.
I would never call myself a "Bible Scholar" even if I had certain credentials. If someone else calls me such, I would be flattered but I have also come to the realization that the more you learn, the more you realize you really do not know!
Looks like these guys can be brutal! Hope you have thick skin. I am a "noob" as well but welcome aboard.
Hello. You missed the now-deleted thread that gave cause for a lot of caution and a little discipline/accountability with what one teaches about the Bible.
That's one thing we take very seriously here. The Bible and it's truths. Welcome aboard.
At least use the bible side of it Theopedia
My senior pastor went to DTS, earned master there 4 years Hebrew and Greek, took extra year of both, and then earned 2 PhD degrees in Church administration and NT Theology, in studies of John , Smartest Man i have known in bible, as he does his daily recreation reading in Hebrew and Greek, yet what impressed me most was first time met him, asked him should i call you Dr or Reverend or Pastor, he shook my handy, just randyI stand by my question to BibleVendor about his credentials to be called a "Bible scholar." I know many genuine faculty members at Bible colleges and Seminaries, some with high degrees and great production of articles and books. Not one single faculty member or genuine scholar I know calls himself a scholar! I've lectured with them, attended academic conferences with them, read scholarly papers with them. Yet BibleVendor calls himself a scholar, then says he is proud of being one, but does not tell us why he deserves to be called that. "Pride" = "Arrogance." Oh, right, he said he knows how to read the Bible. Okay.
In my world, you have to have academic credentials to be hired as a professor. A BA is an absolute minimum for a college prof, with a master's degree of some kind preferred. A doctorate or decades of experience (my way) is preferable for teaching graduate school or seminary. To get a BA and MA takes at least 6 years of your life, many, many thousands of dollars, and thousands of hours sitting in class, taking tests, writing papers, doing other homework, etc. (That is, unless you buy your "diplomas" on the Internet.
We just had our graduation exercises, and I am so proud of these precious young people I have had a part in training. Any one of them could run circles around the naysayers here on the BB in Bible and theology knowledge, and service and dedication for Christ.
People like BibleVendor and Van have not a single clue about what it takes to be a real, genuine Bible scholar: the dedication, the years, the bills, the praying and serving God. (You can't get hired at a Bible college without years of serving the Lord.) So they criticize and complain and claim untrue things. Do I sound offended? I am. "These things ought not so to be."
Bible side?!
or slavishly Reformed?
About Theopedia | Theopedia
"An editor is not required to agree with everything in the secondary doctrinal statement, but all of Theopedia's content is, in accordance with the writing guide, required to conform to it. This secondary statement affirms...the Calvinistic doctrines of grace."
Now that's precious.
Hmmmph! I didn’t know theopedia was reformed. Granted, I’ve only read it sparingly, but still didn’t know it. Again…hmmmph!
Ascetic X
Well-Known Member
President Nixon: "I am not a crook."
John of Japan: "I am not a scholar."
BibleVendor: "I am a Bible scholar."
Am I trying to stir up trouble?
Naw. 
John of Japan: "I am not a scholar."
BibleVendor: "I am a Bible scholar."
Am I trying to stir up trouble?
Naw.
Much better source then Wikipedia for theology
Same thing isn;t it?
Of course, those "credentials" were not in theology, Biblical studies, ancient languages, etc., so his credentials and expertise don't fit the problem he tackled.