How Helpful or Necessary Are Bible Schools?

Now, let’s talk about Bible colleges, seminaries and religious schools. I got stirred about this issue after picking a small pamphlet that went as far as demonizing all Bible schools as inspired by the devil. According to the false prophet who wrote that thing, true ministers are those who directly receive the Word from God and are directly enabled by the Holy Spirit to minister, no need for religious schools (he was speaking of himself, of course). Well, from that angle, his argument seems quite compelling and certainly irrefutable. However, I can’t help but discover that such statements come from folks who entirely misunderstand the purpose of Bible Schools. What they miss is that no Bible College ever calls anyone to ministry, nor do they ever claim to give ministry gifts to anyone, all that is exclusively a direct work of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of these institutions is to take men who are already called into ministry, so they could help and guide them to study more about that which they are already marked by God to do.  Remember, no one is automatically promoted into a mature minister the day they are called, it all takes a lot of years of growing and learning. That is where schools come in, that is, to provide resources that will enhance one’s gift into maturity.  If you are a reader of the entire Bible, definitely you won’t miss a text which says something like, “Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed; rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). Just as Ezra “had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). Do you think it would have been wrong if Ezra did this “studying” through the religious scholars of his day? And who says the Holy Spirit cannot use other people and even schools to empower His ministers into better service? Therefore, the idea of religious schools is not to call Pastors into service, but to help those Pastors who are already called.

 

Next question; are ministers then mandated to seek Bible training before they enter ministry – is it a must? Answer: Yes and No. Yes in the sense that a true minister who sincerely wants to serve the Lord would be greatly helped in His study of the Scriptures so that he can rightly divide the word of truth. However, if money and time limit him to pursue this, then he would need to read and research for himself to make it up. The second answer is no, because there are some guys who see Bible Schools as good ways to have certificates and careers, in the end, it’s not about saving souls but all about pumping egos; “that guy is educated” kind of attitude. If this is the case in men’s hearts, then I discourage anyone from joining a Bible Institution. It is dangerous to his soul and also to the souls of others. That is why we have many men – Lord save us from them – who have lots of “Bible Certificates” yet their theology is still as bad as the devil’s because their attitude was wrong to begin with.

 

As I said, Bible schools don’t produce preachers, it’s God who calls preachers, then it’s up to them to utilize the resources that learning colleges provide. Therefore, the advice I would give to any who considers Bible training is: do you feel like you are called to begin with? Do you desire to faithfully serve Christ through this ministry? Can fellow believers and even your leaders also notice this gift in you? If so, then go ahead, get Bible training, study and learn as much as you can. When the right time comes, go out and preach the Gospel.

 

However, if you are thrilled with the prospect of having a certificate and a title next to your name, then don’t go to any Bible school because it won’t help at all. In fact, being a preacher may not be your thing to start off with. Try applying for a job as a marriage officer, perhaps.

 

Beware of useless Bible schools!

One reason why I would not recommend even my own son to attend a Bible college is that a whole lot of these “schools” these days no longer teach anything worthwhile. I have witnessed many ministers who have gone through these institutions and have come out the other side still biblically illiterate. Such men will stand before crowds having forgotten even the verses they are supposed to preach from. Their Bible explanation is so poor, they have no choice but to read only half of the verse before they wander off into long stories and silly jokes. What a waste. Such men must never be allowed to stand in the pulpit until they learn to correctly divide the truth.

 

A good Bible training must begin, first of all, with Systematic Theology, especially Theology Proper (who God is) and Christology (the doctrine of Christ). Secondly, I believe you have been cheated if your Bible College did not teach you the basic principles of Bible interpretation (Hermeneutics and Exegesis). This is so important, the genuineness of your ministry depends on it. In fact, some institutions are so good, they will even teach you the original Bible languages (Hebrew & Greek). Third on the list, I believe, you need to be taught about false doctrines and cultic religions, so you can effectively defend the message of the Gospel when under intense scrutiny (Apologetics). Finally, I think a good lesson on church history will give you an idea about your ministry, in light of the men and women who have gone before you in the faith.

 

What about churches that demand trained ministers vs. those that don’t care at all?

Anyone can serve the Lord even without training, in fact, I can pause here and remind you about sound men like Charles Spurgeon, Martin Lloyd Jones and G. Campell Morgan, whose ministries we still drink from, yet they did not attend any Bible college. At the same time, as I hinted above, there are other men who are so biblically dull and so bad at preaching, such that forcing them to attend a Bible school is the only way to save them from embarrassment and sure destruction. This is the reason why the nation of Zambia got tired of false prophets and introduced a policy that demanded all Pastors to undergo Bible training and all churches to be registered. And if you look around, you will realize that a great many of the so-called “prophets” have never been trained in anything – they just woke up and ordained themselves as qualified ministers. Because of this, some denominations are so strict, only trained individuals are allowed into church leadership – understandably so.

 

So, the summary is this, a Bible school is not necessary for a man who shows maturity and ability to study Scripture on his own, to interpret it without contradiction, to craft his own sermons without copying other ministers and to preach that bible with confidence, humility and faithfulness. On the other hand, if you find it hard to understand anything in your Bible, if your interpretation causes more confusion, if you have to use other people’s sermons, and if preaching itself is so hard you barely have anything to say, then probably you need a good a Bible training institution to help and improve your ministry. I think I will end here.

 

 

Sinothi Ncube