Returning Biblical Education to the Local Church

[John81]

Returning Biblical Education to the Local Church
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By David Alan Black
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The Covenant News ~ January 10, 2009
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It has always intrigued me that the early Christians made such unstoppable progress despite their lack of a professionally-trained clergy. Perhaps there are some lessons we can learn from them today.

I think, for example, of a church in Hawaii that I was a part of many years ago. It offered classes designed for ?laypersons,? and many of us eagerly attended them. I can still remember my lessons as well as my teacher, a Mr. Cook. He was a mentor and a model, and not merely a lecturer. The result? An unquenchable appetite to go even deeper in my studies of the Christian life.

Often I am invited to teach in church-related Bible schools, many of them in the Two-Thirds World. And I am delighted to do so. The local church in America seems to have forgotten its responsibility to disciple its members. ?After all, we have our seminaries.? That is a dangerous attitude. The seminary classroom can be a place of magnificent learning, and often is. But every care must be made to avoid a learning experience that fails to give our students an idea of what it costs to follow Jesus. We must not forget that the early church had no formal educational institutions or professionally-trained academics, and yet it turned the world upside-down in a mere 30 years.

There were many good reasons for this. Someone once said that the three greatest dangers of a seminary education are extraction, expense, and elitism. A clerical culture develops. Writes Abb

[Guest Guest]

Oh my! This is sooo true! This article gave me a great deal to think about and talk to my son about. Sounds so simple.Could it be? :pray This will diffinately put me on my knees.--pixiedust

[OLD fashioned preacher]

Amen and amen, which is why we have been operating under this principle for years!!

[1Timothy115]

He has some very good points about the local church and teaching/training for the congregation. We are very fortunate to have a pastor in my church who is educated and believes in educating the flock.

Otherwise, "damnable heresies" like no repentence could creep in.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

[Guest Guest]