Sent: Sunday, October 23,
2016 5:30 PM
Subject: On getting more education
Subject: On getting more education
Hey
Dana
As
I was preparing one of the posts, in it you were questioning whether you should
go back to school for more education. Personally, I don't believe it is
necessary (Acts 4:13 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts+4%3A13&version=NIV)
but I recently found the attached. Calvary Chapel, worldwide, puts out a book
with its distinctives. Chuck Smith (founder) deals with the subject of
more education for church leaders. Perhaps this might help if you are still
weighing the idea of going back to school.
(Note
from John: This link is to the book Calvary Chapel Distinctives
by Chuck Smith. It is free to
download. https://archive.org/details/2000BookCalvaryChapelDistinctivesDigEd
Beginning on page 106 through to 112 are Smith’s views on more education that I
sent Dana. I agree with much of what Smith says.)
John
+++++++++++++++++
Dana
Responds
Date: Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 9:24 AM
Subject: Re: on getting more education
Subject: Re: on getting more education
John,
Yes, I'd love the opportunity to go back to school and get a Master’s degree in
Sacred Theology, and perhaps even a doctoral degree. While I appreciate
Chuck Smith's chapter in his "Calvary Chapel Distinctives", and agree
with him even, I believe one can take his logic and paint it with too wide of a
brush. God uses whom He will, and in several of the accounts of
different characters of the Bible, He sometimes (though not always)
used the least likely candidate (from the world's perspective).
Once I heard a parody in a sermon preached by Alistair Begg, on who might have
been Jesus' disciples had He accepted resumes. The only disciple who had
a good enough resume for selection as a disciple ended up being Judas
Iscariot. It was comical, but stingingly true.
God often chooses an unlikely candidate to show His power, working through
these least likely candidates so that He gets the glory and not man. I do
understand that, and give God glory for it. Man (generally
speaking) needs no special qualifications to be used of God, if God has
selected him or her for an appointed task, and that person humbly accepts,
trusts and obeys.
But on the other hand, God also uses particularly gifted, trained or educated
people to accomplish His will and plans. In our opening post I said that
while not a Bible scholar, I am a big fan of Bible scholars, and refer to them
often (constantly). Most of these scholars possess an
earned PhD in their particular field of study. They have provided an
invaluable amount of resources to pastors, teachers and students of the
Word. So we have to strike a balance between God's use of the
uneducated and the educated; between the untrained and the trained in accomplishing
His purposes. Case in point, Amos was a
shepherd, and Luke was a physician.
We must be careful not to become elitists, regardless of our
educational status. Let me give an example from a book about a
Presbyterian minister named Robert Childress, who grew up and
ministered in (at the time) a particularly rough and tumble region
of the Blue Ridge Mountains near where I live, titled "The Man Who Moved A Mountain," by Richard C. Davids. https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Moved-Mountain/dp/080061237X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483537560&sr=8-1&keywords=richard+c.+davis
Rev. Childress grew up in this remote,
uncivilized region of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Southeastern Virginia. He was
a rough character, aligned with moonshiners, outlaws, and a real cast of
ne'er-do-wells. He was
the least likely candidate to end up a seminary educated minister
who exercised as much influence as he did. He got saved and
eventually went to Union Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and then returned to
his homeland as an ordained Presbyterian Minister. I'm not sure of the
exact dating of his story, but it would have been in the early 1900's as
there exist photos of Rev. Childress, and one shows him beside a Model T
or Model A Ford automobile he used to get around.
Dominating the religious scene in that area of the mountains at the time, were
what used to be referred to as "Hard Shell Baptists." Their
ministers were uneducated to the point of illiteracy, preaching from a Bible
that they had never read and couldn't read had they tried. They
would often drink moonshine liquor before preaching (I guess to "get in
the spirit"). And, they were predestinationalists to the point where
if Person A pointed a pistol at Person B, and shot them, and consequently
Person B died as a result of said shooting, that Person A couldn't be held
responsible for their action, because God had predestined it to happen.
If they weren't snake handlers themselves, they were only a step away.
Many of these Hard Shells resented Rev. Childress because he was educated,
and therefore not under the influence of Holy Spirit, although Rev.
Childress brought real and lasting Christianity to that region which exists to
this day. He built five stone churches along a stretch of what's now
the Blue Ridge Parkway, and all of those churches are still open and having services
today--pastored until just recently by Rev. Childress' son, who followed in his
father's footsteps.
In
one account mentioned in the Mr. Davids’ book, Rev. Childress entered a
store where he encountered one of his Hard Shell rivals, who said aloud to him,
"Education ain't religion!" To which Rev. Childress replied,
"Neither is ignorance."
Once
while at VFCC, I heard Del Tarr speak, and he made a very important point when
he said, "We need a balance of both heat and light in our churches."
And getting back to my point of elitism on both sides, Del Tarr was pointing
out that those without education felt spiritually superior to those who
possessed an education, and those with education often looked down on the
uneducated. Both sides of that argument are wrong, and are more concerned
with their own egos than they are with the furtherance of the Kingdom.
The fact is that both sides do
actually and equally need each other. The scholars need to be kept from
making Christianity too clinical and sterile, and the uneducated need the work
of scholars to keep them from running the train off the tracks and into
grievous error. God uses both, equally, in building the body of
Christ, while putting the premium on neither.
That said, I agree that education is not "necessary" for usefulness
in God's service. But God does give some people the ability and the
desire to study the Bible, ancient languages, theology, church history, and
ancient Near East history and culture, hence, we have scholars.
The first two "Spiritual
gifts" listed in Paul's discourse on the subject in 1st Corinthians 12 are
considered intellectual gifts, in that God the Holy Spirit exercises the gifts
of Word of Knowledge and Word of Wisdom through people generally inclined
towards study and education. He's not limited to having to use that
kind of individual for the expression of those gifts, but will do so more
often than not.
The Spiritual gifts, as I was taught, are
the supernatural enhancements of a person's God-given traits and abilities for
the betterment of the Church and the progression of the Kingdom. This was witnessed
in the Holy Spirit enhancing the gifts of the craftsmen who built the Ark of
the Covenant and the Tabernacle, and, Paul, who was an Old Testament scholar,
would have had that in mind when he explained how the gifts operate in the New
Testament Church.
And I must add, that most of the scholars I read, both living and
dead, have been reputed by their peers, parishioners, students, and fellow
scholars to have been extremely devout and Godly people. They weren't
just cold, arrogant, walking repositories of knowledge, but were, in fact,
totally sold out to God, and were loved and respected by many who knew them.
So yeah, I would love to go back to school, as I love to study and learn, and
at times feel that I cannot get enough. But God has not made that way
open to me, as I can in no way afford higher education, and if I borrowed the
money to pay for such education, I fear that I could not hope to pay it
back in what time left that the Lord has allotted to me, even if He grants me
to live to be 100. Also by the time I could procure those degrees, I'd be
too old to do anything with them, or too old to get hired by a church, much
less a Bible College or Seminary to be able to put them to use.
Duke University, just two hours away from me, has a one year Masters in
Theology program that "only" costs $20,000.00 per year, and from what
I read about it, in reality, is difficult to obtain in just one year. For
me to go back to school now would be like buying a luxury car. So unless
wise men come to me from the East with a prevalent star shining in their
direction, and bearing boxes of money in large bills to cover
the tuition, books and living expenses, and, unless an angel of the
Lord appears to me with marching orders for me to forthwith
go to seminary muy pronto, I'll have
to be content to save enough to buy a used book once in a while and add to my
knowledge in a more gradual fashion.
What God's will is for my life I often tend to discover in hindsight.
After the passing of several years, increased reflection, and much study, one
day the light just goes on and I say to God, "Oh! That's what you were doing
in my life back then."
It's like the old saying, "If I had known that I was going to live
this long, I'd have taken better care of myself," but in a more
spiritual sense.
Until then, I feel kind of like Indiana Jones, when in a life-threatening
predicament, someone asks him what he's going to do, and he says, "I
don't know; I'm making this up as I go."
In my case, it's God making it up (not as He goes, though) and hopefully I'll
get it figured out by the time the credits roll.
But your point is well taken, and appreciated.
Dana
++++++++++++++++++
John Added Sometime After Dana’s Reply
Hey Dana
I have often wondered if
I were born closer to Y2K if I would have been classified as having a learning
disability. (I have my SAT scores to prove that. Or, as I respond to someone
who says to me, “John, you’re a gentleman and a scholar.” “No,” I answer. “A
gentleman yes, but I have the grades to prove otherwise.”) I was on the Dean’s
List once at one of the colleges I’ve attended, but then it was the A in
Swimming that helped push me over the top for it.
It’s kind of funny,
because as you know, I was a professional free lance writer/journalist/columnist
for about 15 years with hundreds of articles and stories published in
newspapers, trade journals, professional journals, and book compilations. I am
published in at least 53 local, national, and international magazines and
newspapers. I once looked myself up in the repository of the New York Public
Library. (That was a proud day.) My publications ran the gamut of everything
from interviews with various heads of the Federal Reserve to riding the local
garbage truck, loading the garbage (it was summer) and interviewing those
unsung heroes who keep our cities and towns clean. I studied long and hard,
researching for various articles. But, I’ve always had a hard time as a student
in school. Among other things, a short attention span. Why, I’ve even been an
adjunct college instructor, for nine years, teaching English and Business
Writing, among other subjects. But I’ve never graduated from any of the
colleges I’ve attended.
An advertisement taken
out in the New York Times some years ago
by a college trying to recruit students by promoting their professors and the
excellent job they did in not just teaching, but holding the students attention
and thoroughly engaging and developing them, the college asked the reader
something like the following: How many teachers really had an impact on you?
How many do you really remember, throughout your entire school experience? Two? Maybe three? Four at the most? While it’s very easy to
blame poor teaching, good teachers do make a very positive impact and
difference.
Even now, I’d like to take some classes on the
Sixties; to look back on those turbulent years that I was living and drinking
my way through to see what I missed, and why those years were such a turning
point for America.
How often today have
there been articles on how college graduates can’t get jobs period, let alone
in their fields? Or how about those numerous articles on higher education where
grads working at McDonalds are paid barely over minimum wage?
At some point I stopped
beating myself up and held onto this verse, “Lean not unto your own
understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your
paths.” Proverbs 3:5 and 6.
While I won’t and can’t
argue that not getting a degree for subjects such as science or math, etc. will
probably hold someone back who wants to be a CPA or experimental biologist, I
do contend that the degree, and especially advanced degrees, may not be
necessary; especially from your standpoint of being in the ministry. And while
statistics show those with degrees usually make more money over their lifetimes
than those without, I contend that degrees aren’t always necessary.
And I might ask this
question, will getting a degree answer the often asked burning question on
nearly every Christian’s mind, “What is God’s will for me?”
Since I’m pretty sure
this will end up as a post, before readers think I’m anti college, my wife and
I have helped fund a scholarship at an area university. Also, through the years I’ve worked in various
capacities for five colleges or universities.
Please don’t think I’m
validating my life or defending my career path, but not having a degree didn’t
keep me from a senior level position at a Washington D.C. organization that got
me into the back rooms off the halls of Congress and lunches with senators,
representatives and even a former Vice President.
I tell people when asked
that male question, “What do you do?” I say I’m a professional temp., and I’ve
been everything from a banker to a bum.
I guess this post has
turned into a hodgepodge about extended education in general and may cause more
questions than answers. Maybe in future posts we can section out the various
pieces of the education pie?
Your foxhole cowboy friend
John
***********************************************************************
Dana’s
Response on Mon, Jan 2, 2017 at 11:54 AM
You wrote:
“I might ask this
question, Will getting a degree answer the burning question on nearly every
Christian’s mind, ‘What is God’s will for me?’”
I’m not sure I agree with the application
of your question, and the implied answer.
It’s not a black and white issue.
Someone searching for God’s will in their lives, very well may discover
that will in their educational process.
However that is not a given.
Surely some in the same predicament could get finished with their
education, and feel just as directionless as when they started. Education is not a magic bullet in discerning
God’s will.
When we were in Bible College I ran into
many who, while in college level classes were absolutely clueless about what
they intended or even wanted to do afterwards.
Others were quite certain about what they felt called to do, and were
preparing accordingly.
This is not a subject about which we can
easily generalize. Higher education
isn’t for everybody, and we cannot presume to limit God in how He reveals His
will to a particular individual.
One Biblical and linguistic scholar who I
read, once related how after being saved as a teenager, he just couldn’t get
enough of the Bible. While in collegiate level studies of the Bible, he
discovered a knack for understanding as well as a genuine love of original
Biblical languages, which put him on a path to earn his higher degrees, and his
career was set. Subsequently his writing
has proved to be a blessing to the many that read and study his published
works. When he began his undergraduate
Biblical studies he had no idea where he would end up. Hence God’s will for his life was revealed to
him during his educational process, thus getting a degree, or degrees, was
indeed necessary in accomplishing God’s will for his life. There’s an old adage that states, “God doesn’t steer a car that’s not
moving.”
Let’s look at the case of another dear
person I knew, named Tom, who has since gone home to be with the Lord. He was a regular guy, who may or may not have
had some college education; I do not know.
If he did, he never mentioned it. He worked an ordinary job his entire
career, had a loving family, and was a faithful church member. But somewhere along the line Tom learned how
to work on cars. He wasn’t a mechanic by
trade, but was most definitely a mechanic by life skills.
Tom’s ministry, though not officially
credentialed as such, and supported by no advanced degrees, was fixing peoples’
cars—especially folks who were in financial need. More than once my car broke down during the
early days of my ministry, and Tom fixed the problems with no charge to me, in
spite of my insistence to pay him. He
even bought the parts. And I was one of
many he helped out. He kept the church
vehicles in top shape too.
Tom never spoke much about his ministry,
if he even considered what he did as a ministry. Tom didn’t need a degree from a seminary to
discover God’s will for his life. He did
what he did cheerfully and with no fanfare, out of love for God and his fellow
brothers and sisters, and because of his skill and knowledge. His ministry was no less viable and no less
important than the pastor’s. Who knows
where he picked up his mechanical skills, but I’d wager that they didn’t come
from college, although he was more proficient at what he did than many college
educated persons are at their chosen professions.
My point is that the Kingdom of God on
this earth, fleshed out by His people, neither requires nor refutes education
in every case. It’s a great thing for
those who need it, and it’s not necessary for those who don’t. We need to be thankful that God has placed
and equipped auto mechanics and Greek and Hebrew scholars in His body. Every child of God has a valuable gift or
skill to contribute to that body so that it can grow and be an effective tool
in getting the Gospel out into a world that desperately needs it.
Looking at it from another angle, I would
contend, that while it is not “necessary” for a Christian to have a degree in
Bible or theology in order to maintain a healthy spiritual life or ministry, or
reasonably understand the Bible, what might the state of the Church in this
country be like if every Christian attended Bible College? Again, college education is not a guarantee
of increased piety or purpose, but wouldn’t it make for a more productive
church if all Christians knew their Bibles as well as most Bible College
graduates?
(John Adds This Note:
The reason I went to Valley Forge Christian College, where Dana and I met, was
to take the classes necessary to earn the Bible Certificate that they offered
at that time. It was just a two semester program for individuals in churches
who wanted more in-depth Bible training so that they could go back to their
churches and be better equipped to serve.)
Again, I want to make it clear that I’m
not advocating that all Christians quit their jobs or obligations and head off
to Bible College. And, a Bible College
education doesn’t necessarily cause one to love God more than one who doesn’t
go. Bible College can increase ones
knowledge of the Scriptures, theology, history and languages, but it doesn’t
make one a better Christian. “God is no
respecter of persons,” and He doesn’t hold Bible College graduates or Seminary
Graduates in any higher regard than He does those who have not attended. They
are all His children. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
But think of how much error that
unfortunately exists in bad teaching or preaching might be avoided. Could Jim Jones’ “ministry” and the mass
suicides in Guyana have as easily happened if his “parishioners” were educated
in Bible and theology? Think of what difference American Christianity might
make if all of its people not only read, but actually studied their Bibles in depth. It's a fanciful thought, I know, but an interesting one to ponder.
Again to sum up, I re-refer to the story
of Rev. Childress in “The Man Who Moved A
Mountain,” as reported in Richard C. Davids’ book. “Education ain’t religion. Neither is
ignorance.”
There endeth the lesson.
Dana
