Torn between going to Seminary or intense self study.
Can a teacher of the gospel be hermeneutically correct without seminary.
Discussion
51 comments
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Technically, but seminary may cover subjects that are important that you might not have thought of in your own education. As a Bible major in college I took classes that I thought were irrelevant at first, but they proved to be super important for my education and the subject. Also, the credentials may be important if you plan on teaching or leading a church.
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Go to seminary
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Let Holy Spirit Lead You, He is an Excellent Teacher.
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The right seminary can be awesome. However, the time and money are a consideration and you can self study if these two are an issue. I went to Talbot at Biola and learned so much. I would do it again.
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You dont need to know Hebrew and Greek to teach. A good translation would do. All the 8nterpretations have been made in the past 2000 years.
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NO almost all false teacher have no seminary background
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Intense self study is also not recommended. A good bible teaching ministry will help you learn.
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Yes, a teacher could be hermeneutically correct without seminary, but the Sem does a fantastic job of focusing the education to get what you needed to know sooner. And the pastor is tested in a safe place and proved worthy by respected leaders of the church before receiving a call and making critical mistakes. It was my study of the biblical languages in the Seminary that clarified the difference between women teaching, praying, and vocally participating in church from the role of pastoral preaching the Word and administering the sacraments.
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Sure you can. Depending on the seminary you go to and you could end up being less hermeneutically correct from the things you learn there. Some you would definitely be better off after going. So be led by the Holy Spirit
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Yes. Study diligently. Connect with established godly Bible teachers and learn.
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If learning with help of mature believers was not necessary, Apostle Paul wouldn’t have urged Timothy to teach 2Timothy 2:2.Our Lord spent a good three years term with his disciples.A critical analysis revealed that the motive behind spending time with his disciples,was to make them teachers of men much they were fishers of men Mathew 28:19-20.Teaching imparts scriptural interpretative soundness,curbing heretical inclined propagation or tenets thereby spreading the original purpose for which the word was penned to attain.
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I mean Peter didn’t go to seminary. But he did study under Jesus.
Seminary is a lot more than just reading the Bible and theology. I would recommend at least an M.A.R. if not an MDiv.
This isn’t to saw all church leaders have to have advanced degrees. I know many pastors with a Bible College B.S. or a certificate of some sort. And they are spirit lead and phenomenal. But if you have the ability to go to seminary i don’t think it can hurt.
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You can get the education on your own. There are a lot of resources out there. And of course, the Holy Spirit IS your number one teacher. It will also save you a ton of money not going to seminary. However… going to seminary will give you an education AND credentials. I guess it all depends on what you are looking for. And more importantly, what God has planned for you. I will hope and pray good fortune to you! 😉
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seminary will give you access to resources that you might not be able to gain access on your own, and also you will have network with bible professors, which you may not if you study on your own 🙂
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We don’t only learn books in seminaries. The Holy Spirit is available to each christian yet we are asked to go to church. In seminaries, you have the opportunity to meet men and women who have seen a lot in their walk with the Lord, seen a lot in ministry and have seen a lot in their study of scriptures. They impact to you in a way reading books on your own doesn’t. All the men of God who are said not to attended seminaries, find out if they haven’t built seminaries or Bible Schools themselves. Some of the greatest harm done to thr church are from those who never had the opportunity or never submitted themselves to opportunities to be taught and trained.
Seminaries or Bible Schools are a place where anyone called of God should go and be taught. It’s people who have unteachable spirits and attitudes, I-know-it-all-mentality, and sometimes spiritually arrogant, it’s such people who have difficulties yielding themselves to such vigorous study in seminaries.
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yes, school helps you train your mind as the Holy Spirit guides you into all truth. Also always balance scripture with scripture and not opinion and you should be hermeneutically correct.
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I would suggest Seminary and or Bible College the experience teaches you how to walk with God…
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None of the 12 apostles had seminary degrees, but they changed the world.
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Seminary is good for credentials. The world needs to see paper work to approve you. Also there are great teachers and guide lines that help. Self studies is good also. We are told to study and show yourself approved to God. Again credentials open the doors in this world system that home study’s can’t. Still depend on God for all your opportunity and study
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I would suggest that you get involved with a church and then ask them to evaluate your gifts and recommend what kind of training you should seek. Save yourself from getting a degree and then never putting it to use.
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You can earn a free diploma in Bible online.
I know of a site.You listen to hundreds of hours of Bible college lectures and take tests.
If you pass every test you get a diploma.
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The people I knew who actually ministered from the pulpit best were the ones with no seminary. They didn’t play all the church political.games
They didn’t worry about not offending some sort of sinful activities. They just ministered. -
Seminary is where lies get passed down from generation to generation like bad DNA oh, the Catholics have their truth and their Seminary The Seventh-Day Adventist have their truth in their Seminary the Jehovah Witness, the Mormons the list is endless so how are you going to choose?
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Yes just like someone from seminary can be hermeneuticly wrong. And there are plenty of free online seminaries you can add to your self studies if you want.
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Yes, but it requires a lot of self-study. You should still have a mentor to help you
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Possibly. You can self study and have horrible theology…….. hello FB…… you can self study and have grrrrrrrrreat theology. You can attend seminary and have horrible Theology, you can attend seminary and have grrrrrrrrreat theology.
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The answer is you need someone to train you in proper hermeneutics. It is not biblical, not to be trained to teach the people. The idea of seminary comes from Paul going away to study for 3 years then coming back having the Apostle’s check his doctrine. Self study is a must either way but you need to be trained. Look at Acts 8:26 – 31
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This was a hard choice for me also. But Seminary has helped me tremendously. Hey not everything they teach you’ll agree with but you will learn alot about God that you didn’t know before. I would definitely pray on it and see what it is God has called for you.
I had no intentions of going to a seminary school I was going to a regular public university. In Canada my tuition is about $7000 more for going to a seminary ,but I felt called to go and it greatly benefitted me, the lord provided the extra amount of money and I know it is where he wants me to be. I know preachers who haven’t went and are great teachers and very knowledgable.
God uses people differently and whether you go to seminary or not should be down to what the holy spirit guides you to do.
Personally, I would recommend going, but don’t take my word, God’s word is always better ??
Edit: most ppl saying a hard no or yes is being bias to their views! Maybe their teacher or their pastor went or didn’t. This is not a yes or no answer. This is a am I called to go or not. If God really wants you to be a teacher he will make a way, with seminary or not. It depends on what God’s plan is for your life.
Do what the holy spirit leads. We can not tell you what’s right or wrong on a topic like this. Only God can because this isn’t directly instructed in the Bible. God Bless.
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You just got some good advice!
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the early Christians didn’t go to seminary
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The anointing and our Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, will teach us, if we so desire..head knowledge is good, but relying on God’s wisdom is the best.
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Yes. The Holy Spirit teaches him the word of God more correctly than the seminary
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Yes!
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Thinking about this also. I think seminary will give you a wider perspective and greater context.
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Always great to have discussions with others that are likeminded.
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Seminary will expose you to lies, intense self-study will leave you deceived, take the holy spirit with you wherever you go.
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Going to formally study the Bible is better than self study. Do you already have a BA? You can’t go to seminary unless you have a bachelors degree. If you can go, go. But if you can’t, truth is still truth. The only problem is you will not be credentialed to teach formally. You should be sitting under someone, however, who is trained in solid exegesis.
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Another question might be: “What are you going to use the degree for?” Or, is that particular use one that glorifies God? Is that particular use one that is permitted by Him? And so on.
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If you are fortunate to have a seminary opportunity, I would urge you to grab the opportunity. They will give you a structured education, teaching you how to learn. It is not about Seminary OR the Holy Spirit, but both. God bless you in your journey.
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Sometimes seminary crams tradition that isn’t even scriptural. But seminary is good discipline. Honesty with God and seeking the holy spirits guidance a must for both.
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I would always choose higher education. I have attended/graduated from two and going back in the fall, I hope.
However, be very, VERY, careful what seminary you choose! Most are fair. Many are rotten! Few are decent.
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It depends on which seminary you attend. I would prefer self-study over most seminaries.
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What you need is communication skills, speaking to crowds, one on one conversation, etc. See how Jesus communicated with disciples and with crowds. Many people with information are not invited to speak because their communication schools are weak. They will just read and put you to sleep. They may be good at writing. So good bible teaching and communication skills will help you be effective. Seminary is not good as it will eat away both your money and effectiveness. You can do courses from home from organizations like RZIM which will be better. Next what you need is a good Bible Handbook. Commentaries are free at biblestudytools.com
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You have to master https://amzn.to/3g2Yk4Y
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I think so. I’ve learned more studying beyond the seminary than when I was in the seminary. Although I’ve learned many things in seminary but many things that is taught there is not exactly Bible based.
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Yes. And some seminaries teach false doctrine and assume things that are or may not be true. Serious Bible studies are MUCH better then attending seminary, and much cheaper too. Of course you should attend seminary if God is calling you to do it and it is necessary for some callings: pastor, Bible translation, missionary… Find out if it necessary for whatever God is calling you to, or not. And make sure the particular seminary you are going to DOES believe in the Bible’s inerrancy instead of teaching man-made doctrine and what is wrong with the Bible.
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I’ve been studying on my own for 8 years
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Go to a good seminary with rigor! You’ll have more depth, and a plethora of perspective on scripture, that you’ll never ascertain in isolation! #beblessedonyourjourney
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As a lawyer, i applied the laws or rules of statutory construction , in reading my Bibles. It works , with the Holy Spirit. I have no formal bible school.
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Well, if this verse applies to believers today, it would seem you don’t need seminary:
KJV John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into ALL TRUTH: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
But, in order to apologize for the various sects within Christianity, some say this verse only applies to the apostles, but that heavenly mansion from the beginning of the upper room discourse still applies most definitely. So, your condo is safe, but you better get to seminary.
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