With a Subtitle: Unlike most disciplines, with Biblical Christianity, wisdom comes from only one Book.

A brief Excerpt: Unlike most disciplines, with Biblical Christianity, wisdom comes from only one Book.

The Author is: Jeff Hilles

There are so many Christians who place a high value on a generic concept of human scholarship. This is understandable since most disciplines in the world (science, medicine, engineering, etc.) require formal training for success and recognition.

Certainly in the area of Christianity, a good Bible college and seminary can provide a foundation for being considered “educated in the field of Biblical Christianity.” Churches and other Christian institutions look for these credentials in deciding who to “call.” However, understanding God’s role in our lives and the discernment of His life in others has more to do with the Holy Spirit than scholarship.

I received the following comment from a reader that speaks to the issue of assumed scholarship through credentials, rather than the Holy Spirit and personal study.

Reader’s Comment

“A scholarship perspective is to view the 66 Books of the Bible from a place of historical context, literature of the time, who wrote them and to whom, etc. This opens up a wealth of information and interpretations. 

“I know you will say there is only one author and one interpretation and that all 66 Books tell a cohesive story (from beginning to end), but there’s a reason why different cultures and religions share common elements with each other (a creation, a flood, a redeemer / supernatural person). Some pre-date when the Books of the Bible were written and well before they were compiled into a collection. 

“This should have NO bearing on Faith. The Bible doesn’t need to be inerrant for the message to be true – or believed to be true or to have faith that it is true. You can’t prove faith … but you can prove common literary devices and story structure, and the Bible has many examples of those. 

“In my opinion, one can be a scholar and still hold true to their faith. This isn’t me being “lukewarm,” destined to be spit out of the mouth – this is just how it is, having attended these scholarly lectures and having the utmost respect for the professor who is also a pastor or priest. During my academic career, I held a fundamentalist view of Christianity and held to the belief that the Bible was inerrant. And no, those classes didn’t lead to my “deconstruction” as that was over twenty years ago and it’s only been in the last three years that I’ve gone through my “belief restructuring.”

“Anyway … quick question: Have you attended any scholarly courses in early Christianity, Jesus the Christ, or Literature of the Bible?”

My Response

I have to smile as I consider the value you place in the attainment of “scholarship.” 

Webster has two definitions of “scholar.” – (1) a person who has done advanced study in a special field, (2) a learned person … I suspect you are placing great value on the first definition, rather than the second. 

Did the apostles come from the priestly class, or were they the very ones that Jesus called a “brood of vipers” (Matt. 12:34)? There are many seminary-trained scholars who are Biblical Christians, just as there are many who are sadly lost and going to Hell for eternity (details here). Man’s “scholarly” designation does not improve or diminish one’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ, or the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. I believe, based on 40 years of being a Biblical Christian, that there are core beliefs that do not take a seminary degree to accept or have faith in. They are contained in this link. In fact, there are many seminaries and viewpoints, such as the ones you mentioned, that detract from a relationship with Christ. 

1 Corinthians 1:27 – But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

Answering your question, so you won’t think I am avoiding it, I have been a Bible teacher, Deacon and Elder, and have taken seminary courses receiving a degree, but am by no means a “scholar” in any sense of the word. 

Conclusion

There is a tremendous advantage in obtaining a scholarly degree from a Biblical Christian college or Seminary. It provides a deeper foundation for our faith, trust, and hope in a living God. It strengthens one’s ability to teach others more effectively, as well as handling the other responsibilities of church and/or missionary work.

However, unlike other disciplines, we need not confuse human effort or knowledge (Romans 1:22) with the work of the Holy Spirit. There are so many who believe their knowledge of what is true and just surpasses what the Bible offers. Unlike any other discipline, wisdom in matters of faith and conduct comes from God through His Word, as interpreted through the lens of the Holy Spirit as counselor in the life of the Christian, and not from our human “scholarship.”