Bible Colleges...

[Christ_empowered]

What do you do with degrees from Bible Colleges? I'm increasingly interested, largely because I just want to know The Word on a very deep level, but I'm left wondering...then what? I mean, you get a degree in Theology or something and...then...what?

If y'all have any personal experiences, please share. I'm also confused about how Bible Colleges do accreditation.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Bible colleges can give you degrees in just about anything.
The difference is that they will help you apply your Christian faith to whatever you want to major in.

 

[farouk]

Bible colleges can give you degrees in just about anything.
The difference is that they will help you apply your Christian faith to whatever you want to major in.

It does trouble me how in some local churches a know-it-all aged 22 can be given more prominence than a 60 or 70 year old person with a Godly testimony and a deep, personally gleaned knowledge of the Scriptures, simply because the 22 year old has 'been to Bible college'.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I'm just interested because, on the one hand, I need a degree (at least 2 year degree) in something productive. On the other hand, my Born Again outlook and previous experience have both led me to believe that I'm fundamentally incompatible with secular schools.

 

[farouk]

I'm just interested because, on the one hand, I need a degree (at least 2 year degree) in something productive. On the other hand, my Born Again outlook and previous experience have both led me to believe that I'm fundamentally incompatible with secular schools.

Maybe your own study of Scripture can help you discern the difference between what is good and bad in secular education, which after all is there also to help you get a job. It's no good thinking: "I want to accept and believe everying I am told in college - even a 'Christian' one - without weighing and seeking to understand what I am being told." I don't want to put words in your mouth, of course. But the whole purpose of education - at whatever kind of establishment - is for the person to learn to think for him- or herself, and to learn discernment.

Blessings.

 

[cyberjosh]

I'm just interested because, on the one hand, I need a degree (at least 2 year degree) in something productive. On the other hand, my Born Again outlook and previous experience have both led me to believe that I'm fundamentally incompatible with secular schools.

Christ_empowered (may I call you Ian?)

Perhaps you could ease into bible studies training by looking at this website: http://christiancourses.com/. I was able to grab the entirety of one of their free courses (they have one almost every month) on Martin Luther by an acknowledged Reformation scholar Robert A. Kolb. That website seems pretty good.

Attending bible colleges should come with a warning though, even for the long-time believer: depending on the school it will be very hard for you to come out of their curriculum and not espouse the particular theological bent of that particular school if you are not solidly founded in scriptural doctrine. If they are Reformed/Calvinist or Dispensational or teach Arminianism or Eternal Security you will be hard pressed to find someone to lean on in that school to give you the other view fairly, much less sympathetically.

When I was about 16 I was just starting to get into real "studies" of the Bible and I had never read the prophets before and in the Church library was a commentary on the book of Amos. I showed it to my Dad and he asked, "Have you read Amos?" I replied, "No, but I'm hoping this can help introduce it to me and help me to understand it". My Dad wisely replied, "Son, you have to be real careful with commentaries and you should always read the Bible first before you ever turn to reading man's opinions on it". WORDS TO LIVE BY. Thank you Dad!

God Bless,
Josh

 

[farouk]

Christ_empowered (may I call you Ian?)

Perhaps you could ease into bible studies training by looking at this website: http://christiancourses.com/. I was able to grab the entirety of one of their free courses (they have one almost every month) on Martin Luther by an acknowledged Reformation scholar Robert A. Kolb. That website seems pretty good.

Attending bible colleges should come with a warning though, even for the long-time believer: depending on the school it will be very hard for you to come out of their curriculum and not espouse the particular theological bent of that particular school if you are not solidly founded in scriptural doctrine.

When I was about 16 I was just starting to get into real "studies" of the Bible and I had never read the prophets before and in the Church library was a commentary on the book of Amos. I showed it to my Dad and he asked, "Have you read Amos?" I replied, "No, but I'm hoping this can help introduce it to me and help me to understand it". My Dad wisely replied, "Son, you have to be real careful with commentaries and you should always read the Bible first before you ever turn to reading man's opinions on it". WORDS TO LIVE BY. Thank you Dad!

God Bless,
Josh

A commentator may be good, but he is also a stranger from out of town with an opinion.

In other words, read the Book first, then listen to the stranger from out of town.

Blessings.