Un-ejookated Krischins

"Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus."
~Acts 4:13 (emphasis added)

I wonder if many Christians in the West today realize that the original twelve apostles never attended seminary. I would think that this would be a no-brainer, so it amazes me how seminary attendance (or ANY sort of formal education, for that matter) is a requirement in so many of our churches, ministries, missions organizations, etc. Such requirements are unbiblical, and in many cases, an insult to the Holy Spirit. God uses whomever He desires, regardless of their educational background and vocation, and He equips His followers with whatever they need!!

"And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."
~1 John 2:27

When it comes down to it, the only prerequisites that the church should have for its pastors, teachers, leaders, missionaries, etc. are Holy Spirit obedience, the Word of God stored in their hearts, and the appropriate spiritual gifts. And honestly...from what I have seen and heard...I think a person can get through seminary and miss all of them. And then that piece of paper means absolutely nothing in the long run.

Formal education can actually become a hindrance to believers if it is not viewed with a kingdom mindset. It is easy to rely on all of our "knowledge" and "wisdom" that we've received in school rather than on God's knowledge and wisdom. We may become too confident in that degree and in our own accomplishments. We may rely on our communication or debating skills rather than letting God speak through us. Methods and strategies can diminish the power of God in our lives if we let them. Our theological pursuits can overtake simple obedience to His Word. It's not about our strength, but HIS strength.*

Now, not by any means am I saying that God does not use educated people (He can use ANYBODY), nor am I saying that people who have been educated have missed the mark. If this were the case, we wouldn't have these God-breathed words to guide us:

"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."
~1 Corinthians 1:26-2:5

Written by Paul...a very educated man, trained at the foot of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Yet God broke Him. There is no doubt in my mind that God used Paul's past education and circumstances for His glory..."God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). But we see here that Paul relied on GOD'S strength in his preaching to the Corinthians...not on persuasive speech...not on some tips and tricks he learned in a sermon development class.

Obviously...some callings WILL require formal education. If God wants you to be a public school teacher...a doctor...a lawyer...yer gonna need sum schoolin'. And I'm also not saying that God never calls people to any sort of formal, spiritual education. However, I do firmly believe that if Christians were more sensitive to God's Word and the Spirit, there would be less of us being formally educated. Some of the most valuable learning and training comes not in a college classroom, but through informal classes, mentoring relationships, on-the-job training, and even simply living in communion with the body of Christ...letting iron sharpen iron (Proverbs 27:17). Let learning be a life-long experience...let us have a Mary spirit and continue to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His Word!!


The bottom line is this: do not think that you need special, formal education in order to do that which God has called you to do!! If God DOES call you to obtain a formal education, then by all means, obey!! But do not let the people around you (and trust me, many of them will be Christians) convince you that you need anything other than God's equipment to carry out your calling!!




*As a side note, I continue to struggle with this and would appreciate prayer...that's part of why I feel compelled to speak on it.