Paul and Seminary
COMMENT
Actually Paul was trained in the Scripture - As a result of his Jewish upbringing, Paul learned the Scripture from a very early age. Like other Jewish children in the first century, Paul would have been taught to a greater depth than what most children would learn in church today. He was trained under Gamaliel who was the grandson of Hillel, noted teacher of Scripture and one of the most important figures in Jewish history. (Anonymous)
ANSWER
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Actually, Paul was trained in the Scripture.
That is true (Acts 22:3)
As a result of his Jewish upbringing, Paul learned the Scripture from a very early age.
Also, very likely true.
Like other Jewish children in the first century, Paul would have been taught to a greater depth than what most children would learn in church today.
In my observation, children are taught very little in church today and much of what they are taught is contrary to the gospel of the grace of Christ promoted by the apostle Paul (Galatians 1:6).
He was trained under Gamaliel who was the grandson of Hillel, noted teacher of Scripture and one of the most important figures in Jewish history.
Also true, however, none of these observations do anything to establish extra-ecclesial, pay-for-play, seminary education as a means of equipping men for ministry in the church. If one looks closely at Paul’s own testimony, he regarded the gains acquired by his prior instruction as “dung” (Philippians 3:8) – hardly a ringing endorsement of formal religious education as a qualification for ministry.
The Lord Jesus Christ established the New Testament Church as the pillar and ground of truth and the locus of proper religious instruction in those truths. He did NOT found an extra-ecclesial, pay-for-play, seminary, nor did he or his apostles ever instruct anyone to attend such an institution, irrespective of the fact that popular ministers promote this unbiblical practice. That may be a shocking observation, given the prevalence of seminary educated Christian ministers in our time, but it is an unavoidable observation that arises from the bible. We do well to give it proper consideration when equipping men for the ministry.
- Elder Daniel Samons