Why Bible College is Unscriptural and Wrong

by Pastor Steven L Anderson, 2008

1. The Blasphemy of Bible College

"But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ." - Matthew 23:8-10

In the previous verses, Jesus clearly prohibits the use of 3 terms in reference to pastors and religious leaders: Rabbi, Father, and Master.

A perfect example of the fact that Bible colleges are completely patterned after worldly institutions is their "Masters" degree program. In an effort to perfectly mirror worldly schools, Bible colleges will confer titles such as "Master of Divinity," "Master of Education," and "Master of Pastoral Theology" upon their graduates. This is a clear violation of the teaching of Jesus Christ that such titles are off limits and belong solely to him.

Just as it is blasphemous for a Catholic priest to be called "Father," or for a Jewish leader to be called "Rabbi," it is equally blasphemous for a Baptist preacher or educator do hold the title of "Master." To say that it is wrong for Catholics and Jews to use these titles and then to use one of them ourselves is utter hypocrisy. This inconsistency and hypocrisy stems from an attempt to be patterned after the worldly school system.

2. The Only Mention of "College" in the Bible is Associated with a Female Preacher

"College" is mentioned only one time in the Bible in two parallel passages:

"So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her." - 2 Kings 22:14

"And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect." - 2 Chronicles 34:22

Personally, I do not believe that anything in the Bible is incidental, coincidental, or accidental. If Bible College was such an important part of God's program, then why is it never mentioned in the Bible in a positive light? Many will point to Elisha's "School of the Prophets" as a scriptural mandate for Bible college. However, does the Bible really speak of a "school" of the prophets?

If you repeat a lie often enough, people will begin to believe it. The reality is that the word "school" is also only mentioned one time in the Bible, and it has nothing to do with Elisha:

"And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus." - Acts 19:8,9

The "school" of Tyrannus, just as the synagogue, was a place that Paul and the other disciples went to preach to unbelievers. It was not a training instution for God's people, but rather for the world. Paul went there simply to win souls, just as he went to the synagogue to win souls.

Therefore the only mention of "college" in the Bible involves a woman preacher, and only mention of "school" in the Bible involves people disputing with the word of God. This cannot be an accident.

3. Bible College replaces the Local Church as being God's Institution for the Teaching of Bible Doctrine

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" - Ephesians 4:11,12

God's intention for the body of Christ, the local church, is that it be a place of teaching and edification for the saints. However, today many churches are gearing their services toward reaching unsaved people! God has commanded each and every one of us to GO OUT and get people saved, not to convert our church services into evangelistic crusades for the lost. A New Testament church by definition is a "congregation" or "assembly" of born-again, baptized believers. Why would we gear our church service toward the unsaved who happen to also be in attendance? We should win them to Christ one-on-one before or after the service, but the service should be geared twoard teaching, edifying, and perfecting the saints! This wrong philosophy of gearing a church service toward reaching unbelievers is why modern-day Baptist churches have rock n roll music, watered-down preaching, and little or no substantial Bible teaching.

Therefore, because the local church is not teaching the Bible sufficiently as it should, the "Bible college" has sprung up as a place where people can go to learn Bible in-depth. This has resulted in the church service becoming even more shallow and devoid of spiritual meat. Now that Bible college has taken over the task of teaching Bible doctrine, the church feels even less compelled to do so. The result is that the common man in the pew who is not a Bible college student goes unfed.

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." - Acts 20:28

4. Bible Colleges Centralize too much Power and Create Denomination-like Ties

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." - Matthew 16:18

Many people are more loyal to a Bible college or other para-church minstry than they are to their own local church. Churches are defined by which Bible college they support more often than Bible colleges are defined by which churches send their students there. Why have Bible colleges become the standards and measurement of our faith and practice and not rather local churches? These things ought not so to be in light of the fact that Jesus ordained the local church and called it, "the pillar and ground of the truth." Jesus said, "upon this rock I will build my church" NOT "upon this rock I will build my school." Christ is the head of the church, and the church should be taking their orders from the Bible, not a denominational headquarters defined by a Bible college.

"Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." - Ephesians 5:24

The local church has been deemphasized as an institution by the advent of the current onslaught of para-church ministries. We need to get back to the basics and fundamentals of what Jesus taught us our methods should be: Bible-reading, prayer, house-to-house soul-winning, and a local church. Isn't what the Bible has given us enough? Why do we feel the need to add institutions not mentioned by the Bible?