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It does appear they go to great lengths to not reveal there doctrine (they cannot preach without some) and who they may be connected with.
One of the churches like this one in our area did the same thing for several years. Now most people know who funded it and who they are actually affiliated with. The first time I visited the pastor would not admit any connection. I understand wanting to not look like every other church but to out right lie about it is taking it too far. Not that I think this church has lied.
what if the pastor went to the same school you went to? will the pastor then get your blessing. or is doctrine more important? if doctrine is more important, it matters not which school the pastor went through. I am sure you have seen the theologian with a PHD speak some nonsense from the pulpit. when i say nonsense, i actually mean heresy.
Does it matter to you if a cardiologist gets a degree from the local community college or if he gets one from a well-known med school? How about your lawyer? Would you rather have a lawyer with a degree from Harvard? Or the local state school?
You do realize there are differences in Seminaries, right? There is a vast difference between, say....Westminster Seminary and RHEMA Bible College. They just flat out teach different theology. Like it or not, you can often get a feel for what kind of pastor a guy is based on his education.
Having said that, yes---doctrine is more important. Even within schools, there is a range of theologies. But if I can't find out what their doctrinal statement is, knowing the seminary of the pastor is helpful. Of course, I'm not naive enough to think that a pastor planting a church can't simply copy and paste his doctrinal statement from a parent church's site, or from another church's website.
when i go to a doctor i dont ask where they got their degree from. maybe you do, but most dont. when was the first seminary created? would that make those who came prior to this false teachers? i think it was created during the 1800's. Catholics already had their schools, but protestantism seminaries began around the 1800's.
do you care to give us a list of the false seminaries?
when i go to a doctor i dont ask where they got their degree from. maybe you do, but most dont.
Personally, if I were having open-heart surgery I'd care.
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when was the first seminary created? would that make those who came prior to this false teachers?
I didn't say seminary was a necessity, but it does help to understand one's religious training. The apostles learned directly from Jesus, and passed it down from there.
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I think it was created during the 1800's.
Yale was founded in 1701
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Catholics already had their schools, but protestantism seminaries began around the 1800's.
do you care to give us a list of the false seminaries?
Luther nailed his famous 95 theses to the door in Wittenburg in 1517, and it's been referred to by many as the start of the reformation. I honestly don't know when the first Protestant seminary was founded, but it was likely fairly close to then.
Again, I've not suggested any seminaries are "false", but it is helpful to know the seminary to give an understanding of the theology of the pastor. Some are better, some are different than others.
Not if the fisherman was completely uneducated, no. But the apostles spent 3 years walking and talking with Jesus, training for the time he'd be gone.
Yup, and at the end of that time Peter completely blew it and even during his ministry strayed from the guidance of the Spirit. Well, he was human and another human, guided by the Spirit, put him back on track.
Yup, and at the end of that time Peter completely blew it and even during his ministry strayed from the guidance of the Spirit. Well, he was human and another human, guided by the Spirit, put him back on track.
Your point? He had the knowledge--taught first-hand to him by Jesus.
Again...I'm not suggesting that seminary training, or lack thereof, makes or breaks a pastor, but it CAN be a good thing to know when evaluating a possible church.
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