Deciding Where, and How, To Study God's Word

SCHOOL HAS JUST BEGUN, THOSE lazy, hazy days of September, senior year. You can already tell that you're pretty much going to sleep walk your way through what will seem like a never ending drudgery, because you simply have no interest in it. No interest in the dating, drinking, football, and other activities associated with the final year of high school. It all seems boring and irrelevant to you, because you've discovered Christ. While your classmates are wasting their time with those other things, you'll have your eyes glued to the Bible, dreaming of your future behind the pulpit, preaching the Word to those seeking salvation. Your only big decision is whether to attend the local bible College, or try for a place like Harvard seminary. You could do either, because of family connections and good grades, and the choice weighs in the balance. Going local would save a lot of money. You could live at home, hang with old friends, be with your family. Harvard would be better for your professional credentials, and would probably land you a better ministry or career in academia. Plus, of course, the world class academic standards and new experiences you would get. For Bible college, you would be required to sign a statement that you acknowledge the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, and then start classes. To get into Harvard, its a bit different. The grades and test scores are no problem. You are shocked to learn, however, that as soon as you begin Harvard seminary, you are handed a list of mistakes, factual errors, contradictions, and discrepancies in the Bible, and are required to assess them all, explaining them from a historical critical analytical point of view, and to suggest possible corrections. Corrections, to the Bible! It seems that at Bible college, you decide in advance that the Bible is God's perfect word, and that's that. At Harvard, the process involves going through the rigorous course of study, learning ancient languages, learning every word in the bible, and gaining a complete mastery of Christian church history. What to make of the Bible, your decision entirely, can be determined after instead of before your education. Bible college reaches the right conclusion, of course, but they reach it for you, before you ever crack a book. At Harvard, you get no help in deciding whether the Bible is holy scripture or just another ancient text, but they try to give you as many tools as possible to assist you in forming your own conclusion. So the question remains: which road would you like to take?-----------------------KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING! PLEASE SHARE THIS SITE WITH A FRIEND.THANKS!