God ordained ministry. It is his idea. He called each one of us to serve him in different capacities (Ephesians 4:11). The best thing we can do is serve God. However, serving God needs skills. Those he calls, he equips. This article does not negate the importance of the Holy Spirit. Rather, it highlights the gift of education for ministry and argues for the importance of academic qualifications.
Serving God needs skills. Those he calls, he equips.
In 2010, a colleague hinted to me what he believed regarding ministry and education. He said an academic qualification isn’t necessary for ministry, before going on to list the theological graduates he knew who weren’t succeeding in their ministries. Contrast with those, my colleague mentioned a handful of people who hadn’t gone to college and weren’t well-educated, but their ministries were thriving. He concluded that education isn’t necessary for ministry, only the Holy Spirit.
You might have heard similar utterances from someone. But is the presence of the Holy Spirit in ministry a licence for us to abandon academic qualifications and theological study? Before I answer this question, let me explore the basic purpose of an academic qualification.
The Purpose of Academic Qualification
Education generally equips people with knowledge and skills to effectively serve wherever they are. Regarding ministry, education does the following:
- It deepens one’s understanding of ministry. Doing ministry is like running an organisation. To do ministry, one needs to understand ministry, update ministry, and follow the regulations related to ministry and to the country where they do ministry. Without education, one cannot understand the regulations and patterns of the ministry.
- It assists the minister to read and comprehend. The Bible is the written word of God. To understand it, we need to read it. If we can’t read it, we can’t understand it. If we don’t understand it, we can’t do ministry according to it. The more educated one is, the deeper their understanding of the written text, including the Bible. Nowadays, many ministry teaching kits are in written form, and they require education.
- It develops critical thinking. Not everything the Bible states is easy to understand. The Bible needs analysis. Education provides us with skills for critical thinking. When we are educated, we are equipped to think critically as we read the Bible. This is important for Bible analysis.
- It makes us better communicators. In education, clarity in communication is paramount. One needs to hear clearly and communicate clearly. Education helps us to understand the word of God and to communicate it clearly.
Education and the Bible
The Bible encourages education. From the Old Testament times, parents were instructed to teach their children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). The Bible encourages us to acquire knowledge, which is education (Proverbs 4:7; 18:15).
The Bible encourages education.
The Berean Jews, who are said to have been of noble character, searched the scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). They were educated and sought information on a daily basis. Paul instructed Timothy to devote himself “to the public reading of the Scripture” (1 Timothy 4:13). These Bible verses indicate the importance of education. To read the scripture and interpret it, the people of God needed education.
The Holy Spirit and Academic Qualification
Before he ascended to heaven, Jesus said to his disciples, “The advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). According to Jesus, there were two actions the Holy Spirit to be sent would take.
The first is teaching. The Holy Spirit undoubtedly plays a significant role in education. He is a teacher. Teaching and learning go hand in hand, and this is what education is all about.
To ignore education is to disadvantage oneself in ministry.
The second action is reminding. Apart from teaching us, one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to remind us of what we were taught (John 14:26). You need to have something that the Holy Spirit can remind you of. If you are academically qualified, the Spirit will remind you of what you learned. To ignore education is to disadvantage oneself in ministry.
The teaching and reminding ministries of the Holy Spirit are education-oriented. He “teaches,” meaning he wants us to keep learning; he “reminds,” meaning he uses our knowledge to help us serve God.
Tools for Teaching
An academic qualification is not only about the ability to read. The ability to read is the basic step of an academic qualification. In today’s world, we need to know how to read, to research, and to communicate well. This is how our messages can be relevant.
The Holy Spirit uses our knowledge to help us serve God.
The academically qualified pastor or Christian can engage today’s world very well. The world is growing and becoming more sophisticated. For an effective ministry in this era, academic qualifications cannot be ignored. It is either you are academically equipped or you perish. Education is a gift from God. Through it, we learn and discover the things God would want us to know to serve him more efficiently.
