You know, I have often questioned whether or not my education is truly necessary to serve God or have an understanding of His Word. We must remember that none of the biblical figures obtained college degrees. However, it should be said that, some of the individuals in the Bible did receive formal schooling pertaining to God's Word; Paul immediately comes to mind. Furthermore, while there are those who did not receive any formal training, it was common practice for Jewish boys to study Scripture, and for Jewish girls to study the Psalms, taking into consideration the Historical-cultural context, that is. Also, Paul writes to Timothy, and he states, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, New International Version, 2011). Am I correct in stating we should infer from Paul's teaching that, we are to study God's Word, correctly determining Authorial Intent? How does one correctly handle the word of truth, if one does not study God's Word?
I am not stating I agree one should receive a formal college education to serve in the ministry. However, taking into consideration some of the details I pointed out, one must admit that it does, at the very least, beg the question: Is one Required to Study God's Word in Order to Serve in the Ministry? I think the answer is a definite Yes! Yet should one be excluded from serving in the ministry, due to a lack of manmade credentials? I think not. On the other hand, how does one measure the extent of one's knowledge who does not hold a degree? Does a degree determine the extent of one's knowledge as it pertains to Scripture, or could we even identify a degree as a standard? This is the dilemma I believe that I, and others, have faced and will continue to face, whenever this topic is discussed.
Thus, I posted the questions as I did, in the hopes that those who are entering the ministry, can honestly answer if they feel their religious education makes them any more qualified than those who do not have such an education. I think it is apparent I have more questions than answers, and this is an issue I must tackle for many more years to come. Thank you for your awesome reply!
Grace and Peace!