Bible Colleges Should be Closed

Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Matthew 15:12-14 Bold type added

                The Pharisees were the religious leaders in Israel. They knew the scriptures thoroughly, conveyed those instructions to the people, and trained up new generations of Pharisees to take their place. By the very nature of who the Pharisees were, wouldn’t you expect them to embrace Jesus Christ? Jesus, the Creator, who is the very embodiment of the Word of God (John 1) in the flesh?

                From our opening verses, what had Jesus said that had been so offensive to the Pharisees?

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Matthew 15:7-9

                Jesus called them hypocrites, and declared that what they taught as doctrines were really just the commandments of men. There is nothing new under the sun, and we are seeing more flawed religious teachings coming from our present day Bible Colleges.

                The Apostle Paul was trained to be a Pharisee;

Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Philippians 3:4-7

                So we see that real faith in Christ caused Paul to put away the fleshly advantages of his religious training.

I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. Acts 22:3

Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, Acts 5:34a

                Paul’s religious training was top notch, and through a trainer that was top notch. Yet this thorough scriptural training didn’t lead Paul to salvation in Jesus Christ, did it? No, Paul’s training led him to fight against the very savior that he needed. Paul needed the understanding of scripture which only God the Holy Spirit could provide;

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11,12

                And so the Lord led Paul away into Arabia for 3 years, that He might teach Paul without man’s interference. Paul didn’t even consult the other apostles!

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. Galatians 1:15-18

                We see also that the Bereans, who readily received God’s Word, still searched the scriptures daily, in order to verify what Paul and Silas had preached (Acts 17:10,11).

                It recently dawned on me that Bible Colleges are really worthless, as far as expounding the truth of God’s Word to Christian students. They are worth something to the devil, however, because they tend to place flawed human teachers between their students and God. The result is what you have just read in Matthew 15, and in the life of Pharisee Saul (Paul) of Tarsus (Acts 9:13,14). We need the understanding that God alone can provide, and we’d better make sure it is from Him.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James 3:17

                True Christians are naturally hungry to learn more about Jesus their Savior, and God the Father. But we then make the mistake of taking our search to mankind, and not to God directly, when He has made a way for us to do just that!

And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. John 16:23

                The plain testimony of the Bible is to trust IT for all our instruction, through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit, which is given to all true believers in Christ. Please consider the following passages;

Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. Psalm 119:98-100

                By keeping God’s Word, and meditating on it, we are wiser than our enemies, and have more understanding than our teachers and elders.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

                The religious leaders thought of Peter and John as “unlearned and ignorant men;” but they recognized that they had been with Jesus! God’s power and wisdom confounded the Jewish religious leadership.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5

                Let us go directly to God for our wisdom, of whom the scripture also says;

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:3

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. II Timothy 3:16,17

                We see that all scripture is inspired by God, and that through it the man (or woman) of God may be PERFECT. We don’t need institutes of “higher learning” to enable us.

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. I John 2:27

                If we have repented of our sins, and trusted in the atonement for sin by Jesus on the cross, we are SAVED! We then receive an anointing from God which is fully able to teach us all that we need know. And we can be sure that the knowledge we get from God is the truth.

                Yet some may object, and point to I Corinthians 12, which talks about spiritual gifts, and differing members in the body of Christ; this includes teachers, in verse 28. But what we are seeing in Bible seminaries, colleges, and other schools is not the gifting within the body of Christ.

                There is a great DELUSION among many people today—a delusion through which they believe that the visible, organized church is the church of the Bible; the body of Christ. But the organized church pollutes itself with the world’s filth, when the REAL church separates itself from the world. The world readily accepts the visible, business organizations called churches, but it hates the true church, the body of Christ. Carefully consider the following 2 passages which shed light on the true nature of God’s people; the real church;

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Isaiah 66:1,2

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:21-24

                But the “fruit” of the organized church, and Bible Colleges speaks volumes. Who can find out the number of churches, Bible Colleges, and seminaries that are in this nation? Just by the sheer number of these establishments, if they were genuinely Christian, you’d think we’d be the holiest nation on earth! Instead, we are the greatest polluter of souls, and destroyer of lives.

                Our government, which is supposedly “by the people,” and “for the people,” presses evolution teaching in the public schools, while forbidding prayer. We murder millions of unborn children every year, and give full support to homosexual marriages, forcing everyone to accept them as “legitimate.” Our leaders, mostly intelligent individuals with good education, defend and promote the transgender movement; which is nothing more than sanctioning individual delusion, and then forcing everyone to accept it.

                Yet I firmly believe it is Hollywood which has destroyed the morality of America; and we have taken the evils of Hollywood to the entire world. Every kind of evil, that most moral people would raise a voice against, has been promoted through Hollywood—and nothing is done about it. Popular music also promotes all manner of evil, and nothing is done against the evil themes sung about from popular “artists.” I cannot go on with this, for time and paper would fail me.

                Suffice it to say that the spiritual fruit of our nation stinks, and testifies about the real character of the organized church; and these are the base foundation for the “Christian” educational institutions. I only want to make it clear that the visible, organized “church” structure is in NO WAY the church of the Bible. The real church are born again believers in Christ, and they fellowship with one another, usually, in their homes (see Romans 16:3-5; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 2).

                In conclusion, some might think that Bible Colleges still give some good instruction, even if it isn’t as good as it should be. To that response I would reply with a resounding NO!!! Bible colleges are, in fact, replacing truth with error. Please remember that I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion, so I am not a total outsider. (1) First of all, the students will be taught that the King James Bible is not the Word of God, and that we really do not have God’s Word any more. They say that since God’s inspiration was only in the original writing, and we no long have the originals, it is lost. With this they destroy the foundation of faith. (2) They then replace the manuscripts underlying the King James Bible with the Bible revision manuscripts; many of which change Christian doctrines. (3) The students will then rely on their teachers, instead of the Holy Spirit. Their understanding of scripture will forever be tainted by the views of their teachers. And worse still, the students themselves will start re-translating the Word according to the dictates of their own hearts (Jeremiah 17:9). A seeking Christian student would be best advised to seek counsel from a true believer, one that isn’t getting money for his/her services.

                Obviously, there has been good intention in establishing Bible Schools. In the end, we were only deceived into following the methods of men, and not God. The Bible has forecast that this time would come. Let’s take the warnings of scripture seriously, and establish a sure foundation from God’s Word alone. Judgment day is coming quickly, brethren.

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. II Timothy 4:2-4 Bold type was added.

The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. Isaiah 24:3-6 Bold type was added.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? I Corinthians 1:19,20 Bold type was added.