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The word faith occurs in thirty-four verses in Romans, more than twice as many as gospel and fourteen more than grace, perhaps an important note at a time when the “Doctrines of Grace” are being promulgated in a way that almost seems to assume that they are Paul's focus and the most important of all doctrines. In fact, in Paul's New Testament writings (not including Hebrews because I doubt that Paul wrote it), faith occurs in 129 verses, while grace only appears in eighty-five, a significant forty-four verse difference. In Hebrews the ratio is thirty-one to seven.

In fact, Paul seems to make salvation by grace contingent on salvation by faith: “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” (Romans 4:16-17)

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2) We are not only justified by faith, we also continue in grace by faith. Our access to God is predicated upon faith. “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.” (Romans 11:20-21)

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5) Paul apparently saw that there was a possibility that a person's faith could be founded upon the wisdom of man, and that this possibility was dangerous and not something for the true preacher of the gospel to strive for. It was not an option to produce Biblical faith. Biblical faith is faith that is founded upon the power of God, the work of God, the Word of God. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

Paul also warned us, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Colossians 2:8) He warned us to find our faith in Christ, not to try to dig it out of philosophy and man's other devices.

John wrote, “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) Because of other verses we know that John is not addressing the idea of the brethren exhorting and encouraging one another. “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (II Timothy 4:2) But John's words are a rebuke to the popular idea that scholarship is the key to unlocking the Bible. Even while Protestants rebuke Catholics for their rejection of the Bible as the sole authority for Christians, they themselves are guilty of exalting scholarship to the same high pedestal. That is why we hear statements such as one I read in a book recently, which basically stated, “Don't be afraid if you can't understand something in the Bible. After all, theologians have argued about the Bible for a long time.” For what reason are theologians more able to understand the Scripture than any other serious student of the Scripture? Actually, in many denominations, theological education has taken the place of the Scripture, and education provides a way for pastors to be indoctrinated and given various methods for defending false doctrine. As far as I know, every time a denomination changed from lay preachers to theologian pastors, every time a seminary gained importance in a church, apostasy had either already begun or was about to begin. Someone said that in these times it is dangerous to go to seminary. I believe that it is always dangerous to go to seminary. Had there been a need for a seminary, there would probably have been a good opportunity for the apostles to found one.

However, when Paul told Timothy and Titus how to appoint bishops/elders, not one of the qualifications was that the man be educated. Rather, his qualifications were spiritual. Often seminary educated men end up pastoring a church that they did not live in before ordination, so their strengths and weaknesses are not necessarily well-known. In contrast, Paul gives requirements such as “One that ruleth well his own house”, “a good report of them which are without”, “having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly”, and “not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre”, all of which certainly seem to imply that the man was to be someone who was familiar enough that his strengths and weaknesses were known, at least to some extent.

Certainly the Bible leaves room for teaching; in fact, one of the requirements for the bishops was, “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught,” but when we compare this with other Scripture, we find a method of teaching taking place that did not exalt one person's authority above another's: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (I Timothy 2:2)

Theological authority, as mentioned earlier, makes the teaching of false doctrine easier. The Scripture was written in a fairly clear style, and was not meant to be read by scholars. But theologians have artificially built a scholarly science on top of the Bible, which lends itself to scholarship, with words like theodicy and soteriology, as well as mixing philosophy with the Scripture. Thus they create a hierarchy of authority resembling that of the real sciences (which may truly have a large enough base of information to justify the hierarchy). The Jews also apparently built a scholarly theology, but when Jesus chose his apostles, He did not choose at least some of them out of the educated class: “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)

Paul, however, was theologically educated. He wrote, “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. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” (Philippians 3:4-11)

He also speaks about the wisdom of man in I Corinthians:

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 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? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:17-29)

The Biblical prerequisites for ministry are not theological education. Rather, God has given us practical goals for our lives to accomlish. “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (John 7:17) “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” (I Corinthians 8:1b) “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:13-16) “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17) It is in our lives of faith that we make a difference for God. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” (Matthew 7:15-16) Our teaching is not to be known by our education, but by our fruits, and we need to look, not at a teacher's education, but at his life.

Thomas Aquinas is a well-known theologian and philosopher whose works have been accepted by many people. But his works were not finished, and before he died, one of his friends asked him to finish them. But Aquinas replied that he could not, because everything that he had written now seemed like straw to him.

Will our works be straw or gold? It is not our education that will matter in the end, but rather our faith, our service, and our charity.