It is indeed good to be educated, and I encourage people to read and graduate from college.

But simply reading books and graduating from college does ABSOLUTELY nothing for one’s relationship with God.

One’s relationship with God is based on their level of obedience, not level of education.

Now–If God tells you to be educated, you would be sinning to not pursue education. Likewise, if he tells you to work at Wal-mart all your life, you’d be sinning to pursue an education.

I am simply suggesting that obedience is more fundamental than any education.
Put another way, I suggest it is easy to be educated and not be a Christian (which was McManus’ original point, i think). However, if one was obedient to God in all things, it is impossible to not be a Christian.

Why is it bad for men of God to be educated?

(I’ve heard that Paul had the equivalent of several Ph.D.’s, but I don’t know where I heard it or if it’s even able to be validated.)

But what changed his course of life? his book knowledge or his obedience after an encounter with God?

all,
Book knowledge has its place–i read books and i encourage others to read to give the mind a workout. formal education has its place, too. not everyone has a gifting (or even the ability) for formal education. some do, and for those who do, perhaps it would even be a sin for them to not pursue knowledge.

But i suggest the argument of obedience is universal because it is personal. To one, it might be a sin not to read. To another, it might be a sin to read too much. To one, it might be a sin to have a beer whilst watching football. To another, it is not. What i struggle with in my life is probably not the same exact things others struggle with.

I agree 110% that obedience beats knowledge, every time, but knowledge has its place.

What about Paul? He was an apostle, he was trained by the Holy Spirit in Egypt for three years, and he knew the scriptures at least as well as the pharisees.

@Nathan: Yes, the Pharisees knew more Scripture. But the disciples knew what it meant. I think that’s a key difference.

And you are absolutely right, obedience and a relationship with God are far more important than head knowledge.

However, we don’t believe in God because the sun comes up each morning. We believe in God because we learn about Him from the Bible, and then we are able to recognize Him at work in our lives.

I think it’s a good topic too. This is fun!

That is my point. At the end of the three years, the Pharisees still knew way, way more about scripture than any of the disciples. Hands down every Pharisee knew way more than every disciple.
The disciples did not get a formal education, they got educated in everyday life. NOTE: not all disciples who spent 3 years with God himself turned out okay–look at Judas.

I suggest our relationship with God is more effected by how much we obey God than how much we formally educate ourselves about God.

BUT–it is indeed important to learn about God. But I suggest learning about God isn’t the most important thing. I think learning needs to be secondary to actually doing what we’re told by God.
(btw, i mess up all the time in not doing what i’m told. i suck.)

I likewise agree, why do we believe what we believe? Good question. and i agree it’s a serious issue. But why do we believe what we believe, because we read it in a book or because God proved himself in our everyday lives? (and by saying ‘book’, i am referring to not the Bible.)

man…this is a good topic Deuce.

I am not saying that to be a good Christian you have to be a theologian or hold a Ph.D.

I will say again: I realize not everyone is built as a scholar like me.

I am not advocating Intellectual Imperialism. I’m not even saying everyone needs formal education (although I think it’s an incredible asset).

I am simply saying that, in my opinion, and gathering from people I’ve talked to, most Christians cannot tell why they believe what they believe.

This is a pretty serious issue.

And I’m sorry if it offends anyone that I think it is up to the individual to learn it instead of being spoon-fed from their pastor.

The pastor is a shepherd, not a nursemaid. He is a resource, not the only place from which to get knowledge of the Bible and of God.

How much good things did Jesus ever have to say about the pharisees and sadducees who really studied scripture?

Now, i do balance that with saying i agree Erwin’s statement is misleading–and it was a statement made as part of a teaching message at a conference. I haven’t heard his whole teaching, just that one line. I doubt he meant we should abandon formal education altogether. I suppose he meant formal education isn’t everything. (Which is imho unquestionably Biblical) Our rewards in heaven aren’t based on how many degrees we have from seminary.
But yeah–it is imperative we work consistantly on learning more about God. But learning from God doesn’t have to come from a seminary or reading books on the subject. When God speaks, do we listen? There are likely people with Ph.D.s in theology who don’t listen as much as some high school dropouts–in Jesus time, these would be called Pharisees and fishermen.

don’t really know…