The Academy

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written:

“ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?  For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.  For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who 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.”  1 Corinthians 1:18-25

The Academy and also the academic tradition (by obvious derivation) began with Plato.  Not that he is, or should be, credited with the founding of the Greek philosophical tradition, but with the founding of the Academy he is largely responsible for bringing into the mainstream the systematic pursuit of wisdom through the use of carnal reason.  To their credit, the Greeks came close to a knowledge of God with their philosophical devices.  Heraclitus’ depiction of the “Logos” just missed it.  It wasn’t until John, no doubt with intent, picked up the term and by the revelation and inspiration of God put the name, Logos, together with the face of Jesus as the image of the unseen God, the cause and sustainer of all things.

Ironically enough, despite the full revelation of God in Jesus that we have today, men still pursue wisdom as did the Greeks, not by turning to God but to their carnal faculties.  Sadly, churches are founded, endorsed, and maintained by men trained in a tradition received from Plato, not God.  Supposing that the Bible is the Word of God, sinful men attempt to pick it apart with their carnal minds rather than seek instruction from the Lord concerning it.  Such men use God’s words, twisting them to suit, to justify their own carnal indulgences and to oppress the just.  Supposing that the Bible is the Word of God, some are tempted to say that it is only accessible to the trained scholar (the “dark ages” were characterized by such a view).

Though the Scripture’s contents are not for the untrained (2 Peter 3:14-16), the training required is not academic, it is training in godliness that makes the Word accessible.  Further, the Bible is not the Word of God, Jesus is (John 1:1).  Access to God is not through academic, or even casual Biblical study; it is through Jesus.  If anything, academic study will move you farther from God as it trains a person to trust in flesh.  I know from personal collegiate experience that to believe what the scholars teach is to deny the Lord.  In light of that experience because I know the reality, it broke my heart a little to hear recently a Bible college student say  “so much study makes faith difficult.”  I’ll tell you now, if a course of study makes it difficult to believe God, such study certainly is not from Him.

But someone might say, “Well my pastor is a man of God and he spent so many years studying the Bible at such-and-such seminary.”  Do you know what Jesus says?

“You search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”  John 5:39-40

Spiritual wisdom and understanding are not the result of carnal study to any degree.  They are the gift of God through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8, James 1:5), wrought by real experience and interaction with The Living God.  If you don’t know this, you probably have yet to receive the anointing of God.

“But the anointing you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone should teach you; but as the anointing teaches you concerning all things, and it is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”  1 John 2:27

Think about it for a moment.  Paul writes,

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves has fulfilled the law.”  Romans 3:18

Owe no one anything.  How is it that we are counseled by the inspiration of God to owe no one anything except to love, but that some would say to understand the Bible and be certified to minister requires tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dollars in seminary or Bible college training?  Would God on the one hand call us to be indebted only to love and on the other hand, “call” men to minister by becoming indebted to this worldly system by financial bondage to an establishment neither founded nor endorsed by Him?  And further, if in fact it is the knowledge of God disseminated in these Bible institutes, are these organizations not peddling the word of God and making it inaccessible to the unintelligent and poor with their lofty language and exorbitant fees?  What nerve, even charging fees at all for what was freely given!  The name of God is blasphemed because of such behavior.

Let’s be real for a moment.  Here are the facts:

Jesus was an “untrained” man.

“And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast…Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking questions.  And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.”  Luke 2:42:46-47

“Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”
Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.” John 7:14-18

But regarding Jesus never having “studied letters” someone might say, “That’s because He’s the Son of God.  He didn’t have to study because He was God.”  There are more facts, however.  If we have the Spirit of Christ then we too are sons of God and also have the mind of Christ (Romans 8:9-17, 1 Corinthians 2:16).

The disciples/apostles were untrained men.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled.  And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”  Acts 4:13

Spending real time with Jesus causes a person to speak boldly with understanding in ways that carnal education and training cannot afford.  Not convinced yet?  Consider, then, the testimony of a Jesus follower who had been formally trained by the religious scholars and elite of his day.

“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.  But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” Philippians 3:3-7

So what is the conclusion of these things?

“And my speech and my preaching are not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.  However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  But as it is written:
“ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.  For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.  These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.  For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”  1 Corinthians 2:4-16 (emphasis mine)