The Importance of the Seminary

Tactical Priorities To Extend the Kingdom

In his commentary on the Pastoral Epistles, John Stott writes:

. . . let us copy Paul's strategy.  He was profoundly disturbed by the prevalence of false teaching in the churches.  He refers to it in all his letters.  The Pastorals are full of allusions to deceivers, deviationists, empty talkers, speculators, divisive controversialists and hypocritical liars.  The question is this: how did Paul react to this distressing situation?  What was his strategy in the face of spreading error?

All the church's future pastors and teachers pass through a seminary. It is there that they are either made or marred, either equipped and inspired or ruined.

He refused to give in to it in a feeble spirit of defeat.  he did not remain idle or silent on the ground that everybody has a right to his or her own opinion.  He did not secede from the church in the belief that it was irredeemable.  No, Paul was neither a defeatist, nor a pluralist, nor a secessionist.  So what was his strategy in fighting the good fight of the faith?  It was this: when false teachers increase, we must multiply the number of true teachers. . . .

This is why the key institution in the church is the seminary or theological college.  In every country the church is a reflection of its seminaries.  All the church's future pastors and teachers pass through a seminary.  It is there that they are either made or marred, either equipped and inspired or ruined.  Therefore we should set ourselves to capture the seminaries of the world for evangelical faith, academic excellence, and personal godliness.  There is no better strategy for the reform and renewal of the church.  [John Stott, The Message of I Timothy and Titus: The Life of the Local Church (Nottingham: Intervarsity Press, 1966), p.183f.]