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Bible Institute Revival?

IS IT TIME TO REVIVE THE BIBLE INSTITUTE?

IMHO:

A number of non-denominational Bible Institutes developed in the USA many years ago, like Moody Bible Institute and the Bible Institute of Pennsylvania. Probably their success was due to disillusionment with denominational seminaries and colleges. MBI and others had a 3 year curriculum which led to a certificate, but not a college degree. These schools could ground young Christians in Bible and doctrine and send them out to Christian service, but they could not give them academic respectability or transfer of credit to regionally accredited colleges and universities. After spending 3 years of life in the Bible institute, some would feel that their life had been unnecessarily wasted by then having to start all over at a college to get a bachelor's degree.

Thus, it became popular to convert to a Bible College with a 4 year curriculum and seek accreditation. The American Association of Bible Colleges arose to give accreditation, but still regionally accredited colleges would look down the nose at Bible Colleges and might not transfer credit. Then Bible Colleges sought and some received regional accreditation. Then students who had a bachelor's degree from a Bible College might be admitted to a graduate program at a university without much if any work to make up.

But methinks that now, more and more, Bible Colleges are under pressure. Some want to become Christian liberal arts colleges or universities to offer more areas of professional training and keep the students from having to work on a 2nd degree somewhere or spend more life time on college. Also pressure is coming from entrenched academic powers that oppose discrimination for sex (male vs. female or sodomist). Sodomites are regarded as a persecuted minority who can't help being that way genetically, a minority that deserves special protected status. If one teaches that it is a wicked abomination for men men to put the membrum virile into a male posterior orifice (men lying with men as with women), one is engaging in hate speech and hateful discrimination. Also, if one teaches that women are to be silent in church and cannot be pastors, one is discriminating against women.

THE DIFFICULTY OF BEING A CHRISTIAN LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE

The problem is that it is practically impossible to obtain a Ph.D. faculty of strong Christian men* who actually believe a detailed Biblicistic conservative doctrinal statement. Men may sign a statement to get a job and then jump at the chance to gut the statement as soon as possible. For example, if an English major from a secular university is hired to teach English, such a person probably does not really understand the details of a through doctrinal statement. The more majors a college offers, the more difficult it becomes to find persons with Ph.D.'s who are strong Biblicists. This becomes even more difficult if one tries to maintain a dispensational pre-tribulational doctrinal statement or a Calvinistic doctrinal statement.

There is just no way that students who get a little 30 hour Bible introduction (quite questionably deserving the designation of "core") could be the Biblical stalwarts equal to those who had over 40 hours of Bible, 18 hours of doctrine, Greek, a professional ministry emphasis, 4 years of Christian service, and a solid periphery of related fields like Intro to Missions, Intro to Christian Education, Evangelism & Cults, Apologetics, Philosophy (taught from a Christian perspective) and Christian counseling.

I am sad to see how the Bible College from which I graduated, stopped calling itself a Bible College, dropped the required Bible hours way down, made its doctrinal statement more broad, and now has made a name change which is totally nondescript to save graduates the embarrassment of any association with the Bible, and would tell no one that the school was supposed to be Christian.

REVIVE THE BIBLE INSTITUTE

It is good actually to seek to do things decently and in order before the world. To seek academic accreditation is noble so long as it does not lead to compromise with the Bible. But times have changed.

In view of such developments, perhaps it is time to consider going back to the Bible Institute and stop seeking the approval of the world for one's educational programs. Do not even try to get the world's approval as a college. I believe that in 2 years, a through Bible and doctrine curriculum can be effected, along with an introduction to Greek and Hebrew. Then those who wish to obtain academic credentials can do so at state universities. A 3rd year should be available for those who want to train for some ministry: preaching, missionary, evangelism, etc. Those who plan to minister in an area which requires a university degree, can go and get one from a state university and forego the 3rd year.

Re: Bible Institute Revival?

So long as one can get an accredited degree from an accredited, faithful Bible College, IMHO this is the best route.

But I think we should be prepared. Due to humanistic pressure, the time may come when a college has to decide whether to lose accreditation or to deny Bible doctrine or abandon Biblical ethics.
The pressure from the feminazis and the sodomists may require loss of accreditation or caving in.

Re: Bible Institute Revival?

So long as one can get an accredited degree from an accredited, faithful Bible College, IMHO this is the best route.

But I think we should be prepared. Due to humanistic pressure, the time may come when a college has to decide whether to lose accreditation or to deny Bible doctrine or abandon Biblical ethics.
The pressure from the feminazis and the sodomists may require loss of accreditation or caving in.

We need to pray for our Bible Colleges.