When Faith Meets the Classroom: Wrestling with Scripture in Theological Study

I didn’t come to theological education with a checklist. I came with a hunger—for spiritual insight, for deeper understanding, for a richer walk with Christ. But somewhere along the way, that hunger met a wall of skepticism. Instead of being spiritually fed, I found myself spiritually starved.

In several Bible courses, I encountered a recurring theme: doubt. Doubt about authorship, doubt about historical accuracy, doubt about divine inspiration. The Scriptures I had cherished were dissected like ancient artifacts, not revered as living truth. Discussions revolved around hypothetical documents like “Q,” theories of pagan influence, and whether Paul, Peter, or James really wrote the texts attributed to them.

It felt like wrangling over words—exactly what Paul warned Timothy to avoid (2 Tim 2:14). Instead of divine training known by faith, I was offered speculation dressed as scholarship (1 Tim 1:3–4). And I had to ask myself: What do I truly believe about the Scriptures?

Clarifying Conviction in a Sea of Speculation

This academic tension forced me to clarify my convictions. I believe Scripture is inspired by God, preserved by the Holy Spirit, and sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). I believe Peter’s testimony wasn’t a cleverly devised myth but the account of an eyewitness to Christ’s majesty (2 Pet 1:16). I believe the Holy Spirit that inspired the apostles is the same Spirit that guides believers today.

As a pastor, I carry the weight of teaching others. James reminds us that teachers will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1). That’s not just a warning—it’s a call to integrity. If I’m going to lead others, I must be rooted in truth, not tossed by academic trends.

Scripture: Sacred, Not Speculative

The Bible is not a buffet where we pick what comforts us and skip what convicts us. It’s not a myth stitched together from cultural fragments. It’s the breath of God, alive and active, shaping hearts and guiding lives.

Yes, we don’t have the original manuscripts. But we have the Spirit. And we have a God who is truth, a Savior who is the truth, and a Spirit who leads us into truth. Why would our Father give us a book we couldn’t trust?

Where Do We Go From Here?

This journey hasn’t led me to new academic insights. It’s led me back to the basics: daily prayer, Scripture reading, fasting, sacraments. The practices John Wesley emphasized—personal piety and social holiness—don’t hinge on who wrote what and when. They hinge on the Word before us and the Spirit within us.

So I choose to be a person of one book. Not because I reject scholarship, but because I refuse to let speculation rob me of sacred truth. I choose to teach Scripture as the living Word of God, not a historical puzzle. I choose to feed my congregation with conviction, not confusion.

Final Thought

If you’re walking through theological education and feeling disoriented, you’re not alone. But don’t let academic speculation shake your foundation. Let it drive you deeper into conviction. Let it refine your faith, not erode it.

Because in the end, our calling isn’t to win debates. It’s to preach the Word. In season and out. With patience and careful instruction. With hearts anchored in truth and lives shaped by grace.

Let’s be people of one book. And let that book be the living Word of God.

Am I an egg or a potato?

Have you ever heard or read these sayings? 

The same sun that melts butter hardens clay.

The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s about what you’re made of, not the circumstances. –Anonymous

You see them in memes on Facebook from time to time.  You can search Google and get many different interpretations of what these mean for you or me.

Here is one that I thought of the other day.  I did not find it on Google, so I will claim its originality. :) 

The same breath that puts out the candle fuels the campfire.

When you do read what people write about these sayings, it is primarily about what I am.  I am to change my attitude towards the situation I am to create a different result.  I do not disagree with these interpretations.  I do believe that your attitude is the only thing you can control in any particular situation.

However, I would like to give you a little different take on these.

Without the sun melting the butter it would be difficult to spread it on my toast without ripping the toast to pieces.  We never say we like cold hard butter on our bread or cinnamon roll.  Without the sun hardening the clay, I could not have that mug to drink my coffee or a plate to hold my toast or cinnamon roll.

Without the boiling water making the egg hard and the potato soft, I could not enjoy potato salad, or mashed potatoes or deviled eggs.

Without the breath to put out the candle, I could not celebrate my birthday or other special events.  Without the breath blown on the fire to start a campfire, I could not enjoy a s’mores.

The point is who am I?  What was I created to become?  I have no control of what I am made of.  Was I created an egg or a potato?  If I was created an egg, then boiling water is going to make me into a different kind of egg.  I did not change into something else. 

What is my purpose?  The circumstances that we encounter are designed to mold us into that purpose.  Was I destined to me a hard-boiled egg?  My attitude will not change that.

We are always encouraged to find your purpose.  I believe that each person has a purpose for living.  The challenge is do we like what our purpose is?

As a follower of Christ, I seek to be molded into His image. What does this image look like?  It looks like whatever He has planned (purposed) for my life.  He wanted me to be a hard-boiled egg.  He brought circumstances into my life to bring me to that point.  My attitude should be one of gratefulness that He has made me into what He wanted me to be.  Not, I wish I was a potato.