I have been feeling called to minister.  I have read 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus several times, and they are pulling me in that direction.  I am a man with no money for Bible college, and I was wondering: is it possible to become ordained without the schooling?  I am so lost; please help.  I know I will need training, but can I not get it from the church I attend, or must I go to college to become a minister and get ordained?

Sincerely,
Un-ordain-ary Fellow

Dear Un-ordain-ary Fellow,

If you are a part of a religious group that says that you have to be ordained by a “Bible college” in order to preach – then you need to find another church.  The books 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus are letters sent by Paul to men that had studied under him (we might use the term ‘apprenticed’ nowadays) and worked with him over the years.  These men were educated in the Scriptures through practice and individual study (2 Tim 3:15-17).  Paul had a father/son relationship with Timothy, and that is how that Timothy progressed as a preacher (1 Tim 1:2).

There are no examples of Bible colleges having authority within God’s church, and no one was ever expected to have a college degree in order to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In fact, the apostles were often noted as being uneducated (Acts 4:13).

Teachers incur a stricter judgment (Jas 3:1); preaching needs to be Biblically accurate, or you will be condemned as a false teacher.  You will need to find a Biblically correct congregation that teaches only the pure and undefiled Gospel of Jesus Christ if you are going to study to become a preacher.  If you would like to find a congregation in your area that can faithfully guide you in those teachings, feel free to e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.  We cannot emphasize enough that what church you learn to preach from will make all the difference between serving God and being accursed (Gal 1:8).

Can an instrument be in a church, or is it a sin?

Sincerely,
Open Mic

Dear Open Mic,

God has given us instruments to use for worshipping Him – our hearts (Eph 5:19).  In the New Testament, God tells us to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to Him.  He wants the only melody He hears to come from our hearts.  Instrumental music wasn’t introduced into the church until over three hundred years after Christ.  In fact, ‘a cappella’ singing (singing without instruments) literally means ‘as the church’.  There are no examples of the church using instruments to worship God in the New Testament.  If we start using them, we are adding something to God’s Word (Rev 22:18-19).  All we are ever told to do is “sing and make melody in our hearts”… pluck your heartstrings as you sing to God, and you will make God happy.

In the Bible, who is responsible for most of the miracles?

Sincerely,
Keeping A Tally

Dear Keeping A Tally,

The short answer is: God.  God is responsible for ALL of the miracles in the Bible.  Anyone in the Bible that performed miracles performed them through God’s power (Acts 2:22).  As for who specifically performed the most miracles – there is no way of telling.  Even if you counted up all the miracles that we read about, it still wouldn’t answer the question because we know that there were miracles that the Bible didn’t record (Jhn 21:25).  The purpose of Biblical miracles was to bear witness to the men who were preaching (Jhn 3:2).  The miracles were proof to the people of that day that Jesus really was the Messiah and approved by God (Acts 2:22).

I was told recently by my pastor that an elder should always put his congregation first, even before his wife.  I believe that to be incorrect.  I always thought that we should all place God first, our spouses second, and our children third, and that is the model for a christian family.  I believe that to be one of the most significant examples to your congregation.  Am I correct, or am I wrong about this?

Sincerely,
Ducks In A Row

Dear Ducks In A Row,

You are right.  The Scriptures are clear that being an elder is a voluntary position (1 Tim 3:1).  A man can resign from the eldership, but he can’t resign from his marriage or his family.  God makes it clear that when a man marries, a large portion of his life becomes dedicated to caring for his wife’s needs (1 Cor 7:32-34).  Furthermore, husbands are clearly told that they must care for their wives as much as they care for their own bodies (Eph 5:28).  A man is a husband for life; he is an elder by choice for a time.

His relationship with his children is also not optional.  A father has various responsibilities to his offspring (Eph 6:4, Col 3:21, Heb 12:9, etc.).

Please refresh my memory regarding Nazirites.  First of all, does this word simply mean "separated", or does the word have something to do with the city of Nazareth?

What lessons can we learn from those who lived under this vow, and for what purpose did God place an importance upon those He raised up as such?(Amos 2:11)

We know that Samson and Samuel lived their lives as Nazirites, but could John the Baptist also have lived under this vow according to Luke 1:15?

Then in Lamentations 4:7, I am confused as to who is being referred to here.

Lastly, (sorry for so many questions regarding this!) it appears to me that a person could choose to be a Nazirite for a "set amount of time".  Is it possible that Jesus ever took this vow?  Obviously not when He instituted the Lord's Supper, but I am just curious.  Thank you so much.  This is a wonderful website!

Sincerely,
I’d Like To Buy A Vow

Dear I’d Like To Buy A Vow,

Nazirite does indeed mean ‘separated’ or ‘consecrated’.  A Nazirite was someone who had taken a vow to serve God by abstaining from various things for a specified period of time.  The list of things involved with being a Nazirite can be seen in Num 6:1-9.  The most notable traits of a Nazirite were that they wouldn’t cut their hair, and they abstained from all grape products.

Nazirites were people who were voluntarily, deeply committed to serving God and made great sacrifices to put God first in their lives.  There is little we know about the life of a Nazirite.  Their vow to abstain from certain things seems similar to the idea of fasting – when you give something up for God, it is a sign of your commitment and dedication, and it helps to keep you focused on your spiritual goals.  Amos 2:11-12 is addressing how much God loved and appreciated Nazirites, and it contrasts that love with how Israel abused them.

Samson was a lifelong Nazirite (Judg 13:5), and Hannah consecrated Samuel as a Nazirite from birth (1 Sam 1:11).  We don’t know for sure whether John the Baptist was a Nazirite… but Lk 1:15 certainly lends toward it.

Lamentations is an entire book dedicated to Jeremiah’s sorrow over the fall of Jerusalem.  Lam 4:7 is part of that lament.  The nobles/Nazirites (depending on your translation) are the consecrated and faithful that used to populate the streets and faithfully serve God.  With wistful sorrow, Jeremiah remembers the days when people were faithful and godly in Jerusalem.

And lastly, it is not likely that Jesus was ever a Nazirite.  The reason for this is that He had a reputation for being the exact opposite of John the Baptist (Lk 7:33-34).  Since it is likely John the Baptist was a Nazirite, Jesus wouldn’t have ever been one.