Author: John Davis

What I would look for in a Seminary

What I would look for in a Seminary!

  • It is decisively gospel-centered, where the exaltation of the person, work, and words of Jesus Christ holds priority over everything and is the sieve through which everything else is tested.[1]
  • If in a church setting, it is one where the above principle is modeled.
  • If in a church setting, it is one which is missional and shows a commitment to urban church planting and world-wide church planting, especially in the allocation of its resources.
  • It practices a gospel-centered collegiality and sharing of resources with other evangelical seminaries, especially those in the same locality.
  • It has professors who are discerning and generous enough to glean from and teach from the best of evangelical theologies which contribute to being gospel-centered.[2]
  • It has professors who are gospel-centered enough to respect a diversity of evangelical views in the classroom.
  • It has professors who are practitioners with a heart for urban church planting and for church planting world-wide and who spend part of their tenure working in urban churches and all of their tenure in pastoral work.
  • It requires first year students to do at least a one-year internship in an urban gospel-centered church[3] that is either a church plant or a church planting church.
  • It has a student body that reflects a theological, ethnic, and economic diversity.
  • It has urban church planting and world missions as part of its core curriculum.[4]
  • It has a curriculum that never loses sight of the big story of the Bible of what God accomplishes for humankind and the cosmos through the person, work, and words of Jesus Christ.
  • It garners the support of gospel-centered churches regardless of their denominational affiliation or differences in second-tier theological commitments or their differences on second-tier moral issues. [5]

[1] This gospel-centeredness would be reflected in its hermeneutic, its theology and exegesis, its practical theology, its fellowship, etc.

[2] Teaching their own distinctives and systems, yet with a generosity to other evangelical systems.

[3] Regardless of denominational affiliation

[4] Regardless of where one ends up in ministry, cities are the cultural centers in the world and World Missions is a non-negotiable; therefore, everyone in ministry should be well-informed of both.

[5] First-tier theological commitments are those Scriptural beliefs which are essential to the gospel, i.e. the essence of what it means to be a Christian in all times and in all places. First-tier moral issues are those unequivocal Scriptural precepts that are held in consensus by Christians in all times and in all places.

The Gospel in Exodus Five and Six and in the City

In Exodus Five and Six we are reminded that the promise of redemption is difficult to hold on to in the midst of suffering. When Moses seeks permission from Pharaoh to worship God, Pharaoh responds by increasing the burden upon the people of Israel. What at first appears to be a promise of deliverance turns out to be the cause of greater suffering.  God never seems in a hurry to alleviate or eliminate the suffering of His people.  Consequently, the burdens of everyday life for the people of God became overwhelming, resulting in their deafness to the promise of God. “ … but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery” (Exo 6:9 ESV). Moses’ leadership becomes suspect in the eyes of the people, Moses’ faith is challenged as he is perplexed about God’s ways, and Moses’ call becomes uncertain – “”O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?” (Exo 5:22 ESV).

The Lord seeks to strengthen the faith of Moses by reminding him of who He is and of the promise that He gave to Abraham.  After mentioning briefly the genealogy of the two oldest sons, the lineage of Moses and Aaron is given. The author shows the importance of Moses and Aaron’s leadership in displaying the fullness of their genealogy in comparison with the brevity of the older brothers.  Nevertheless, Moses remained reluctant to be God’s spokesman as he was aware of his sinfulness and weakness (uncircumcised lips).

The themes of promise, suffering, and deliverance are gospel themes repeated throughout Scripture. Faith in God’s promise is often tested in suffering and suffering is often the prelude to deliverance. Eventually, Jesus himself would be tested in suffering and would be delivered after suffering. His faith did not waver- “when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1Pe 2:23 ESV). Unlike Moses, Jesus never resisted being the Word of God to a needy world.

Being God’s witnessing community within the city may arouse angst like Moses standing before Pharaoh. In his self-reflection, he was only a shepherd-leader of a powerless people coming before one who appeared to have the power of life and death. Though Moses had heard the promise of God and was assured of His presence, he wavered in his faith. The cry of his own fears drowned out the voice of God and the cries of those suffering under oppression. His fear left him impotent.

Like Moses we may be aware of our inadequacies and sinfulness. Yet, we too have heard the promise of God and seen His power in the resurrection of His Son. We are assured of His presence – “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mat 28:20 ESV).

Do you hear the cries of those suffering under the bondage of oppression? Will you hear the promise of God‘s sufficiency so loudly that it drowns out the debilitating fears of your own inadequacy? 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, (Eph 3:20 ESV).