Theological training is imperative for the man called into God's ministry.
I [Adrian Rogers] would define theology as encompassing the study of the Word of God and the study of the God of the Word.
Theological training is not necessarily synonymous with formal seminary training. A preacher may indeed receive formal theological training from a seminary. However, many seminaries are not theological training centers though they may refer to themselves as such. Theos means God, and Logos means the Word.
Since many seminaries do not believe the Word, why should the institutions regard themselves as centers for theological training? It is like Post® Grape-Nuts® cereal, which is neither a grape nor a nut.
People ought to saturate some seminaries with their absence, because they are worse off after they attend.
I thank God for our seminaries. I believe in intellectualism. But listen to me. Our seminaries need not be elitist institutions. They need to be, primarily, incubators of a blazing, passionate, emotional love for Jesus and His Word.
The man of God must have theological training, but a preacher could acquire that knowledge while studying at his own desk. A man may never see the inside of a seminary and still be a great theologian. However, he must have a desire for the truth of God's Word and self-discipline to study.
I'd advise preachers not to preach theology. The preacher should use theology to preach Christ and not use Christ to preach theology. All theology is but the cradle in which Christ lies and the scaffolding around the building of the Gospel message of Jesus. I think a lot of preachers make a mistake when they preach theology rather than use theology to preach Christ.
*This question and answer were extracted from "Love Worth Finding: The Life of Adrian Rogers and His Philosophy of Preaching.”
