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I spoke with a friend this evening who told me about a Bible class she is taken. It's a quasi Bible school class from a church with a significant teaching ministry — a moderately large church that has created it's own school of ministry and has some oversight from a regional Bible school. Not seminary, but not Sunday School or a small group Bible study either. I asked if she had a reading list for the class. She said, "No. The teacher even told us not to be reading other stuff. He only wants us to read the Bible and hear from God not other people." I was instantly annoyed. (Sarcasm and hostility begins) Sure don't read other books and listen to other people, but obviously the teacher of the class wants my friend to listen to him. Oh sure, the Holy Spirit hasn't had anything to say for the past 2000 years. We don't need to read any commentary from godly scholars who have committed years of their live to studying single verses or chapters. There are literally hundreds of godly biblical scholars out there who do their research and writing with the leading of the Holy Spirit, let alone the thousands of saints through the ages who the Spirit has inspired to right their learnings in journals, books, etc. But we don't need them. We just need God and the Bible. You know, if it's just your basic Sunday School class or small group I can understand not bringing scholarship in the picture. But when you are supposedly "school of ministry", even a low end one, and charging a fee, even a small fee, there ought to be some level of expertise brought into the classroom. Now for my friend, English is her second language although her English skills are very good. But the teacher demands the class work out of the KJV. (More sarcasm) Oh yeah, only the KJV is the authentic Word of God. Only English speaking people have the Word of God. Reina Valera? It's crap. (Extra heavy sarcasm!) I'm not even sure the original autographs were inspired and authentic, only the KJV.