Are you a student of Scripture, a reader of your Bible, a faithful participant in church studies? Have you ever encountered words and stories and concepts in Scripture that dangled just beyond your understanding?
Have you ever secretly desired to attend Bible college or seminary?
As a seminary graduate and now a seminary student again, I am surrounded by world-class theologians and biblical scholars. They challenge me to study more deeply and apply gospel truth more directly to my life. A self-proclaimed (and now official) “resident Bible nerd,” I pretty much geek out when I’m around them. And I make it a priority to attend the Evangelical Theological Society annual conference—“Bible nerd heaven”— even though I’m not a professor.
Seminary is a commitment of time, money, and focus, and it’s not for everyone. But technology is bringing seminary to the people in a variety of ways, and I’m here to share three accessible options.
The Opened Bible Academy
OBA is an academic institution that offers free seminary-style Bible and theology classes, taught by seminary graduates, to anyone who wants to take them. Not only are OBA classes free, but students are also provided with free textbooks, so the total cost to the student of attending OBA is $0. OBA offers in-person classes in Houston, Dallas, the Diboll Correctional Facility, and Ireland, as well as live virtual (i.e., not recorded) classes. They currently have approximately 230 students and 345 alumni.
The comprehensive curriculum consists of ten courses. The first three courses are foundational and include Story of the Bible, Bible Study Methods, and Basic Theology. The remaining seven courses cover all sixty-six books of the Bible. In addition to these ten courses, all students take one-day workshops. Students planning to attend Bible college or seminary after graduating from OBA take workshops in writing and research. All other students choose between Effective Bible Teaching and Evangelism.
What’s the time commitment? Each course lasts eight weeks and meets one night weekly for two hours. Students take one course per quarter, so it generally takes two and one-half years to complete the ten-course curriculum. Remember, this program is entirely free (except for your time). Pastors can bring OBA into their churches, hosting classes and encouraging members to enroll.
Dallas Theological Seminary’s Free Online Courses
DTS offers over 35 mini-courses, using lecture content from live classrooms on campus, to give non-students a taste of what they can get if they enroll. Sure, it’s part marketing, because they want to encourage you to enroll for the full deal. But these courses offer real benefits, taking participants deeper than your average Bible study, including Q&A, handouts, application, historical backgrounds, and more. These are all independent of one another, of varying lengths, and perfect for high schoolers and older. If you work your way through all of them, you’ll gain a solid foundation in Bible study methods, historical backgrounds, theological topics of the day, and a broad range of Bible books. Consider using one of these in your small group studies or with your family.
Seminary Now
Seminary Now is a subscription-based streaming video platform that delivers exclusive biblical, theological, and practical ministry training from a diverse group of leading educators and thought leaders. It’s an on-ramp to deeper education as well as continuing education for Christian leaders facing new challenges. You can earn CEUs if needed. Take a peek at their trailer:
One of their newest courses is taught by a rockstar professor at Denver Seminary, Dr. Eva Bleeker.
Seminary Now is not free but comes at an affordable annual subscription rate for individuals and for churches. They offer dozens of courses in these categories:
Bible
Justice & Reconciliation
Ministry
Leadership
Church and Mission
Discipleship and Spiritual Formation
Theology
Contemporary Issues
New Testament
Old Testament
Women In Ministry
Black Voices
Latino/a Voices
AAPI/Asian Voices
Español
Why Seminary
Advent
Bible education is within your reach.
Don’t let money and location get in your way. Take hold of the resources these organizations are offering, and dive deep into God’s Word. You won’t regret it.
I love that you are sharing these resources. The first place I direct people is Bible Project’s Classroom but I’m tucking these away as well.
You mentioned you are going back to seminary? I’d love to hear about it!