Secular Education and Ministry within the Natsarim
Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr
Many people foolishly believe that Yeshua and the first century believers were uneducated hippies who roamed the country side only being taught personally by Adonai. Some even believe this about the prophets of the Tanak. This is ludicrous and way off. People ignorantly feel or believe that secular or education by man is a bad thing and will taint ones soul and cause one to puff up with pride.
First off, pride comes from within, a defect of the soul and no one can “make” you prideful by simply being in contact with them or their teaching. Pride is a personal decision whether consciously or unconsciously.
Many people say that titles mean nothing and fruit is all one needs to see.
Consider this, would you let some one cut on you who does not have the legitimate designation and degree of "Doctor?" Would the “fruit” of their bedside manner be enough for you? So too, ones spirit and mind is just as important as the physical body and it behooves us to know who we learn from. Fruit will only confirm the title one worked so hard for.
Some asks what education did Moses have, or Paul? They simply focus on the Burning Bush and the Damascus Experience and think that is all the training they needed and they fail to look at the rest of their lives and the education they received by man.
Moses was trained to be as a Pharaoh, he had the best training Egypt could offer. According to the Book of Jasher he had training as a King and a Military General. He also had hands on - on the job training as a shepherd to balance his training and education as a warrior and a king. So secular education IS important. It is how we filter the manmade education which becomes and asset or detriment to ones supplemental education by Adonai Himself. The Torah is the filter and proper assimilator of all things, especially education of men.
Rav Sha'ul was in the running to be on the next generation of Sanhedrin and was taught by the famous Gamaliel, he had the best education Judaism could offer. For Him to be a Roman citizen and speak to philosophers about “the unknown God” shows Rav Sha’ul had some sort of secular education in philosophy at least.
The Arkco Volume, if true, speaks of even Yeshua having a personal tutor of a retired Kohen.
The talmid of Yeshua were Jewish and had a Hebrew School education as did all Jewish boys. The Talmidim had secular education as well. Job training by their fathers and in the case of Judas, some sort of political education in order to be deemed a zealot. G-d just didn’t find an empty country bumpkin brain to fill, it was already prepped by education of men. The supplemental education of the Spirit set straight and assimilated the education of men so as to be channeled and used in the proper way according to the Torah and the Spirit.
Also, full time ministers were rare. Ministers were traditionally compensated for their teaching either by food, money and or supplies. The Talmud says it is best if one coupled there ministry with a secular job as well as Rav Sha'ul did, for he knew the Oral Torah well. Rav Sha’ul made Tallits (tents), Luke was a physician. Kefa (Peter) was a fisherman and when the talmid needed funds or to pay taxes, they went fishing to pay the bills.
Also, full time ministers were rare. Ministers were traditionally compensated for their teaching either by food, money and or supplies. The Talmud says it is best if one coupled there ministry with a secular job as well as Rav Sha'ul did, for he knew the Oral Torah well. Rav Sha’ul made Tallits (tents), Luke was a physician. Kefa (Peter) was a fisherman and when the talmid needed funds or to pay taxes, they went fishing to pay the bills.
So to think secular education has no place in Natsari Judaism is utterly foolish and an irresponsible conclusion to come to by faulty Biblical interpretation.
