The Masters Seminary

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Kstone1999

Puritan Board Freshman
Im currently considering seminary. Im fairly new to reformed theology and love reading the puritans and others. I consider mysefl reformed. Just wanted to get everyones thoughts on Jonh Macarthurs seminary (The masters Seminary).

Thanks!
 
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Masters Seminary; There are better choices.
 
Thanks Scott,

Im a newbie here!


Kevin Stone
Attendee Church of the Apostles; not denominational but reformed
Atlanta GA
 
Kevin,

The church you attend is the very place RTS has it's campus and if you are a member of Apostle's you get a discount on tuition. Have you looked into RTS?

I know someone at Master's and have heard about his correspondence with a friend on eschatology. The guy almost seemed as if the amil position had no warrant and that the dispie position was the only one.
 
Thanks Mark

Yes, im looking into RTS as well. Although RTS Atlanta doesnt offer a Masters of Divinity. I am looking into RTS Charlotte, Orlando and Jackson. Im just trying to do all the research I can. Im just beginning to learn the differences in all the dispinsational views. But I love the Masters Seminary emphasis on the languages, expository preaching, and personal holiness. Im sure the others focus on that as well. We will see what our God has in store.

Kevin Stone
Church of the Apostles (non-denomination, but reformed)
Atlanta GA
 
Kevin,

I visited TMS about 3 years ago and have a friend who attends. I found the teachers and students very enthusiastic about serious Bible study, expository preaching, personal evangelism, and service in the local church. All great pros in my book.

Possible cons are small size and as has been mentioned, a pretty narrow focus on dispensational theology and premillenialism. What I mean by narrow is you won't find the diversity of views that you might find at say Southern Seminary or even RTS I would imagine. Because of this you probably won't get many ringing endorsements from this board. ;)

You could probably do better, but you could also do a lot worse. My :2cents:.

Grace & Peace,
Russ
 
Originally posted by Kstone1999
Im currently considering seminary. Im fairly new to reformed theology and love reading the puritans and others. I consider mysefl reformed. Just wanted to get everyones thoughts on Jonh Macarthurs seminary (The masters Seminary).

Thanks!
Click to expand...


In our experience (just down the road from TMS) based on the transfer students we have received, TMS is NOT much like Dr MacArthur.

We've have him lecture here and he did a fine job.

The reports we get from former TMS students, however, is that the faculty is much more stoutly and traditionally dispensational (i.e., not at all sympathetic to Bock's "Progessive Dispensationalism") than is Dr MacArthur.

There are places in Southern California ;) where you can get a very solid grounding in biblical exegesis, the original languages, expository preaching (ever heard Hywel Jones preach?) AND Reformed theology.

Hmm, I wonder where that could be?

rsc
 
Originally posted by crhoades
Originally posted by joshua
Originally posted by R. Scott Clark
...Hmm, I wonder where that could be?

rsc
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:lol:
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Fuller Theological Seminary?:P:lol:
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lol3.gif
 
Masters is a great school. As others pointed out...yes...dispensational. But if you have been paying attention to MacArthur lately, there is no knowing where his eschatology is going to end up. He seems to be morphing even at this late stage of the game.

Many in here will point you to R.T.S., Westminster etc. All great schools. My counsel is to check them all out.

I wish you well.
 
Originally posted by BaptistInCrisis
Masters is a great school. As others pointed out...yes...dispensational. But if you have been paying attention to MacArthur lately, there is no knowing where his eschatology is going to end up. He seems to be morphing even at this late stage of the game.
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Really? I know he's referred to himself as a "leaky dispensationalist" in the past, but how are his views changing? Perhaps it's for another thread, though...
 
Thanks for all the comments!

Im going to send off for information from Southern, The masters seminary, and RTS (orlando, charloote, jackson).
 
Kevin,

Did you make a decision yet?

I can't speak for the other seminaries mentioned. I know Southern a little and would recommend it. TMS does have dispensational teaching, but anyone who says it's a prevalent portion of the instruction hasn't been here. There are a few of the older profs who hold up the Dispensational banner, but even then it's more of a position of hermeneutics than systematics. Don't get me wrong, it's here, but not shoved down your throat at all. I only have one more class to take before graduating, Theology IV. It deals with eschatology, so I'll know more about how that's handled in a few months. From what I understand the professor is very gracious about it though. We have had a few graduate as post-millennial. There are several of us who are still trying to work through it. It simply isn't a huge issue, contrary to what many think. The focus is clear in the catalog. Languages, hermeneutics, exegesis, exposition, pastoral theology and of course systamatics are all taught as part of the curriculum, but the focus is on exposition and being equipped to that end.

I'm not sure, but I think the reason so many graduate from here as pretrib/premil is because they came here that way. But, as MacArthur has said, it's not an area of division. That's why he loves sharing the platform with men like Sproul.

Hope that helps. Let me know if I can be of any help.



By the way, the beginnings of a new seminary in Florida are taking shape. I think it's supposed to be called The Expositor's Seminary. It will have a similar curriculum as TMS, but will involve more churches. I'm not sure what that will look like, and I just found out about it, but it's worth keeping an eye on. It'll probably be in the Tampa area, but will have satelites in other towns, including one in another state (sorry can't remember which state). That's all I know. Details are sketchy right now.
 
Originally posted by Kstone1999
Thanks for all the comments!

Im going to send off for information from Southern, The masters seminary, and RTS (orlando, charloote, jackson).
Click to expand...

I think Orlando might be somewhat more liberal than the others.

Also, maybe we should ask you Kevin, Why are you wanting to go to seminary? What are you looking for? Etc.

It is hard to recommend you go somewhere, when we don't know what you want, need.
 
I was at TMS in the early days - 1986-1989. That makes me at least 27. :-) Back then the languages, exegesis, and expository preaching were strong, and as far as I know still are. I am very thankful for the education I received there. However, and you knew this was coming :-), once I got out and studied some issues and became convinced of those things and kept reading, I realized that my seminary education was a bit theologically myopic. Not to say that is necessarily bad; it's just what happens at a Dispensational school or a Covenant Theology school, for that matter. I would not recommend TMS for someone who is not a Dispensationalist, unless it's the only school he could attend due to finances, etc. You will not study Reformed symbolics there, at least not to the degree that men training for ministry in a Reformed church ought to. You will not study Reformed Biblical Theology either. Is my opinion that Dispensationalism boils down to hermeneutics, which affects all branches of theological inquiry. My .02 cents.
 
I have a desire and passion to teach Gods word and crave to know it better. I don't know at this time is God will lead me into the pastorate, but I have a burning desire to know Gods word better. The languages are really important to me. My future wife is in med school and getting ready to apply for residency. She is not guaranteed the place she wants but usually people get 1 of their top 5. So I have listed my top five Seminary choices based on what I know at this time. These are not set in Stone. Just wanted to get peoples thoughts and how you would rate these seminaries in order from 1 to 5.

1. Southern
2. RTS Charlotte
3. Greenville.
4.RTS Jackson
5. RTS Orlando
 
For what it's worth, my order:

Jackson
Greenville
Southern/Charlotte (pros and cons both)
Orlando
 
Originally posted by Puritanhead
Isn't Masters very expensive?
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I don't think so tuition-wise, but cost of living in SoCal will be higher than in the southeast. I just checked and it's $225 per credit hour for M.Div. which is probably lower than most seminaries listed in this thread except for Greenville and Southern.

Southern and other SBC schools are quite inexpensive for those belonging to SBC churches.
 
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