5 Reasons to Come to @RTSCharlotte Preview Day on Sept 29th!

If you are considering seminary, you will not want to miss the RTS Charlotte preview day on Sept 29th. Here are a five things you’ll get to do if you come join us:

1. Take a tour of our beautiful 20-acre campus. We are blessed with a wonderful property nestled in the heart of south Charlotte.  You will not only see our many buildings, but also our wide open lawns for picnics, sports, or just catching up on your reading outdoors. And North Carolina is especially beautiful in the fall!

2. Sit in on a class with our top-notch faculty. The Charlotte campus has 12 residential faculty membersContinue reading...

How Do You Know If Your Church Is Legalistic?

Legalism. Pretty much everyone agrees that it’s bad.  And in a world where Christians seem to disagree over basically everything, that’s saying something.

Even so, if you asked the average Christian to define legalism, the answers may not come so quickly. What exactly counts as legalism?  How do we know it when we see it?  The confusion is exacerbated by the fact that the term can be used in different ways.  People can use the same word but infuse it with very different meanings.

In hopes of dissipating a little of the fogginess, here’s a breakdown of different ways to understand legalism.… Continue reading...

How Difficult was the Book of Revelation’s Journey into the Canon?

The story of the New Testament canon is a fascinating one, with many twists and turns.  There are books that were accepted very quickly, almost from the start (e.g., the four gospels), and there are other books that struggled to find a home (e.g., 2 Peter).

And then there is the book of Revelation.

Few today would contest the claim that the book of Revelation stands as one of the most controversial, complicated, and esoteric books in the New Testament canon.  Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that its reception by the early church was equally complicated and controversial.

But, the story of the book of Revelation is … Continue reading...

College Students: Here Are Some Thoughts On Picking a Good Church

Well, it’s that time of year. Thousands of college students all over the country (and the world) will soon be moving into their dorm room or house, eager to get settled in for the new academic year.

High on the agenda for many students will be discovering the best place for live music, finding the coolest (and cheapest!) restaurants in town, or maybe just scoring tickets to the big football game. But for Christian students there’s another agenda item (or at least their should be): finding a new church home.

Now, there’s lots to be said about how to pick a good church. And top of the list are two … Continue reading...

Is It a Waste of Time for Seminary Students (and Pastors) to Learn the Biblical Languages?

It’s that time of year again.

A wonderful new crop of seminary students has arrived here at RTS-Charlotte and has already begun the grueling month-long experience of Summer Greek. And, like all seminary students before them, they will begin to ask the question of why studying these ancient languages even matters. After all, a few years after graduation all will be forgotten. In the midst of a busy pastoral life, who could possibly maintain proficiency in the languages?

As a result of these questions, some students decide (very early on) that the biblical languages are just something to be endured. They are like a hazing ritual at a college fraternity. … Continue reading...