So you want to study the Bible. Congratulations! Whether you’re a high school seniorhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com college studenthttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com or working professionalhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com the opportunity to study Scripture is an immense blessing and will help you in your ministry and personal life. But what about professionally? If you’re not sure what kind of jobs or fields you can get into with a biblical studies degreehttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com here are some ideas to get you started!
Pastor
Many people who study biblical studies go on to earn graduate degrees (MDivhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com MARhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com ThM) and become pastors. A degree in biblical studies will provide a biblical and theological framework that will help prepare you to serve as a leader and visionary in the churchhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com societyhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com and world.
Here are a few different options:
- Associate Pastor
- Children’s Pastor
- Youth Pastor
- Teaching Pastor
- Community Life Pastor
- Spiritual Development Pastor
Missionary
A Christian missionary is anyone who is commissioned by the Lord to make disciples. While many Christians think that missionaries are people who leave their homes and go to a developing nation to evangelizehttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com missionaries come in all shapes and sizes.
There are many missionaries who go to “First World” countries to witness and build a community in Christ. Some are long-term missionaries who work in community development or plant churches. Others are short-term missionaries and spend time teaching English as a form of ministry.
As all Christians are called to be ambassadors of Christhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com a degree in biblical studies will prepare anyone seeking to preachhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com teachhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com and share the gospel in order to transform the lives of others.
Director
Many churches have full-time staff membershttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com and a degree in biblical studies can help secure a job as a director of a branch of ministry in the church. As directors lead teamshttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com make decisionshttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com and work closely with other church membershttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com it is important that they have a biblical foundation upon which to base their decisions.
There are many different kinds of directors in the church:
- Children’s Programs Director
- Youth Director
- Worship Director
- Women’s Ministry Director
Teacher
Some biblical studies majors go on to become teachers. To teach in the public school systemhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com you will have to earn certifications from the State. Howeverhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com some private schoolshttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com including many Christian schoolshttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com do not require teacher certificationhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com so a degree in biblical studies will provide you with a model for Christian education and give you a leg up on your competitors.
Writer/Editor
Those who major in biblical studies spend much of their time readinghttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com writinghttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com analyzinghttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com and interpreting Scripture. As a resulthttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com many go on to find employment as writers and editors. A degree in biblical studies can help you become a writer and editor for both Christian and non-Christian magazineshttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com newspapershttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com and various online platforms.
Chaplain
A chaplain is typically a minister who provides religious services and counsel. If you feel called to serve as a minister but want to focus on a specific ministryhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com consider working as a chaplain. As a chaplainhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com you can serve a variety of contexts depending on your gifts and passions. You can work in places like the following institutions:
- Prisons
- US Military (Armyhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com Navyhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com Coast Guardhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com Marine Corpshttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com Air Force)
- Professional Sports Teams
- Hospitals
- College/University
- Police/Fire Department
Human Service Worker
Many students who are interested in majoring in Bible have a heart for serving those in need and pursue further education to work in counseling and social services fields. Some popular careers in these fields include the following:
- Case Worker
- Family and Child Social Worker
- Substance Abuse Counselor
- Probation Officer
- School Guidance Counselor
- Public Health Social Workers
- Mental Health Counselor
- Clinical Psychologist
If you have a strong interest in the Christian faith and have a desire to help and serve othershttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com a degree in biblical studies may be right for you. Although many people think that biblical studies majors only go on to become pastorshttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com your college major can lead you to many jobshttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com fieldshttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com and even to graduate school to pursue another vocation or specialization. Your undergraduate degree is just the beginning!
What’s the point?
The need of this world is enormous. People all around the world are dying daily without the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The harvest is ripe. The call is urgent. The laborers are few.
Why take time to go through Bible training at all? Can’t you study the Bible on your ownhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com anywhere or at anytimehttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com instead of taking so much precious time away from pursuing missions to do your own personal study? What is the point of Bible college before missionary training?
Although the rushed feeling of wanting to get to the field as fast as possible is understandablehttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com we at New Tribes Mission believe that the individual Bible training of a missionary before they head to the field is of vital importance for a number of reasons:
A missionary who is adequately trained in the Word will more effectively communicate that Word.
Planting churches that are strong in their knowledge of the Word is one of the most important parts of missions. A missionary who has been trained in the Word will have much more ability to communicate truth when he himself has a deep understanding of it.
A missionary who has a deep understanding of how the truths of the Bible affect him as an individual will be able to function more effectively in ministry.
Missionary work is no easy task. Often the road to reaching a people group is longhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com arduoushttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com and full of obstacles. If a missionary finds his identity in Christ and lives in the truth of the Word rather than how things seem to be going at any particular momenthttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com he will be much more likely to persevere and flourish in the midst of trials and difficulties.
A missionary who comprehends the grand scheme of God’s plan for mankind through the Word will be more equipped to minister to lost people.
The idea of missions ishttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com after allhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com God’s ideahttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com and it is in His Word that He lays out His vision of redemption for all to see. Simply knowing the Great Commission of Matthew 28 is one thinghttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com but grasping the big picture behind it is another. Seeing God’s heart from the beginning of the story to the end will greatly affect the missionary’s view of ministry and people. God’s heart for
mankind is the reason missions existshttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com and a missionary who knows God’s heart well will be ready to reach out in love to the people He seeks to redeem.
Conclusion
The need of this world is enormous. People are dying every day without the gospel of Jesus Christ. And what they need is the Word. In ithttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com God has communicated everything they need to have true life – realhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com eternalhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com liberating life. If the missionary desires to tell unbelievers about this abundant life that Jesus promisedhttps://zionrajubiblecollege.com then being trained in the Word will be key to his preparation for the task.