"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:16, 17

What does it mean to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly? Paul writes to members of a church in the very beginning days of Christianity. How do you, a potential Westminster student training for ministry, apply God's Word to your task of studying God's Word?

One of the reasons this passage is a favorite of mine is because it applies to absolutely everything. It is exhaustive in its scope. Whatever we do, whatever we say, everything we do is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus with thanks to God. Giving thanks to God is so important that Paul repeats this point in the very next sentence!

As Westminster students, we are called to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly in a unique way. As J. Gresham Machen pointed out to Westminster's first entering class in 1929, those training for ministry are to be "specialists in the Bible." As specialists, we learn how the Bible tells us to study - "with thankfulness in our hearts to God." We study, not only with our minds, but with our hearts as well. Those who study God's Word with the mind alone, without the heart, do not know fully that Word they intend to study.

God, through Paul, also tells us what to do with his Word. We are to be "teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." Paul indicates again that this word of Christ is to be taught to gain wisdom, and that Word elicits praise and worship as it is taught and studied. These two verses in Colossians give us a clear and sweeping view of what the Christian life is to look like.

At Westminster, we seek to apply what God has told the Colossians to how we train those who are to minister His Word. The Westminster community is made up of 100 denominations in 40 countries. Our emphases include the importance of the original biblical languages, presuppositional or Covenantal Apologetics, Biblical Theology in the tradition of Geerhardus Vos, the tradition of Calvin, Bavinck and John Murray in Systematic Theology, and solid biblically-based Practical Theology and Biblical Counseling.

These marks of a Westminster education serve to equip fully our alumni serving all over the world. On behalf of the Westminster community, I invite you to consider serving God alongside them. The information on this website will be helpful as you enter the application process. If you need any additional information, always feel free to contact our office at admissions@wts.edu or by calling toll free at 1-800-373-0119. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

With thanks,

Jared Oliphint, ‘05
Director of Admissions