Discussion Questions
The speaker admires Michael Sattler for giving his trial defense in Latin under threat of execution; what does that picture suggest about God’s worthiness, and how does it challenge the way modern Christians think about fear, courage, and public witness? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Michael Sattler spoke in Latin at his trial even though he might be killed. What does that show about how valuable God is, and how does it challenge how we think about fear, courage, and speaking about faith in public?
The speaker claims the Anabaptist movement “began out of the university academic environment” through “study of the original languages”; how does that complicate common Anabaptist instincts about simplicity, anti-intellectualism, or suspicion toward scholarship? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker says the Anabaptist movement started in universities through studying the Bible’s original languages. How does that challenge the idea that Anabaptists should avoid scholarship or “book learning”?
When the speaker lists Anabaptist convictions like believer’s baptism, nonresistance, and separation from the world as ideas forged through “intense exegesis,” what does that imply about how God expects Scripture to shape practice—and how might that confront a modern evangelical tendency to treat doctrine as optional or private? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker says Anabaptist beliefs came from careful Bible study. What does that suggest about how God wants Scripture to shape the way we live, and how does it challenge the idea that doctrine is optional or just personal?
The speaker warns of two “ditches”: trusting education as savior (a kind of modern Gnosticism) and discarding education as suspicious; where do you see your church community drifting, and what concrete signs reveal that drift? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker warns about two errors: treating education like a savior, or rejecting education as dangerous. Which way is your church leaning, and what clear signs show it?
The speaker describes churches that say, “What’s wrong with the King James?” and treat language study as spiritually suspect; what fears (stated or unstated) are driving that reaction, and which of those fears deserve to be challenged? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Some churches distrust studying Bible languages and say, “What’s wrong with the King James?” What fears are behind that, and which fears should be questioned?
The speaker argues that minimizing formal learning creates a “vacuum” that gets filled by evangelical authors and YouTube preachers, naming John Piper and Tim Keller; what “outside education” has quietly discipled your thinking, and how has it shown up in your prayers, preaching, or instincts about grace and obedience? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker says if churches avoid learning, other voices (books, YouTube, popular teachers) will shape them instead. What outside voices have shaped your faith the most, and how has that affected how you pray, preach, or think about grace and obedience?
The speaker quotes Charles Malik’s “The Two Tasks”—saving the soul and saving the mind—and says neglecting one causes the church to “lose both”; what would it look like in real congregational life to pursue both tasks without turning faith into mere information? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Charles Malik says the church must “save the soul” and “save the mind,” and losing one can hurt both. What would it look like for your church to care about both spiritual life and serious thinking without turning faith into just facts?
The speaker says “God is moving” especially among college students and international communities, and that education can be a strategic “door opener” (credentials, visas, entry into cities); how does that reframe God’s mission, and what sacrifices would be required for your community to take that seriously? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker says God is working among college students and international communities, and education can open doors (like jobs, visas, and access to cities). How does that change how you think about mission, and what sacrifices would your community need to make to act on it?
The speaker claims “properly educated” people often gain humility because they realize how much they don’t know, while complacency can come from limited horizons; where do you see complacency in your own spiritual life, and what disciplined learning might God use to unsettle and humble you? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker says real education can make people humble because they see how much they don’t know. Where are you spiritually getting comfortable, and what kind of focused learning might God use to humble and wake you up?
Using the Dunning-Kruger idea, the speaker says ignorance can create “false confidence,” applying it to Bible study and even criticism of Christianity; where are you most certain while least informed (theologically, historically, or biblically), and what repentance-and-practice steps would actually change that pattern? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker says ignorance can create false confidence, even in Bible study and in judging Christianity. Where are you most sure but not well informed (in theology, history, or the Bible), and what steps of repentance and new habits would help you change?