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Will the Theologians Please Sit Down  /  Chapter 7: The Next Generation After the Apostles  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 2
The chapter claims the apostles prepared future leaders through “hands-on training” (Mark, Titus, Timothy) rather than writing theological works—what would have to change in the way we identify and train leaders today if we took 2 Timothy 2:2 as the primary model rather than classroom education?
Another way to ask: If leaders were trained mainly by hands-on mentoring (2 Timothy 2:2) instead of classroom schooling, what would we need to change about how we find and train leaders today?

Direct Answer The transcript suggests we would shift from credential-based pipelines to apprenticeship: selecting “faithful men” proven in life and service, then training them by working alongside experienced leaders in the local church rather than primarily through academic programs.

Support from Transcript:

  • Bercot directly asks if apostles wrote theological works for leaders and answers, “No,” saying training worked “exactly the same way it had when Jesus was on earth.”
  • “The apostles gave hands-on training to other men such as Mark, Titus, and Timothy.”
  • “The next generation of leaders learned by working alongside more experienced leaders.”
  • 2 Timothy 2:2 is presented as the core method: hearing, committing, and multiplying teaching through “faithful men.”
  • He says in the second century “there were no seminaries or other schools to train church leaders,” and “their only training came from serving under spiritual leaders in the local church.”
Discussion Follow-ups What would it look like for your church to treat proven faithfulness and service as the main “admissions requirement” for leadership development?

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