Professor Paul's Lecture Hall

Most students today agree that "much study wearies the body" (Ecclesiastes 12:12). They might be surprised to learn that the Greek word schole, from which we derive our words "school" and "scholar," originally referred to "a place of leisure."

In ancient times scholarship was a leisurely activity compared to the stress of manual labor. Relatively few had the ability to read, and it was considered a privilege to ponder and discuss the literature of the day. Schole only appears once in the New Testament, in Acts 19:9. While the apostle Paul lived in Ephesus he led daily discussions in a "school" known as "the lecture hall of Tyrannus," a room evidently used for philosophic, rhetoric, or medical discussions.

What did Professor Paul talk about in the lecture hall? Did his students question him about science and mathematics? If so, Paul could tackle such subjects without fear, for faith in a personal God doesn't make a person unscientific—it gives him a reasonable framework for understanding how our world operates. Even at the sub-atomic level we observe what Lehigh University biochemistry professor Michael Behe calls "irreducible complexity." Even skeptics grudgingly acknowledge the growing body of evidence supporting intelligent design. It's scientifically and spiritually satisfying to believe in the living God who created all life, designed plants and animals to reproduce after their own kind, and created human beings in his own image. No doubt Paul mentioned in his lectures that "since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made" (Romans 1:20).

What if Professor Paul's students asked him questions about history? A non-disjointed jumble of individual puzzle pieces without a clear picture that pulls them all together. Why is humanity capable of so much good and so much bad? Why can the same society that figures out how to go to the moon, explore the depths of the sea, and build beautiful buildings, also produce criminals who murder and steal, molest children, and commit unthinkable evils? Are human beings just cogs in nature's vast machine—advanced animals and little more? For Professor Paul, a correct understanding of psychology and sociology included biblical truth about creation and the fall. History reveals the unfolding of God's providence and his redemptive plan culminating in the work of Jesus Christ. Paul reminded his students, "everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4).* *

Did the discussions in Professor Paul's lecture hall include questions about art, music, and literature? Perhaps, for Paul was familiar with pagan writers and quoted them on occasion (Acts 17:28, Titus 1:12). In the Psalms, Paul had studied lengthy sections of Scripture devoted to songs and poetry. Perhaps some class sessions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus began or ended with "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs."

In a recent UCLA study, researchers surveyed 3,680 junior students attending 46 colleges and universities across the United States and asked about their religious commitment. While noting a high level of interest in spiritual matters among college students, the report concluded, "There is a sharp divide between students' interests and what happens in the classroom. More than half of the students say their professors never provide opportunities to discuss the meaning and purpose of life. Similarly, nearly two-thirds say professors never encourage discussions of spiritual or religious matters. . . . Nearly half (45%) report dissatisfaction with how their college experience has provided 'opportunities for religious/spiritual reflection.'"

Whatever else Paul talked about in the lecture hall, I'm confident he "spoke about faith in Christ Jesus" and "discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come" (Acts 24:24, 25). He understood that while there are many branches of knowledge, God's Word is the trunk of the tree.

Professor Paul understood that in a day of spiritual hunger, education needs to do more than grope in the dark. It needs to point students to the Light of the world.