The New Testament is silent concerning any sort of secular educational requirements for preachers. Rather, the Divine qualifications stress a man who knows what the Bible says and who has the courage to preach the Word (2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Timothy 4:1-5). 2. In addition, God also stresses that such a person needs to be a living example of the truths which he is proclaiming (1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7-8). 3. We should also note that the local congregation and not a religious school or college is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). In New Testament times it was within the local congregation that future teachers and preachers were trained (2 Timothy 2:2). 4. Lest we become too impressed with the views of modern society, we need to remind ourselves that the surrounding culture in any age is what God calls “the world”. In biblical terms, “the world” is always unenlightened (Acts 26:18), in bondage to Satan (1 John 5:19), antagonistic to God (1 John 2:15-16), and to which the Christian is not to conform (Romans 12:1-2).