Consider these two verses:

“And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” Luke 12:11-12

I have heard these two verses brought up as an argument that theological or ministerial training is unnecessary, and in a sense I agree. I agree at least that one cannot absolutize the term “unnecessary.” In Mark 5, for example with have a person who was exorcised, freed from demonic possession. The passage says,

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. Mark 5:18-20

This is not alone— we have the Samaritan woman in John 4 and the blind man in John 9. Clearly there are ministries where one can serve without formal training. In fact, in the case of the blind man in John 9, the exact scenario described in Luke 12:11-12 actually happens.

I will admit, however, whenever this sort of situation comes up in seminary, it is usually a strawman. That is, it is an argument set up specifically to be torn down. I am aware that there are denominations that emphasize that seminaries or formal theological training is unnecessary. Some do this through a radical interpretation of the local church where it is seen as the ONLY God-ordained institution for ministry here on earth. Seminaries, then, are not from God. Additionally, some denominations, such of those that might described themselves as “spirit-filled” (again— some, not all) focus on the idea that the Holy Spirit will guide the words of the minister and as such formal training is unnecessary.

There are two obvious problems with seeing Luke 12:11-12 as a justification for no training. The most obvious one is that Jesus was talking to His disciples. They had literally years of personalized training or apprenticeship. The disciples were not untrained. They were the trained ones.

That first reason is pretty simple, but so is the second. Luke 12:11-12 describes what a minister may be required to say to his/her accuser. However, that is in no way the only ministry that a minister needs to do. Even in terms of speaking to outsiders, there are other circumstances, as well as Biblical guidances (See Colossians 4:5-6, and I Peter 3:15 for examples).

The demoniac, the blind man, and the Samaritan woman were able to share their experiences with Jesus. This is the one specific thing they were experts in. However, there ministry continued only up to the limit of pointing them to Jesus. At that point, to know more, people either had to go to Jesus (such as the people in John 4) or go to the trained disciples.

So is theological training in seminary necessary? Absolutely not. Does Luke 12:11-12 justify a lack of ministerial training? Absolutely not. In fact, the passage is a piece of training that Jesus was giving to his disciples who he has been training for years. One really can’t use a bit of training to people being trained to justify a lack of training.