The month of May at ITA witnessed two higher level classesheld, one at the beginning of the month and the other at month’s end. Both exposed the need for and importance of advanced training.
At the beginning of the month Messina campus, the main site, hosted a biblical exposition of The History of Israel taught by Dr. Michael Grisanti of The Master’s Seminary (TMS), also visiting professor at ITA. The men in training received a broad but profound historical portrait of Israel, God’s elect people and nation, beginning in Genesis and concluding in Esther. This broad sweep of theological-historical narrative beyond immersing the men in God’s sovereign redemptive plan as progressively revealed through the ages brought forth the realization of how weighty God truly is.
Though churchmen and church leaders themselves, hence already possessing a biblical foundation of God and God’s plan through His people, the men in the class were brought to a deeper understanding of God and the outworking of His plan through the exposition of His Word, the OT Scriptures in this case. The class and study ultimately enhanced the realization of the necessity of doctrine and theology for preaching and teaching. Exposition, biblical, doctrinal, and theological exposition, preaching that manifests our weighty God and His redemptive plan, is in other words what we are after in the pulpit and in the church. There is simply no alternative to this pursuit. This is the pursuit of excellence that ITA strives for.
At month’s end Messina campus hosted a second advanced class, this one focussing purely on systematics, systematic theology. Resident ITA professor and missionary church planter to Italy, Matthew Johnston, graduate of The Expositor’s Seminary (TES), taught on the Bible, God, and Christ. The men, a different group in our academic program, deepened their knowledge of Bibliology, Theology Proper, and Christology. The weight of Scripture and biblical knowledge that is all the more accurate was once again at the forefront, emphasized as vital. Sermons are never just homiletical outlines. The men were faced with the need for study, preparation, and the arduous task of wrestling with Scripture so to speak.
At ITA we are convinced and compelled to pursue excellence in Italy, in the Italian evangelical church, among the leadership of the church, the men, preachers, teachers of the Word, shepherds, so that all the church may have a growing understanding of… how truly weighty God is.
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