The Pastor as Theologian

Been thinking recently about the importance of a pastor having a good understanding of theology. I was recently reading a ffew entries in a blog written by individuals who were involved with the emergent church. Unfortunately, the writers were fogged on salvation and future judgment along with other significant issues suggesting that Biblical statements were merely metaphorical. Paul declares the church is "...the pillar and support of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15 NASB). We cannot delegate the responsibility of the theological integrity of the church to anyone else. It is our responsibility. Al Mohler (President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) has written a challenge to pastors to be theologians (Click here for: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). He declares that the "health of the church depends upon its pastors functioning as faithful theologians teaching, preaching, defending, and applying the great doctrines of the faith." In the earliest centuries of the church, the pastors were the main theologians.

Mohler goes on to write that in far too many cases, the ministry of the pastor has been devoid of serious doctrinal content and many pastors seem to have little interest or understanding in taking theology seriously. The pastoral calling is basically theological. Much in the Pastoral Epistles emphasizes maintaining sound doctrine, guarding the treasure, etc. The Pastor must be able to defend the faith and identify false teaching and make corrections to aberrant theology. Preaching is primarily theological it is the transfer of Biblical conviction. "Congregations that are fed nothing more than ambiguous 'principles' supposedly drawn from God's Word are doomed to spiritual immaturity which will become visible in compromise, complacency, and a host of other spiritual ills," writes Mohler. Evangelism is theological - we must be able to give a clear statement of the gospel if a person is to be saved. Counseling is primarily theological. The vast majority of pastoral ministry is theological.

Pastoral ministry assumes that the pastor has theological convictions. True preaching is not giving the congregation a set of theological choices. The pastor must stand ready to "define, defend, and document his own deep convictions, drawn from his careful study of God's Word and his knowledge of the faithful teaching of the church."

Mohler illustrates the importance of theology when he states that in the "history of Christian theology, the difference between orthodoxy and heresy has often hung on a single word, or even a syllable." And so Mohler challenges pastors, "...we are the stewards of sound words and the guardians of doctrinal treasure which has been entrusted to us at the very core of our calling as pastors. The pastor who is no theologian is no pastor."

The challenge to us as pastors is to continue to grow in our theological understanding.

The challenge to those who are training the next generation of pastors is to maintain a high level theological education, rather than reducing theological education in favor of more "relevant" matters such as learning powerpoint, etc.