I believe it is of the utmost importance to be a theologically informed
Christian. I have come to understand that all of the various disciplines or
areas of study in the Christian life are necessarily intertwined and
interdependent. The only stand alone, self-sufficient factor is the Bible
itself. To be a fully rounded and equipped pastor, one must have a good
grasp on theology, apologetics, Church history, and many other areas of
practical teaching and counseling. However, being a theologically
informed Christian is primary because if one’s theology is misinformed or
underdeveloped it will inevitably lead to misconceptions and
misapplications of what God has given us in Scripture.
The need to be theologically informed is even more crucial for the
pastor. I have come to greatly appreciate pastors who preach exegetically
and methodically through the books of the Bible and expound on the
theological aspects of each individual passage. This is contrasted by many
pastors who develop messages that are designed to meet temporary felt
needs. Many times, this is accomplished by compiling various Scripture
verses out of their intended context in order to prove a point. Dr. Smith
speaks about this in the presentation when he mentions that we need to
let the Bible speak for itself.[1]
I do believe that Leithart is right on point when he discusses the
need for anecclesialbiblical theology. He brings the problem to the
forefront that biblical scholarship has largely shifted away from the church
to academic scholarship.[2]Theology, among other disciplines, has
become too directly identified with formal academic study and not with
the practical needs of the church as addressed by the pastors who serve
them. In many ways, this has helped create the trend of Christians not
understanding how to view the Scriptures. Many Christians have not been
instructed in how to discern between the metaphorical and literal parts of
Scripture. This leaves them vulnerable when critics of Christianity attack
with arguments about taking the Bible literally. McLaughlin acknowledges
that Christians forget that the Bible is full of metaphors just as most things
are in our daily lives.[3]
A Christian cannot take theology for granted. Whether it is realized
or not, everyone has a theological understanding based on what they
have been taught from the pulpit and other discipleship aspects of the
church. It is imperative that the pastor inform and guide each
congregation diligently to help them have the best informed theology
possible. This will be of great benefit to every aspect of the church and
the life of the congregation. Without it, Christians will be easily tossed
about by every new trend, crisis, need, or otherwise. Especially, if pastors
use the Scripture to prove their opinion rather than allowing Scripture to
inform their understanding.
Word Count - 534
[1]Fred Smith, “Dimensions of Christian Ethics,” THEO 650-
Ethics in Christian Ministry Module 1 Presentation, Liberty University
Online, accessed March 25, 2021,
https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/68950/pages/watch-dimensions-of-
christian-ethics?module_item_id=7734462.
[2]Peter J. Leithart, “The Pastor Theologian as Biblical
Theologian: From the Church for the Church,” inBecoming a Pastor
Theologian: New Possibilities for Church Leadership,eds. Todd Wilson and
Gerald Hiestand (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2016), 7.
[3]Rebecca McLaughlin,Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard
Questions for the World’s Largest Religion(Wheaton: Crossway, 2019), 96.
