Followers of Christ are supposed to be one of the most informed people in
various subjects. As a royal priesthood, pastors and members of the body
of Christ are called to be the salt and light of the world (Mt. 5:13-16). This
means living out God’s word and being ready to shine and share His truth
wherever they are called to minister. And being knowledgeable in the
word of God equips one for Christian living. One cannot have an accurate
understanding of orthopraxy and orthopathy without a biblical orthodoxy.
Dr. Fred Smith says that the practice of ethical obligations to one another
in love and mutual accountability can only be done in community within
the local church based on the word of God.[1] As one of the spiritual
disciplines, a consistent study of Scripture enriches every believer as the
Holy Spirit guides one to all truth (Jn. 16:13). His work in sanctification in
Christians is for their spiritual formation and growth into maturity. As one
grows in their faith, so should their knowledge of theology, history, and
philosophy grow in order to communicate Scripture in addressing a wide
range of real-life scenarios with hopes of pointing people to God. “Public
theologians help people understand the world in which they live and, what
is more important, how to follow Christ in everyday as well as
extraordinary situations.”[2] “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in
righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).[3] Vanhoozer and Strachan advocate a
return to theology in the body of Christ starting from the pastor. The
three publics (academy, church, and broader society) are locations where
pastors should speak about God and address its wide-range audience
simultaneously.[4] Furthermore, in my church, the pastors preach the full
gospel and caution the congregation to be discerning of false prophets
and doctrine. They are Spirit-filled and diligently teach and equip the faith
community to study and teach God’s word. But I have known a few other
pastors whose passion for preaching has dwindled as reflected in their
decline of commitment and enthusiasm for the church. This may be due
to several reasons (money, disappointment, side-tracked by a more
glamorous career, burn-out, etc.). Another, a lot are being stretched thin
as they try to fill in too many roles and responsibilities. Peter Leithart
determines the missing element of biblical studies which is a “serious
literary and theological study of the Bible that arises from the church and
is written for the church.”[5] Perhaps redefining the pastor’s primary
office and the church’s role as having shared responsibility as intellectual
theologians in a royal priesthood will reenergize their focus in working
together towards God’s commission and building the people of God.
(Word count: 536)
[1]Fred Smith, “Dimensions of Christian Ethics,”Liberty University(n.d.),
Video
13:31,https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/preview/partner
_id/2167581/uiconf_id/39959791/entry_id/1_px47gp7p/embed/dynamic(A
ccessed May 18, 2021).
[2]Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan,The Pastor as Publican
Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision(Grand Rapids: Baker Academic,
2015): 23.
[3]Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture references are in theBerean
Study Bible.
[4]Vanhoozer and Strachan,The Pastor as Publican Theologian, 4.
[5]Peter J. Leithart,Becoming a Pastor Theologian: New Possibilities for
Church Leadership, eds. Todd Wilson and Gerald Hiestand (Downers
Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2016): 10.
