Being theologically informed is extremely important as a Christian, and
especially as a minister. Without sound scriptural backing, it is easy to fall prey
to religious or even worldly traditions when giving advice on life’s issues. As
stated by our professor, “tradition can be wrong, but God’s word never fails.”[1]
I am in complete agreement with Moody when he wrote that it is basically
impossible to be a pastor without doing some form of theology, even if it is
not done well.[2] Being an informed theologian is important for a pastor,
because the entire church will be listening to the pastor’s sermons. A sermon
should help the audience learn more about God and alter their lifestyle
according to their knowledge of God’s will. Preaching should not be for
entertainment, but it should be used to draw the sinner and the saint close to
God. Pastoring definitely includes taking care of God’s children, but it would be
wise for all ministers to remember Jesus’ words to Peter in John 21, where He
directly tells Peter to feed, or shepherd, His sheep. A shepherd who does not
make sure the sheep eat well, and are healthy, cannot be considered a “good”
shepherd. Without a firm grip on theology, a pastor can easily slip into a
misunderstanding of a certain text and provide their church with a teaching that
is not in line with the truth. McLaughlin touched on this when she wrote about
metaphors in the Bible and when to take Scripture literally.[3] No pastor knows
everything, but every pastor should have a goal to continue learning through
studying the Scripture and building a firm theological foundation. I am in total
agreement with Leithart when he makes a distinction in between a pastor’s
primary duty as a theologian and the other ministries they may do as well. He
wrote, “Whatever pastor theologians are and do, it is an extension of their
fundamental calling.”[4] I can honestly say that becoming a pastor theologian
has always been the goal I had in mind, even before I knew what to call it
exactly. Most churches have a wide range of maturity in the church, and the
pastor should be able to converse with all of them intelligently. All pastors
should be a student of the Bible and of God, to be able to lead by example as
a disciple of Christ.
Word Count: 468
Bibliography
McLaughlin, Rebecca. Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's
Largest
Religion. Wheaton: Crossway, 2019.
Vanhoozer, Kevin J., and Owen Strachan. The Pastor as Public Theologian:
Reclaiming a Lost
Vision. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015.
Wilson, Todd A., and Gerald Hiestand, eds. Becoming a Pastor Theologian: New
Possibilities
for Church Leadership. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic / InterVarsity Press,
2016.
Woodbridge, Russell, “Dimensions of Christian Ethics,” course video.
[1] Russell Woodbridge, “Dimensions of Christian Ethics,” course video.
[2] Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan, The Pastor as Public Theologian:
Reclaiming a Lost Vision (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015), 32.
[3] Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the
World's Largest Religion (Wheaton: Crossway, 2019), 95-96.
[4] Todd A. Wilson and Gerald Hiestand, eds., Becoming a Pastor Theologian:
New Possibilities for Church Leadership (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic /
InterVarsity Press, 2016), 11.
