Why a Good Pastor is Theological

Why a Good Pastor is Theological

In our last post we noted that one prominent preacher was lauded for not being “preachy or theological.” In the opinion of the admirer of this preacher, this was the reason why he had such a large following and success in ministry. While it is not my intent to disparage this pastor as an individual or discredit his ministry, the idea of a good pastor not being preachy or theological caught my attention. There are many young pastors and even older pastors who desire to make an impact for the kingdom of God who may be swayed to believe that being “preachy and theological” is a negative thing. We will be tempted to think that if we what to make an impact in our postmodern culture we must resort to some techniques that go beyond the basics of “mere” Bible preaching and study. Such things are too antiquated to reach this generation. This, however, is wrong. On the contrary, a quick glance at Scripture and the history of the church will show that faithful pastors have always been strong in both expository preaching and theological study. In this blog, we ask the question, “Should a good pastor be theological?”

Much like the word “preach” the word “theology” carries a negative connotation in society. Even people within the church shrink back from the word “theology” as if it carries a virus. Specifically in our more charismatic Christian churches, you will often hear people say that being too theological will hinder the “move of the Spirit.” There is this unfound belief that if we are too intellectual concerning the things of God, we will in some way “quench the spirit.” This fear can be justified if we are leaning upon our own knowledge as functional justification and esteeming our intellect as higher than the Word of God. However, more times than not the fear of Christians being so intellectual that they will hinder God’s will is unwarranted. On the contrary to being too intellectual, most of the Christian church has embraced anti-intellectualism. I Corinthians 8:1 is often used to justify this anti-intellectualism in the church, which says, “Knowledge puffs up.” Put in it’s proper context, however, this statement is meant to show that knowledge misused by arrogance is what is dangerous, not knowledge itself. If we wrongly believe that knowledge will automatically make us arrogant and not humble, we will subconsciously flee from knowledge. Unfortunately, this is what has happened in many of our churches. Young people grow up in the church ignorant of even the basics of Biblical knowledge. When our sermons and services are heavy on feelings and emotions while shallow on doctrine and theology, the results in the long run are less than desirable. This is not an attack against feelings, per se. Anyone who can delve into the Scriptures and discover the truths of the Gospel without exuding passion or emotion should be checked to see of they have a heartbeat! It should be impossible to behold the glory of God and stand in his presence without showing some kind of emotion. The emotive nature of people is not what is being challenged, however; it is our lack of depth and knowledge of the Word of God. We have forgotten how to think things through to the bottom, becoming more content with accepting what appears on the surface. Is not this the cause of our fascination with flare, popularity, and the hype of celebrity-type personalities?

Every pastor should be theological, though not every pastor will be a theologian. It is the pastor’s high calling to lead the people into the depths of Scripture. The word theology simply means the “study of God.” It is recognized that there are different types of modes of preaching. Some preaching will lean on the side of being more illustrative or inspirational. Other times the preaching will be more logical. But always should the preaching be "theology on fire". The great pastor of the Westminster Chapel, Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones, said, “There is no type of preaching that should be non-theological……….in many ways evangelistic preaching should be more, rather than less theological. Why is it that you call people to repent? Why do you call them to believe the Gospel? You cannot deal properly with repentance without dealing with the doctrine of man, the doctrine of the Fall, the doctrine of sin and the wrath of God against sin………..In other words it is all highly theological.”

When a pastor preaches the Scriptures, he appeals to the heart of man, but he also appeals to the mind of man. Jesus said we are to “love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind” (Matthew 22:37). Our worship of God cannot go beyond our knowledge of God. When we use our minds to search and drink from the well of the Scriptures, we are worshipping and loving God. Every good pastor will endeavor to prompt God’s people to this place of worship by drawing from a deep well of theology. 

Why a Good Pastor is "Preachy and Theological"

Why a Good Pastor is “Preachy and Theological”

In a recent article about mega-church pastor, Joel Osteen, one admirer says that Osteen’s success is due to the fact that he is not “preachy or theological.” In other words, people are attracted to Osteen because he offers a message that is not the typical preaching of the Bible nor are his messages weighted down by theological matters. Although this endearment is not shocking considering that we live in a culture that is friendly to a therapeutic, feel-good message, it is no less disturbing. Since when did being “preachy” and “theological” become something that is unfitting for a pastor? Do we really believe that these are characteristics that should not fit the modern-day pastor? While it is not my intent to decipher the manifold styles of preaching nor to discuss whether every minister of the Gospel should be a theologian, per se, it is my intent to show that every good pastor will be a preacher and he will be grounded in sound theology.

We cannot interpret exactly what Osteen’s admirer meant by “preachy,” but we can infer that he was speaking of the strong, declaratory heralding of God’s Word that has been normative throughout church history. Paul admonished young Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). For the believer, consistent exposition from the Scriptures is the sustenance and food for the body of Christ. For the pastor, preaching the Scriptures is his primary task and calling. The pulpit is the key to a healthy, robust church. It is the world that will always consider preaching to be “foolishness,” but for the church it is the “power of God.” We should expect the unbeliever to have a low tolerance for preaching from the Scriptures, if he has any tolerance for it at all. It should be no surprise to us that skeptics would make fun of preaching to the point that the very idea “to preach” is seen in a negative light. They say, “O, stop preaching at me.” Or they say, “get off your soap-box.” The world sees preaching as foolishness. This is not a secret. Who would want to get up on a beautiful Sunday morning (some people’s only day off) and choose to sit and listen to a man expound on an ancient text? Surely the beach is calling or the boat is beckoning their name! It comes as not surprise that people of the world have a low regard for “preaching” as defined by the Bible. What is stunning, however, is when those within the church start to view solid, biblical preaching as unseemly for today’s preacher. More acceptable is when someone speaks positive, motivational words that can sooth the emotions and bolster the ego. This, however, is not preaching. It can be classified as oratory, a speech, or even a sermonette; but it is not preaching. True preaching will entail exactly what 2 Timothy 4:2 says. First, true preaching will investigate, refute, and expose wrong philosophies that run contrary to God’s will (reprove). Secondly, true preaching will warn people of their error and point them to their only solution (rebuke). Thirdly, true preaching will loving invite people to adhere to Christ and the Gospel (exhort). All of this is to be done with “complete patience and teaching.” In other words, the message will not be jammed down people’s throats. The word will challenge, convict, and console, all with love and patience from the pastor’s heart.

Today’s culture may prefer and clamor for a kind of preaching that is alien to the Bible. People may flock to hear soothing words that appeal to the esteem of man. In the midst of this delusion, the true preachers of the Gospel must continue to be faithful------even if they are labeled too “preachy.”

2 Timothy 4:3-5 (The Message Paraphrase)

 You're going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy.

 They'll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages.

But you—keep your eye on what you're doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God's servant.

In our next blog we will look at why a good pastor will be theological. 

Is Apologetics Necessary in the Christian Faith?

What is the appropriate role of apologetics in Christianity? In other words, should apologetics be used for evangelism or strengthening the church?

According to Caner, the ultimate goal of apologetics is to “defend Christianity in the context of an unbelieving and skeptical world.”  While this certainly is one of the goals of apologetics, I don’t think this definition clearly defines the “ultimate goal.” I would view this preceding definition as a marker necessary to reach the ultimate goal of apologetics, which is to be an effective witness for Christ. It is also recognized that Christians could not be effective witnesses for Christ if Christianity is desecrated by the attacks of culture. In this sense, apologetics is necessary for both a defense of the faith and the propagation of the faith. 1 Peter 3:15 is the quintessential verse in explaining the purpose of apologetics: “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

From classical apologetics (evidence from natural revelation) to the more current trend of cultural apologetics (evidence from the genre of art within a culture), defending and explaining the Christian faith in an intellectual, reasonable way provides a rational warrant for the Christian faith. Such a rational warrant is endorsed and encouraged throughout the pages of Scripture. Therefore, apologetics should be used for both evangelism and the strengthening of the church. Referring back to 1 Peter 3:15, we notice a dual purpose of apologetics that includes both believer and unbeliever. For the believer, apologetics honors Christ the Lord as holy. It also prepares the believer to give a reasonable answer to their faith, thus strengthening the believer in their faith (Apologetics can take a believer from implicit faith in Christian truths to explicit faith). Lastly, apologetics can teach a believer to argue and defend the faith in a way that does not contradict gentleness and respect.

For the unbeliever, the purpose of apologetics is evident: they will be given a “reason” for the hope that is in the Christian. A rational justification of Christianity is necessary and can act as a means of “preevangelism” in the salvation of the sinner. The words of Princeton theologian J. Gresham Machen are applicable here:

“False ideas are the greatest obstacles to the reception of the Gospel. We may preach with all the fervor of a reformer and yet succeed only in winning a straggler here and there, if we permit the whole collective thought of the nation to be controlled by ideas which prevent Christianity from being regarded as anything more than a harmless delusion.”