The Shepherd as Theologian: Accurately Interpreting and Applying God's Word for God's People

“No profession in the world suffers more from a serious lack of clarity, when it comes to the basic requirements of the job, as the pastorate/eldership. Everyone but pastors seem to know what their job is. In fact, if we are honest, clergy malpractice goes on everywhere, all the time. It is ubiquitous. It is pandemic. There is widespread confusion about what it means to be a pastor/church leader, and widespread indifference to biblical duties. As a result, the church has no concept of what the pastor is to be or do. One thing is clear. Most pastors have no interest in being theologians, nor do their congregations expect them to be. The devolution of theology and biblical scholarship as a serious matter for Christians can be traced back to the absence of doctrine and careful biblical scholarship from the pulpit. This is a dereliction of duty. This is clergy malpractice. The pastorate is no longer an intellectual calling, and no longer do pastors/elders provide serious intellectual leadership. Instead today’s pastors merely manage programs. They give uplifting talks, apply culturally invented principles, and put their energy into everything but biblical scholarship- everything but an intense study of the text, which yield sound doctrine.” All of this contradicts the clear direction of the New Testament Scriptures (note 2 Timothy 1:14; 2:1-2, 15; 4:1-5; Jude 3). 

From John MacArthur's book- The Shepherd as Theologian.

The Shepherd as Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision

The Evangelical Church in America is, by in large, "a mile wide and an inch deep" yet relatively few seem to notice or even care. What does the God of the Word think of this trend? "By New Testament standards, pastors/elders are, whether they like it or not, the appointed theological leaders of the church; the theological integrity of the church will seldom ever rise above its pastors/leaders, no matter how astute the local university's religion department. And insofar as pastors have largely lost their ability to provide theological leadership, and indeed no longer see doing so as part of their vocation, the theological integrity of our congregations has suffered considerably. But most significantly, as an inevitable consequence, with the collapse of theological integrity in our churches, a corresponding erosion of ethical integrity has followed (for examples- note Galatians, 1 Corinthians, and James)... Correct understanding can't get us all the way there, but wrong understanding is often all that is needed to shipwreck one's faith. And it is the pastor's sacred duty, above all others, to guard the theological integrity of the people of God." Hiestand- (see Titus 1:5-11; 2:1, 15; 3:1, 8; 1 Timothy 1:5-11, 18-20; 3:1-2; 4:13-16; 5:7; 17-18; 6:2-5; to name but a few proof texts).

Pastors/elders must also shepherd, lead, oversee, and care for the spiritual needs of the flock BUT never at the expense of fulfilling the God-ordained role of being a shepherd-theologian within the local church.

Join us Sunday at Lake Country Bible Church as we consider "The Anatomy of a Biblical Church" and specifically address the role theology/doctrine plays in the maturation process of ordinary believers (Ephesians 4:11-16).

Why Do Pastors and Elders Need to be Biblical Scholars?

"We must NOT make the mistake of making evangelism the enemy of theology or discipleship the enemy of edifying scholarship... Historically, pastors were as 'comfortable with books and learning as with the aches/pains of the soul.' Elders/pastors are called to be both shepherds and theologians! 

But Why?

Right thinking about God exists to serve right feelings for God. Logic exists for the sake of love. Christian zeal must be according to biblical knowledge (Romans 10:1-2)... Thinking hard about biblical truth is the means through which the Holy Spirit opens us to the truth (2 Tim. 2:15)... The great commandment of Loving God includes our minds. Truth received through the mind stirs the religious affections of Spirit-filled saints!

Paul reasoned with his unsaved audience in Acts 17 and he regularly employed rhetorical questions in his inspired epistles (1 Cor. 6:2, 9, 15, 19). He assumed that believers would use their minds in effort to think biblically about something. Jesus utilizes/assumes logic in Luke 12:54-27...

2 Cor. 4:2- I want to to be this kind of preacher. I want to stand before God on the last day (2 Tim. 4:1) and say, "I did my all to be faithful and let people think of me what they wanted to think. I don't want to be the kind of pastor who's always watching what people are going to say and then governing what comes out of his mouth by what people are going to say...."

2 Tim. 2:15- It takes hard mental work to rightly handle the Word of God. Don't let anybody ever tell you that hard mental work is unspiritual. We are using our minds to understand God's Word, and we are depending in prayer upon the Holy Spirit to guide our minds... Reading a substantial book is hard mental work. Such is true of the infallible Word of God! (2 Peter 3:16f).