Shepherding Souls to have All Wisdom

"When Paul instructs Timothy in Colossians 1:28-29 on the job description of a pastor, he makes an important qualifying comment that we often overlook. He says that—as you are admonishing and teaching every man to be mature in Christ—you must achieve this in the sphere of “all wisdom.” Plainly stated, wisdom is the wise application of truth in a variety of circumstances. And any time wisdom is brought up in Scripture, God is assuming we imbed the concept of fearing God in that statement (Prov 1:7). Any true wisdom we have flows out of a God-fearing heart (Jer 32:40). You might ask, why is biblical wisdom so closely connected with fearing God? Because wisdom is not merely an intellectual category, but more importantly, it takes shape in the moral realm. Someone can be very smart, but exceedingly unwise.

To walk in the fear of the Lord means that at every moment of the day you are considering what your God would want you do and then obeying Him rather than your flesh (Rom 6:16). And the only way we know the mind of God, and what we are to obey, is through his Word (Ps 119:9-11). Therefore a wise God-fearing man slows down as he considers every word he speaks and action he takes by saying, “What would my God want me to say or do right now based on what His Word says?” Therefore, to shepherd souls to become mature in Christ “with all wisdom” requires nuanced discussion on the implications of truth for a variety of scenarios. People need us to help them consider their various circumstances, motives, tendencies, past experiences, and current spiritual state (whether mature or immature, weak, faint hearted or unruly). They need help considering what it would look like to most fear God in every decision (Prov 14:16). Then, through careful shepherding, we must show them how to apply the truth with “all wisdom” based on the providential variables.

In our “Gospel-centered” language today, sometimes we’re afraid to just consider moral and ethical principles of wisdom. We’re so fearful of creating moralists that we forget that the Bible wants our people in moral conformity to His will (Luke 17:10).

Shepherding a Fool

Shepherding a Fool
Article by Pastor Daron Roberts

"Over the past few years I have had the privilege of teaching through Proverbs.. During this study I have been uniquely impacted by the amount of time Solomon spends describing the “fool.” In fact, Solomon stretches out roughly 70 descriptions of a fool in Proverbs alone. As pastors, while we labor to implant wisdom to the humble and help the naive put a truth-filter on their minds—as well as guard against scoffers infecting the thinking of the vulnerable—we also find ourselves regularly ministering to those who are entangled in folly. These people are either categorical “fools” (i.e., lost in their folly, rebels at the core, and in desperate need of Christ as their Savior) or they are sheep who are acting like fools and in need of tender shepherding to help them shed their foolish ways. As any pastor knows, before we can help people learn what they must put on, we must first help them identify what to put off. And for a fool (or someone being foolish) that requires specific passages applied to specific tendencies in order to help them indict themselves and grow. Based on that need, below is a list of 25 characteristics from Proverbs that have been an aid to me in pastoral ministry—and with my kids—in shepherding a fool. 

25 Characteristics of a Fool from Proverbs 

1. They rebel against authorities (10:1; 15:5; 19:13). 
2. They view their opinion as an authority over Scripture (26:12).
3. They are stubborn when instructed by Scripture (1:22; 8:5; 13:19; 14:33; 16:22; 17:10; 24:7).
4. They spout their opinion rather than receive instruction (10:8,10,14,21; 14:9; 12:15; 18:2; 23:9; 26:4-5).
5. They twist Scripture for personal gain (26:7, 9).
6. Their lives are full of unnecessary correction (7:22; 14:3; 19:29). 
7. They learn nothing from the consequences of sin (14:24; 26:11; 26:3; 27:22).
8. They do not fear God (1:22-29).
9. They are lazy (1:32).
10. They are hypocrites (17:16).
11. They are consumers (21:20).
12. They are deceptive (14:8; 18:7; 19:1). 
13. Their speech lacks love (15:2). 
14. They are impulsive (12:23; 13:16; 29:20).
15. They abuse information (10:18; 15:14; 18:6; 26:6). 
16. They are arrogant (14:16).