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The Pastor as Theologian, 6: The Inescapably Theological Nature of Pastoral Ministry
As Piper's comment in the previous post argued, being a pastor/theologian does not mean staying up-to-date on all the latest scholarly publications produced each year. I teach seminary full time and cannot keep up with everything published in even one of the fields I...
The Pastor as Theologian, 5: John Piper’s View of the Issue
If I am scholarly, it is not in any sense because I try to stay on the cutting edge in the discipline of biblical and theological studies. I am way too slow for that. What scholarlywould mean for me is that the greatest Object of knowledge is God and that he has...
Where Did We Get the Idea that Saying You’re Sorry Erases All the Damage of Sin?
Sorry is not a magic formula which wipes the slate clean in every sense, and neither is God's grace. There is a difference between, on the one hand, forgiveness and restoration to fellowship, and, on the other, going back to the way things were. Some actions so...
The Pastor as Theologian, 4: The Nature of Pastoral Ministry
Much confusion exists today regarding the proper model of pastoral leadership. Both pastors and congregations develop concepts of pastoral ministry that are both unbiblical and destructive to the church. Some see the pastor as entrepreneur, the one who is supposed to...
The Pastor as Theologian, 3: Without Theological Preaching, There Is No Revival
One of the clearest lessons we learn from church history is that strong biblical preaching is absolutely vital to the health and vitality of the church. From the birth of the New Testament until today, every significant phase of authentic revival, reformation,...
The Pastor as Theologian, 2: The Modern Division of Pastors and Theologians
The idea that depth of learning and theological concern should be relegated to the classroom while the "practical" aspects of Christianity should be reserved for the church is deadly. It was perverse when liberals espoused it in the first half of the twentieth century...
The Pastor as Theologian, 1: The Crisis
Preaching has fallen on hard times. I don't mean in liberal churches. I mean in conservative, Bible-believing churches. With godly pastors. Who have seminary education. Who have simply stopped studying. Because it's easier to coast. This trend is not destroying...
What Happens When Pastors Stop Seeing Themselves as Theologians
Inasmuch as the pastoral vocation is no longer seen as a theological vocation, pastors no longer bring a strong theological presence to their local parishes. The net effect (particularly in the evangelical tradition in which I reside) is a truncated understanding of...
Is God Responsible for the Trouble in Your Life?, Part 3: He’d Better Be!
The third and final answer to the question of whether God is responsible for my troubles is one many believers don’t like to consider—that God providentially ordains trials, troubles, suffering, sickness, and even death according to his divine decrees for my life. In...
Is God Responsible for the Trouble in Your Life?, Part 2: What are the Options?
Once we have acknowledged and become thankful worshipers of God for every good thing we experience, we are ready to ask the question of whether God ordains trouble in our lives or not. There are only three possible answers to this question. First, we might say, as...
Is God Responsible for the Trouble in Your Life?, Part 1: What We Deserve
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson made headlines on November 28, 2010, not for his receiving skill on the field, but for his Tweets off the field. After dropping what would have been the game winning touchdown catch against the Steelers, Johnson got on his...
The Death of the Grown-Up
Before the 1940’s, the term teenager was unknown; before this period humans tended to fall intoonly two groups—children and adults. Exactly when a child transitioned to adult could vary, but what was clear was that there was no intermediate period. Furthermore,...
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