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We Need Pastor-Theologians I was immensely distressed yesterday. I received a phone call from a dear brother whom I have known for six plus years now. We were roommates at Liberty University and I consider him one of my closest and best friends. We both are pursuing the equipping phase of our particular callings, though at different seminaries, and are constantly in touch. Today he called me up and during the course of our
conversation he told me that he no longer felt the leading by God to take
biblical language classes (i.e., Greek and Hebrew) as a part of his
Masters of Divinity degree since his particular seminary offers a degree
track that will allow him to graduate without these languages. One of his
reasons was that most “successful pastors” he knows don’t use the original
languages at all. Then he asked me what I thought. Now without getting into the details of why I believe all pastors need to be functional in the languages, I believe it is wholesale thievery to attend a seminary supported by giving Christians and leave without ever engaging the basics of what comprises our Bibles. (Of course I don’t for a second suggest that all theological inquiry should be done with the languages, nor do I suggest that by knowing the languages it will solve all your hermeneutical problems. The languages are the tools we have to work with.) During our lengthy conversation, it occurred to me
that he is simply repeating the line that is often given in our churches
by many of our pulpiteers. We have detached the difficult, yet rewarding,
study of the original languages from our “biblical sermons” in favor of
some sweet sounding pop-culture psychology devoid of theological insight.
We have preachers throughout this great land of ours who champion good
thoughts and keen Christian insights that are in no way applicable to the
texts they are working within. Most of our pulpiteers have lost the
ability to expound faithfully from the infallible text we hold so dear,
and instead rely on the words and thoughts of various fallible
commentators and translation committee members to get their fodder. Oh how our congregants will long for the days of old where the Bible was truly exposited and the rich depths of the faith mined by a capable preacher-theologian. Our churches deserve our best and greatest sacrifices for their edification. We fail them even before our ordinations by selling ourselves short of the calling to completeness which Christ commends us all towards. We need a rebirth of the pastor-theologian. We need an army of men occupying the pulpits and parishes of our land who can look deep and discover the treasure troves of spirituality lightly locked away behind the languages of the Word which we hold so dear. We need pastor-theologians who can easily speak to the sublime points of ecclesiology and Christology while still making the text applicable for the toddler bouncing on his knee. We need pastor-theologians who have the educational prowess to lead their people to such great heights that converts will come simply for the rewards available from growing in God. We need pastor-theologians equipped and ready to take our congregants to the next level and engage the rich heritage and great plethora of biblical resources that have never before been available to Christianity. September 16, 2004 Garet Robinson is currently in his final semester at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary working on his Masters of Divinity degree (Advanced Track). He did his undergraduate work at Liberty University. He hopes to work in teaching, administration, and associate pastor roles within a local Southern Baptist church. He was saved at the age of six and was brought up in a wonderful Christian home. He may be contacted at his blog or at garetrobinson@gmail.com. |