Pastors need to be theologians. That many pastors read Car and Driver magazine instead of theological works is one of the reasons our culture and so many of our Churches are in the mess they are in. As well, there are too many pastors who excuse themselves for not being theologians by concluding that spending their waking hours trying to figure out how to grow their Churches is an acceptable substitute for developing their theological sophistication. It is not.
I know of more than one young preacher who has strayed from orthodoxy because he grew up in a Church whose pastor expended all his energies on evangelism without laying a solid doctrinal footing for future growth and maturation. I suspect that dearth of doctrine contributes to the exodus of the Church’s young people, as well. Sadly, while many pastors devote little of their time to Bible study and the development of their personal theologies, they are very quick to judge harshly someone with such an inclination who does not agree with them in every respect. Sadly, there are even large Bible colleges that studiously avoid (forgive the wordplay, since there is nothing studious about such schools) teaching systematic theology for fear of its bad effects on their students. What incredible folly! Such a posture is a tacit admission to adhering to positions that cannot be supported by sound doctrine.
My own sad experience may sound familiar. Whenever I asked my first pastor what the Bible taught about a certain matter his answer was predictable: “That’s a very interesting question and a matter of my own present study. So when I have arrived at a conclusion from my own investigation, I will get back to you.” That was his pat answer to every question about Bible doctrine. Not too long ago a young preacher told me that the pastor who led him to Christ responded to a question he posed about a Bible word and doctrine, the doctrine of election, by first indicating that it was a matter that should not be dealt with in front of young Christians. But when the young preacher told his pastor that the Apostle Paul made mention of election to the Thessalonians, who were only weeks old in the faith, the pastor indicated that he had rather not discuss the matter at all. I have been told that since then his pastor, who he loves and once looked up to, has become noticeably cooler toward him and disapproved of his attempts to study the Word of God along that line.
Those sad stories can be repeated all the day long, usually, because so many pastors are unwilling to strengthen their theological muscles with thorough Bible study, challenging reading of classic Christian works, and healthy discussions with those who are not in 100% agreement with them (though clearly within the bounds of Christian orthodoxy). I used to discuss with my best friend in the ministry our different positions on the communion of the Lord’s Supper, and we were able to do so with intensity while not becoming angry with each other or questioning each other’s motives or spirituality. How did this happen? My friend was more theologically sophisticated than the average pastor and was not threatened by my different view and position.
Let me cut to the chase to point out two theological topics of importance that many are confused about, inspiration and illumination. I cite from Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), pages 66-67 and 62: “inspiration. A term used by many theologians to designate the work of the Holy Spirit in enabling the human authors of the Bible to record what God desired to have written in the Scriptures. Theories explaining how God ‘superintended’ the process of Scripture formation vary from dictation (the human authors wrote as secretaries, recording word for word that God said) to ecstatic writing (the human authors wrote at the peak of their human creativity). Most evangelical theories of inspiration maintain that the Holy Spirit divinely guided the writing of Scripture, while at the same time allowing elements of the authors’ culture and historical context to come through, at least in matters of style, grammar and choice of words.” “illumination. The ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian person and community in assisting believers to interpret, understand and obey the Scriptures. Illumination is a matter of faith as well as intellectual assent-the Spirit’s goal in illumination moves beyond mere intellectual assent to propositions of Scripture to the moving of the human will to trust Christ and obey him.
Two comments about inspiration and illumination that we will certainly agree with: First, though not every portion of the Bible is equally interesting or equally important, every part of God’s Word is equally inspired. Inspiration is verbal and plenary, meaning inspiration extends to the very words of Scripture and every part of Scripture. Next, illumination differs from inspiration in that while inspiration is an all or nothing proposition illumination is not. The Bible is inspired, and no other writing is inspired. Illumination, on the other hand, varies from individual to individual. The Spirit of God never illuminates two individuals equally or provides to them the same comprehension and understanding of Bible truth. As well, illumination is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit and is not fully explicable. One Christian will know one aspect of Bible truth and its implication more than another believer, with the difference not always related to personal sin or consecration. Sometimes God simply chooses to teach one of His children more about a Bible truth than another of His children.
If pastors were more theologically astute on illumination, they would recognize that some differences between brethren are not the result of compromise and that godly and spiritual people will not always agree on everything, with the differences traceable to the Spirit’s illumination instead of personal failures. Do you realize what that means? It means that while some doctrinal differences are the result of sin and compromise, sometimes the doctrinal differences and variant ministry practices are not the result of sin and compromise but the result of the Holy Spirit’s choice of who to teach precisely what in God’s Word. Thus, two spiritual guys who love God and seek to win the lost can disagree about communion practices in their respective congregations without either of them being guilty of compromise. The same is true with two Baptist preachers who are not in agreement concerning the doctrine of the Church (whether visible only or universal). And, believe it or not, two men can disagree over the issue of Calvinism and Arminianism (yes, even Biblicism) without accusing the disagreeing brother of being a heretic. After all, C. H. Spurgeon was a five-point Calvinist who lovingly disagreed with his Arminian but godly hero John Wesley.
Granted, some differences are the result of sin and compromise. The question that arises is if we are always able to know when and if that is the reason for the doctrinal difference. I would insist that we will not always know. After all, the Apostle Paul dealt with this kind of thing in First Corinthians 4.1-5. There he expressed his lack of concern about anyone’s judgment of him, wherein is mentioned that he did not make a practice of judging himself, and wherein is observed that judgment was the Savior’s business at the judgment seat of Christ and not our business.
Preacher friend? Is it not the time for you to consider that differences exist, differences that are not traceable to sin and compromise, and that in these last days you need to knock off this nonsense of labeling a heretic someone who disagrees with you while he loves and lives for the Savior? Doctrinal differences unresolved for 2,000 years should not be the grounds for you marking someone a heretic or a compromiser. If the doctrine of illumination is rightly understood, it may very well turn out when we get to heaven that on that issue you were wrong. Or perhaps I was wrong. I refer not to cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith such as the Trinity or salvation by grace through faith, of course. I refer not to declared doctrines but to derived doctrines.
My first pastor lost some good people because he was not theologian enough to address reasonable questions. I know pastors who have labeled their young men heretics for concluding differently about such things as election and the Church. Really? A better understanding of the Spirit’s illumination might prevent some of that stuff.
