Every Pastor is a Theologian

All true Christian preaching is experiential preaching, set before the congregation by a man who is possessed by deep theological passion, specific theological convictions and an eagerness to see these convictions shared by his congregation. That is why faithful preaching cannot consist in the preacher simply presenting a set of theological options to the congregation. Instead, the pastor should stand ready to define, defend and document his own deep convictions, drawn from his careful study of God’s Word and his knowledge of the faithful teaching of the church.

Once again, our model for this kind of pastoral confidence is the apostle Paul. Throughout the New Testament, Paul’s personal testimony is intertwined with his own theology. Consider Paul’s retrospective analysis of his own attempts at human righteousness, coupled with his bold embrace of the gospel as grounded in grace alone. “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ,” Paul asserted.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:7–11).

In other words, Paul did not hide behind any sense of academic detachment from the doctrines he so powerfully taught. Nor did he set before his congregation in Philippi a series of alternate renderings of doctrine. Instead, he taught clearly, defended his case and made clear that he embraced these very doctrines as the substance of his life and faith.Of course, the experiential nature of the pastor’s confession does not at all imply that the authority for theology lies in personal experience. To the contrary, the authority must always remain the Word of God. But the experiential character of the pastor’s theological calling is not unimportant. It underlines the fact that the preacher is speaking from within the circle of faith as a passionate and committed believer, not from a position of detachment as a mere observer.

Further, the pastor’s confession of his faith and personal example add both authority and authenticity to the pastoral ministry. Without these, the pastor can end up sounding more like a theological consultant than a faithful shepherd. The congregation must be able to observe the pastor basing his life and ministry upon these truths, not merely teaching them in the pulpit.

In the end, every preacher stands under the same mandate that Paul handed down to Timothy: “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (2 Tim. 1:13–14). In other words, we are the stewards of sound words and the guardians of doctrinal treasure that has been entrusted to us at the very core of our calling as pastors. The pastor who is no theologian is no pastor.

From He Is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World by R. Albert Mohler Jr. Chicago: Moody Publishers. Copyright (c) 2008 by R. Albert Mohler. All rights reserved. Used by permission.