PASTORAL
MINISTRY-THEOLOGY
Many of those
whose task it is to broker the truth of God to the people of God in the
churches have now redefined the pastoral task such that theology has become an
embarrassing encumbrance or a matter of which they have little knowledge; and
many in the Church have now turned in upon themselves and substituted for the
knowledge of God a search for the knowledge of self.
David Wells
The greatest theologians
in the history of the church have been faithful pastors. And the greatest
pastors in the history of the church have been careful theologians. Obviously
the names appearing on both lists (with rare exceptions) are the same.
Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Gill, Edwards, Fuller, Spurgeon, and Lloyd-Jones
were pastor-theologians. They were men who took the apostolic qualifications for
elders seriously and, in fulfillment of their calling to shepherd God’s people,
faithfully gave themselves to the work of theology.
Tom Ascol
Pastor-Theologians, September 2009,
Tabletalk, p. 28. Used by Permission.