Specific theological teaching is a primary function of pastors and elders...

Taken from page 56:

The essence of the Elder’s office is found in teaching - ensuring the Word of God is well understood. Such a ministry of teaching would show itself in the commitment to that task among the members of one’s own congregation. Anyone serving as an elder should have a better-than-average grasp of the basics of the Gospel, as well as the great truths of scripture, especially those that are under assault in one’s own day. 

An Elder should also have a particularly solid grasp of those truths which distinguish his own congregation from others, (e.g., Baptism).

Theology and doctrine make life simpler...


Taken from pages 30 and 31:

One leader told me he wasn't interested in theology because it only causes divisions. He said his theology was Jesus.

While I appreciate the simple devotion to Christ behind his comment, it raises a few questions. As we lead others in worship, how will we clarify who Jesus is?

When we're dodgy about our theology, we're really saying we want our own Jesus. But our worship isn't based on people's personal opinions, ideas, or best guesses about Jesus.  Nor should we base our understanding of Him on anyone's personal experiences. He has a name, a particular history, and a specifically revealed body of teaching. God has theology; will we sharpen our own biblical understanding to find out who it is?

You might respond, "But doesn't doctrine divide the church?"

Many of the most precious truths we live by were more clearly defined as a response to heresy. The result has been clarity and agreement on foundational truths from God's Word that the church has cherished for centuries. Truth has often been tested and confirmed in the fires of controversy and conflict.

"But doesn't doctrine and theology make life complicated?"

Theology and doctrine make life simpler. They protect us from reading verses out of context, restricting our diet to favorite passages, and making decisions based on impulse rather than truth. They put meat on concepts we tend to use mindlessly... They help us understand what we're actually doing every Sunday.

What complicates life is not doctrine but ignorance of doctrine.

Theology Matters Because...


Taken from pages 106-108:

God's shepherds are called to keep watch over God's flock.  But of all the things that need to be watched, the one that was of greatest concern to the apostle Paul was the church's theology.  Indeed, this is one of his major concerns throughout his writings. Few things were more important to him than preserving sound doctrine.

Doctrinal error that leads a church astray almost never arises from the laity, but nearly always comes from the clergy. One of the most likely places for heresy to originate is from the church pulpit or the seminary lectern.

If that is true, then how can the church protect itself from theological error?  It is up to the elders - the shepherds of God's flock - who are called to keep watch over the church in doctrine as well as in life. Proper oversight is essential to the moral and doctrinal health of the church.

This is why it is so important for pastors and elders to study theology. In order for a congregation to have any hope of preserving its doctrinal purity, its pastors and elders must be defenders of the faith.

Protecting and promoting sound doctrine is a matter of spiritual health. Theology is important, not simply for its own sake, but because its corruption inevitably causes spiritual damage in the lives of individual Christians.

Ultimately, it is for the sake of their sheep that the shepherds of God's flock keep careful watch over the church's doctrine.