Cap-Review: The Pastor As Scholar/Scholar As Pastor

The blend of a pastor and a scholar is a helpful one for the church. Though the average churchgoer may not immediately sense it, a Scripturally deeper pastor makes for a more Scripturally robust people. The blend of a scholar and a pastor is equally helpful. Those of us who have been to seminary know the personal value of having shepherd-hearted scholars who sharpened us while grilling us in the details of grammar and plunging us into reams of reading. While many church-goers may not know it, such scholars have blessed their congregations as well as their pastors. John Piper and D. A. Carson may be two of the best modern examples of pastor-scholars and scholar-pastors. The book they have produced, The Pastor as Scholar and The Scholar as Pastor is an encouraging biographical exhortation from these two men as to how ministry and scholarship have been blended in their respective ministries. Pastors and church members would do well to read this short volume. The contents of the book were first produced as lectures at an event sponsored by The Gospel Coalition. Owen Strachan and David Mathis contribute an introduction and conclusion respectively, and were instrumental in the event that was the genesis for the book. The book contains primarily biographical descriptions from Piper and Carson on the providential work of God to challenge them in terms of academic excellence and pastoral practicalities. Piper’s chapter on “The Pastor as Scholar,” biographically chronicles his own pilgrimage from childhood to doctoral studies in Germany, to pastoral ministry in Minneapolis. The chapter demonstrates the potential pitfalls of what some pursue as academic...
The Gospel Old and New

The Gospel Old and New

I just finished reading Kevin DeYoung’s latest blog-post, “The Gospel Old and New.” Excellent. Well said. It fueled my heart’s passion for the heart of the gospel in light of the emerging competitors. Here’s the opening: Have you heard the New Gospel?  It”™s not been codified. It”™s not owned by any one person or movement.  But it is increasingly common. The New Gospel generally has four parts to it. It usually starts with an apology: “I”™m sorry for my fellow Christians. I understand why you hate Christianity.  It”™s like that thing Ghandi said, “˜why can”™t the Christians be more like their Christ?”™  Christians are hypocritical, judgmental, and self-righteous.  I know we screwed up with the Crusades, slavery, and the Witch Trials.  All I can say is: I apologize.  We”™ve not give you a reason to believe.” Then there is an appeal to God as love: “I know you”™ve seen the preachers with the sandwich boards and bullhorns saying “˜Repent or Die.”™ But I”™m here to tell you God is love. Look at Jesus.  He hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors.  He loved unconditionally.  There is so much brokenness in the world, but the good news of the Bible is that God came to live right in the middle of our brokenness. He”™s a messy God and his mission is love.  “˜I did not come into the world to condemn the world,”™ that”™s what Jesus said (John 3:17).  He loved everyone, no matter who you were or what you had done. That”™s what got him killed.” Be sure to read the whole...

Justin Taylor

Justin Taylor’s informative blog, Between Two Worlds, has moved and is now connected to “The Gospel Coalition’s” site.  Be sure to repoint your RSS feed. Justin...