This past weekend, I had the incredible privilege of presenting an academic paper at the Evangelical Theological Society conference at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. SEBTS holds a special place in my heart—it’s where my theological mind was sharpened. It was there that I learned to think with precision, not for the sake of mere intellectual pursuit, but so I could pastor well. If I was going to hold eternity before others, I needed to develop theologically. But that kind of development isn’t about lifeless academia—it’s about learning to express the faith once delivered in a way that’s robust, true, and alive.
After my presentation, a former professor and dear friend asked, “How do you balance the mind of a theologian with the heart of a pastor?” (Now, let’s be honest, we’ve come a long way since he was grading my papers—I’m not sure he would have said I had the mind of a theologian back then! So, I took it as a great compliment.)
And it’s a question worth wrestling with.
The Pastor-Theologian: Holding the Two Together
This isn’t a problem to solve—it’s a tension to embrace. Theology is for all of life, not just for academics. And yet, we live in a world where the deep things of God are often treated as either too complex for the church or too dry for the heart. But that’s not how it was meant to be.
The great minds of the church—Spurgeon, Athanasius, Augustine, the Puritans, even modern theologians—understood that precision in theology wasn’t just about getting the facts right. It was about pressing into the truth of Christ in such a way that it transforms not only how we think but how we live.
And that’s where the heart of the matter lies.
1. Teach People the Bible, Not Just Teach the Bible to People
It’s easy to fall into the trap of delivering information instead of leading people into transformation. But our goal isn’t just to teach people about the Bible—it’s to teach people the Bible in such a way that they encounter the living Christ.
Christ isn’t an idea to be studied—He is the One who speaks, moves, and calls. Theology should never remain an abstraction; it must press into life.
If what we teach doesn’t stir greater love for Jesus, we’ve missed the point.
2. Precision Comes from Drinking Deep of Christ
If we want to teach well, we have to learn to drink deeply. Spurgeon wasn’t powerful because of his eloquence alone—he was powerful because he was saturated in Scripture and in communion with God. The same is true for the early church fathers, the Reformers, and the Puritans. Their theological sharpness came not just from study but from sitting long at the feet of Jesus.
We don’t aim for precision just to be correct. We aim for it because clarity leads to conviction, and conviction leads to worship.
3. Make Theology Beautiful and Passionate
Too often, theology is rejected not because it’s untrue, but because it’s been presented in a way that’s lifeless. But the truth of God is anything but dry.
Jesus spoke with clarity, but He also spoke with beauty and power. The best theologians don’t just explain doctrine; they proclaim it in a way that awakens awe.
If people hear our theology and yawn, it’s not because the truth is dull—it’s because we haven’t set it on fire with the passion it deserves.
Truth that doesn’t stir the heart isn’t fully understood.
4. It’s Not About Loving Knowledge—It’s About Pressing Into God
Theology isn’t about acquiring information—it’s about knowing Christ. The goal isn’t to fill our minds, but to be conformed to His image.
And that’s where union with Christ changes everything.
As we teach, as we study, as we preach, we ourselves are being transformed. We aren’t standing above those we serve, dispensing knowledge—we are standing among them, as fellow travelers being made into His likeness.
Christ is our standard—not an abstract system, not a theological category, but the undiminished Christ Himself. He comes to us as we are, not to leave us as we are, but to make us as He is—true image-bearers who love the Lord with heart, soul, mind, and strength.
If our theology isn’t leading people to deeper union with Christ, then we’ve turned it into an academic exercise rather than a pursuit of the only One who gives life.
5. The Work of Moving from Abstraction to Application
This is where it takes extra work—not necessarily harder work, but more work—to move truth from theoretical to transformational.
This is, after all, the way of Christ. Jesus transcended His own transcendence to meet us in our lowly estate. And in that very act of accommodation, He didn’t lessen the truth—He lifted us up into it.
Athanasius said that in His coming down to us, Christ elevates humanity. That’s our model. Theology isn’t watered down when we bring it near—it’s exalted as it takes root in real lives.
Union with Christ: The Heart of Transformation
This is why we teach, why we write, why we preach—not just to inform, but to see people shaped into the likeness of Christ.
The gospel is not just something we tell—it’s something we embody. Christ is not just reconciling the world through His work—He is reconciling the world through His very person, living in us and through us.
And that changes how we approach everything.
We think deeply because Christ is the source of all wisdom.
We speak clearly because Christ’s truth is meant to be understood and lived.
We love fervently because Christ is love incarnate, dwelling in us by His Spirit.
We aim for transformation, because our calling isn’t just to teach—it’s to see lives made new in Him.
Conclusion: The Call of the Pastor-Theologian
To hold the mind of a theologian and the heart of a pastor is not about finding a balance between the two. It’s about seeing both fully formed in Christ.
A sharp mind without a shepherd’s heart is cold.
A warm heart without a sharp mind is weak.
But a mind captivated by Christ and a heart enflamed with His love? That is a vessel God will use.
We are not just passing on knowledge—we are bearing witness to the One who is making all things new, starting with us.
So we press on—thinking deeply, speaking clearly, loving boldly, and keeping our eyes fixed on Christ. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about our scholarship or our ministry.
It’s about Him.