Jay E. Adams - Shepherding Gods Flock: A Handbook on Pastoral Ministry, Counseling, and Leadership

There has been revival of interest in the theology of pastoral activity, particularly among liberal and neo-orthodox writers. While the interest must be welcomed, one cannot refrain from observing that the conclusions reached by beginning with unscriptural views of God and man have been universally unsatisfactory. On the other hand, many conservative writers have all but failed to recognize the implications of theology in writing about pastoral care. Often unwittingly, they have applied themselves to the task with fuzzy or erroneous theological thinking that ends in similarly unacceptable results. Others, attempting to bypass theological and exegetical questions while concentrating upon practical matters, have not fared much better.

The fact of the matter is that it is irresponsible and dangerous to attempt to do practical work apart from a sound theological base. The only proper basis for Christian living and pastoral ministry is biblical and theological. It is incorrect to view any of the theological disciplines totally by itself in an isolated manner; such compartmental thinking often has had very damaging effects upon the church. Ivory towerism on one end of the continuum and activism on the other are equally dangerous. While theological thought must never divorce itself from the questions asked in contemporary society, neither may the practical theologians ignore the biblical and theological answers hammered out by careful exegesis and debate over the centuries.

Because theology and pastoral concerns are frequently indistinguishable in the Scriptures, practical theologians in all that they do must be conscious of the integral relationships between the two.

Where the Scriptures make a distinguishable demarcation (not separation) between theology and practical living (e.g., Ephesians 1-3/4-6), the biblical emphasis clearly shows that the practical is based upon, grows out of and everywhere is conditioned by the theological (cf. the pivotal therefore in Ephesians 4:1).

Practical ministry can never be anything less than the ministry of the Word. That Word, understood exegetically and systematically, must permeate and motivate all practical work. The directions that ones practical activities take, the norms by which he operates and the motivation behind what he does must emerge from a biblical theological study of the Scriptures. The pursuit of Practical Theology, therefore, must be seen as the study and application of the biblical means of expressing ones theology.

It is important for the reader to understand my viewpoint and stance concerning this matter, since all of the material that is contained in this book is self-consciously predicated upon the assumption that the Reformation (or Reformed) theology is a correct interpretation of the Word of God. Believing that all doctrine has implications in ministry and life, I would consider the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (for example) vital to mature Christian living and witness. Ones view of the marks and purity of the church will influence the level of relationship that he sustains to ministers in liberal denominations. His understanding of the biblical data on church discipline will control his counseling of persons struggling with problems of divorce. Ministry and life, then, are inseparably intertwined with theology. The pastoral worker, therefore, cannot escape either the need for a theology of pastoral work (ministry) or the implications of theology in all that he does. If the pastor finds that he fails in his everyday dealings with men and women, he should recognize that the source of his problem may not be lack of experience, strategy or skills; in more instances than he may wish to admit, his failures may stem from shoddy or erroneous biblical understanding or theological thinking. Ineffective and harmful approaches to the members of ones congregation and to the community may be quite simply the result of faulty conceptions of both men and God.

While in pastoral work one synthesizes and applies the truth acquired by exegesis and theology, set into perspective by church history, he also must acquire that wisdom and those skills which are requisite to the ministry of this truth to men.

Knowledge of the truth is the starting point, but these additional qualities, so essential to pastoral work, can be acquired only by careful guidance in the discovery, development and exercise of ones gifts. This book serves mainly as an aid in pointing the student and the pastor to some of the ways and means by which to make such acquisitions. The art of pastoral work, therefore, involves dedicated ministry to believers in which theologically correct concepts are applied to the conduct of congregational and individual living. One of Johns striking phrases that captures this concept in a memorable manner is walking in the truth (II John 4; III John 3).

EXERCISES

For the Student