Comments on: Pursuing Sound Doctrine: How and Why http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/pursuing-sound-doctrine/ Passionately pursuing intimacy with God in Christ Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:55:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Daniel C. Wilson http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/pursuing-sound-doctrine/#comment-936 Daniel C. Wilson Sun, 14 Feb 2010 12:39:36 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1762#comment-936 Al, I think I found part of it: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/1458/Audio/ http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/1458_The_Pastor_as_Theologian/ I'll dig into that very soon... Al, I think I found part of it:
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/1458/Audio/
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/1458_The_Pastor_as_Theologian/

I’ll dig into that very soon…

]]> By: al http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/pursuing-sound-doctrine/#comment-934 al Sun, 14 Feb 2010 08:20:21 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1762#comment-934 Jon & Daniel, John Piper & Don Carson did a joint presentation somewhere (I think last year) in which one spoke on "The pastor as theologian" & the other on "The theokogian as pastor." This year it's in the works to turn the material into a small book. I haven't seen a target date, but I'd expect it to be in print before the end of 2011. There may be more material available on the DG website-- I haven't looked. They may even have audios or print transcriptions of the sessions... Blessings Jon & Daniel, John Piper & Don Carson did a joint presentation somewhere (I think last year) in which one spoke on “The pastor as theologian” & the other on “The theokogian as pastor.” This year it’s in the works to turn the material into a small book. I haven’t seen a target date, but I’d expect it to be in print before the end of 2011. There may be more material available on the DG website– I haven’t looked. They may even have audios or print transcriptions of the sessions…

Blessings

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/pursuing-sound-doctrine/#comment-933 Jonathan Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:41:43 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1762#comment-933 I wished I did. To be honest, that particular session was a bit boring. Not a whole lot was said. Basically, he was encouraging pastors to take their leaders through theology some how and in some way. He recommended having each ministry leader submit a theological reason of why each of them want to run run their ministries the way they do. Which, by the way, I thought was really good advice. I wished I did. To be honest, that particular session was a bit boring. Not a whole lot was said. Basically, he was encouraging pastors to take their leaders through theology some how and in some way. He recommended having each ministry leader submit a theological reason of why each of them want to run run their ministries the way they do. Which, by the way, I thought was really good advice.

]]> By: Daniel C. Wilson http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/pursuing-sound-doctrine/#comment-932 Daniel C. Wilson Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:38:24 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1762#comment-932 Succinct way to package much of this discussion. I like that! Do you have an audio of that session? Succinct way to package much of this discussion. I like that! Do you have an audio of that session?

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/pursuing-sound-doctrine/#comment-931 Jonathan Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:36:33 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1762#comment-931 Gotcha. Regarding "practical" doctrine: I attended a break out session at an Acts 29 conference called "Pastor as Theologian." The guy teaching this session began by saying, "All practice is theological, and all theology is practical." I couldn't agree more. Gotcha.

Regarding “practical” doctrine: I attended a break out session at an Acts 29 conference called “Pastor as Theologian.” The guy teaching this session began by saying, “All practice is theological, and all theology is practical.” I couldn’t agree more.

]]> By: Daniel C. Wilson http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/pursuing-sound-doctrine/#comment-929 Daniel C. Wilson Sun, 14 Feb 2010 02:55:12 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1762#comment-929 Jonathan - I took down the "reply" button since the formatting of multiple replies was not aesthetically pleasing. No other reason. Al and Jonathan, thank you both for your thoughts on doctrine. You both hit on key issues: Doctrine is avoided because we don't have the discipline to pursue it, and think we can reinvent something else to be more "relevant." After all, doctrine doesn't seem terribly exciting. I know I used to avoid doctrine because I just want "practical stuff." That was a mistake. Jonathan – I took down the “reply” button since the formatting of multiple replies was not aesthetically pleasing. No other reason.

Al and Jonathan, thank you both for your thoughts on doctrine. You both hit on key issues: Doctrine is avoided because we don’t have the discipline to pursue it, and think we can reinvent something else to be more “relevant.” After all, doctrine doesn’t seem terribly exciting. I know I used to avoid doctrine because I just want “practical stuff.” That was a mistake.

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/pursuing-sound-doctrine/#comment-927 Jonathan Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:28:29 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1762#comment-927 Daniel, I think what Don is referring to is that people have shrinked away from "doctrine" for the sake of "relevancy." Doctrine in much of modern Christianity is imposing and "judgmental." I just think the pastors who don't preach doctrine are pansies seeking to scratch itching ears and not feeding the dying souls manna from heaven. Daniel, I think what Don is referring to is that people have shrinked away from “doctrine” for the sake of “relevancy.” Doctrine in much of modern Christianity is imposing and “judgmental.” I just think the pastors who don’t preach doctrine are pansies seeking to scratch itching ears and not feeding the dying souls manna from heaven.

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/pursuing-sound-doctrine/#comment-926 Jonathan Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:24:45 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1762#comment-926 Ahh! Where's the "Reply" button? Oh well. I just signed up for the free trial. It's 3 months free! That's really fantastic. I am hoping by the end of the three months I will be able to purchase a year's worth. Thanks for the direction. Ahh! Where’s the “Reply” button? Oh well.

I just signed up for the free trial. It’s 3 months free! That’s really fantastic.

I am hoping by the end of the three months I will be able to purchase a year’s worth.

Thanks for the direction.

]]> By: al http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/pursuing-sound-doctrine/#comment-921 al Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:25:52 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1762#comment-921 Don, please correct me if I'm wrong: The unbeliever rejects religious doctrine as a concept because to him it implies complete subjectivism-- an unthinking submission to a prescribed set of beliefs, putting heart before mind. The believer who is anti-doctrine feels that doctrine is not subjective enough; that it denies personal knowledge of Christ and God because it commits to following a prescribed set of beliefs, prefering mind over heart. Neither view is correct, the Bible not validating total separation of heart and mind, but explaining their distinctions in terms that clearly overlap. The God-given new heart is the key to the mind, and the constantly being renewed mind is the key to the heart. Attempting to rely on either one by the exclusion of the other is a formula for error and disaster. Don, please correct me if I’m wrong:

The unbeliever rejects religious doctrine as a concept because to him it implies complete subjectivism– an unthinking submission to a prescribed set of beliefs, putting heart before mind.

The believer who is anti-doctrine feels that doctrine is not subjective enough; that it denies personal knowledge of Christ and God because it commits to following a prescribed set of beliefs, prefering mind over heart.

Neither view is correct, the Bible not validating total separation of heart and mind, but explaining their distinctions in terms that clearly overlap. The God-given new heart is the key to the mind, and the constantly being renewed mind is the key to the heart. Attempting to rely on either one by the exclusion of the other is a formula for error and disaster.

]]> By: al http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/pursuing-sound-doctrine/#comment-920 al Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:12:36 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1762#comment-920 Daniel, you have taken my thoughts as I intended them, but to clarify a bit more: The Holy Spirit is given directly to the individual believer for guidance in learning, but He also inhabits the corporate body of Christ to build up the whole. The believer must, as an individual, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, looking to God's Word alone for instruction. But then, in keeping with the commandments toward mutual edification, he must look to the most Christlike and Christ honoring teachers in the church, both past and present, in order to avoid the natural tangenalism that may occur in the individual's mind. Still, the surest safeguard against error is scriptural faith in God, the gift of His grace. Daniel, you have taken my thoughts as I intended them, but to clarify a bit more:
The Holy Spirit is given directly to the individual believer for guidance in learning, but He also inhabits the corporate body of Christ to build up the whole. The believer must, as an individual, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, looking to God’s Word alone for instruction. But then, in keeping with the commandments toward mutual edification, he must look to the most Christlike and Christ honoring teachers in the church, both past and present, in order to avoid the natural tangenalism that may occur in the individual’s mind. Still, the surest safeguard against error is scriptural faith in God, the gift of His grace.

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