1 Timothy 4:16 – “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

As I prepare to enter my final semester of seminary, and have pondered what lessons I might share with those considering that call or just starting their seminary journey, I was struck by how my perspective on ministry has changed over these last few years. Like many new theological students, I was thrilled to begin my formal training, excited to learn under men like Tom Schreiner, Jim Hamilton, and Russell Moore. I loved theology and was ready to dig into the nuances of complex doctrines like the hypostatic union and compatibilistic free will. I wanted to prepare for ministry, and as such, I wanted to know my Bible backwards and forwards, to know when the Greek text makes a difference in our understanding, to know the history of the church, to learn the art of preaching. These are all wonderful, and I would say necessary, pursuits for those called to pastoral ministry. But for those considering that call and those just beginning their seminary journey, consider the emphasis Paul places in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. “Life” and “doctrine” both matter, but the emphasis is on “life,” on the man’s character, and only secondarily on his skill.

Hershael York tells the story of a seminary student in one of his preaching classes. Though the student was an able communicator and was passing all of his classes, the content of his sermons in class made it clear to Dr. York that his character was severely lacking. Dr. York confronted the student, making it clear that a M.Div. from seminary does nothing to qualify someone for ministry. Many brilliant men, with entire portions of Scripture memorized in the original languages, were morally bankrupt individuals. A degree from seminary simply says you were able to complete academic classwork adequately. Dr. York’s student eventually withdrew from the school. Training and skill matter, but these things cannot overcome a failure to meet the moral qualifications the Bible makes clear for those in church leadership.

That lesson stuck with me: Your competency can never trump your character as a pastor.

So what can someone do during seminary to pursue a godly character that qualifies him for pastoral ministry? Classes help train you in doctrine, help you to refute false teachers (Titus 1:9), but how can you use your time in seminary to make sure your life meets the standards?

Get involved in a local church

 

I have heard far too many stories of men who go through their entire seminary experience almost completely detached from a local church. The seminary community can almost feel like church sometimes, and it’s easy to feel like you are adequately being “fed” by the teaching you are receiving there. The problem with this mindset is that it forfeits one of the main avenues God has provided for pursuing sanctification.

When my wife and I moved to Louisville, Kentucky for seminary, the first thing we did was join a local church and get involved with a small group. This turned out to be one of the best decisions we could have made. That small group has been an enormous source of growth for both of us. The men and women in that group have encouraged, challenged, and propelled us forward in our pursuit of Christlikeness. They have called me out in sin at times and graciously encouraged me when I was beaten down in different struggles. Most of all, they have consistently pointed me away from myself and built up my faith in Christ. One of the most sinister schemes of Satan is to isolate and attack Christians, especially those in ministry. We are simply blind to our own tendencies at times and either pridefully arrogant in our fight against sin or discouraged by our failures. God gives us the local church to help fight those things. It doesn’t have to be a small group ministry specifically as there are many different ways churches seek to accomplish this accountability and mutual encouragement in the faith, but it simply will not happen rightly if you are detached from a church during your time in seminary.

I once heard Russell Moore say that Satan would love nothing more than for you to be able to keep your sin hidden all the way through seminary. He doesn’t want others to find out yet. He will wait. He will wait until you have a ministry and seem to have “success” first. Then, your sin will find you out (Num. 32:23) and the impact to Jesus’ church will be far greater. Let a church expose your sins now, and let the gospel of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit transform your heart and root out those sins.

Learn from the examples of godly men

 

Another benefit of being involved in a local church is the ability to learn from and model the behavior of godly leaders. Modeling maturity in the Christian walk is a normal rhythm of Christian discipleship. God has wired us in such a way that we naturally look to those we think are doing well and try to imitate them. In 1 Cor. 11:1, Paul says, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” In Phil. 3:17, he says, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” In 1 Tim. 4:12, he tells Timothy, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

I came to seminary to learn beautiful, weighty doctrine from men like Tom Schreiner, and I learned a great deal from the classes I have had with him. But I honestly think I have benefitted more from what I have learned by watching how he and the elders of our church behave in their leadership of the church. I have seen how humbly he faithfully preaches week after week, how self-controlled and wise he is in members’ meetings, how hospitable he and his wife are with people in the church, how committed he is to his wife and children. His life matches his doctrine. This goes for all of the elders in our church. I will be drawing on their example for years. I believe these lessons have helped prepare me for ministry even more than stellar doctrinal teaching in class.

Keep a close watch on your doctrine and your life

 

Seminary is a wonderful and rich time of learning. It is an undeserved privilege to sit under the teaching of godly men who know the Scriptures intimately and believe them personally. Doctrine matters. We must bolster our arsenal to combat false teaching in winsome, loving, and sometimes-forceful ways. But our lives also matter. The pastor’s character, like the witness of all believers, adorns the gospel of Jesus Christ. Use your time in seminary to study the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Make sure your life really does meet those. Allow the body of Christ to help in your pursuit. We need gospel ministers who keep a close watch on both their doctrine and their lives. Seminary alone cannot do this.

_________

Matthew Robbins will graduate in May 2015 with his M.Div in Christian Ministry.