From Systematics to Biblical Theology

After blogging for a couple of years on mainly systematics/dogmatics, I have decided to focus a little more on going through the Bible, itself. The new year seems like an appropriate time for new beginnings, so I will temporarily change tracks for a bit. To date I have focused on theological topics and individuals, or small sections of the Bible. Therefore, for the next little while, I want to focus on Biblical theology and go through the Bible as history, followed by major biblical themes.

In the end, the Bible is not just a book of theology, it is a history of God's plan of salvation and how he has acted it out throughout human history. I don't want to get so wrapped up in systematizing that I lost the big picture. Basically, I don't want to turn systematic (or theology in general) into a idol. This blog has also largely chronicled my study of practical theology, but I don't want to turn the liturgy into a new kind of spirituality, where if we do it good enough, we get closer to God. While head knowledge is very important to Christianity, it is fundamentally a religion of faith, which includes knowledge, but is also more than that.

Two Kinds of Righteousness

1. Vertical, Imputed, Passive Righteousness established by and receive from God during justification [Romans 3:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 1:30].
• Relationship before God to which we can't contribute (Coram Deo).
2. Horizontal, Incipient, Active Righteousness of Sanctification (Informed by the 3^rd use of the law) [Galatians 5:22-24, 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Ephesians 5:21-33]
• Relationship with people and the world, which can contribute to through our vocations. (Coram Mundo).

"It is also correctly said that believers who in Christ through faith have been justified, have in this life first the imputed righteousness of faith, and then also the incipient righteousness of the new obedience or of good works.... But these two must not be mingled with one another or be both injected at the same time into the article of justification by faith before God. For since this incipient righteousness or renewal in us is incomplete and impure in this life because of the flesh, the person cannot stand with and by it [on the ground of this righteousness] before God's tribunal, but before God's tribunal only the righteousness of the obedience, suffering, and death of Christ, which is imputed to faith, can stand, so that only for the sake of this obedience is the person (even after his renewal, when he has already many good works and lives the best [upright and blameless] life) pleasing and acceptable to God, and is received into adoption and heirship of eternal life" (FC SD III.32).

Book Review/Summary - Miracles (C.S. Lewis)



I have always really appreciated C.S. Lewis' definition of miracles. Miracles are events that would not normal have happened in the physical, material world, but once they do, the rest of what happens do follow the normal laws of nature.

He also dispels some common arguments against miracles. The first, and best in my opinion, is that the modern mind is so much more advanced than the "primitive" mind. However, it was clear that Joseph knew Mary's virgin pregnancy did not follow the laws of nature, as has everyone else, even in the "primitive" world. When he found out she was pregnant, he thought she was unfaithful and had in mind to divorce her quietly. The second objection he tries to dispel is that of life on other planets. I have a previous post about this theme in his works here.

A list of Jesus' miracles is in a previous post here.

The Fig Tree

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, [Jesus] was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

-Mark 11:12-14,20-25 (also in Matthew 21:18-22)


12: he was hungry, shows his humanity
13: This was, therefore, the day after Palm Sunday (as we call it) - on the Monday, the 11th day of the month Nisan, which, according to our computation, would be March 21. there stood before him the striking but awful image of the Jewish nation, having indeed the leaves of a great profession, but yielding no fruit. The leaves of this fig tree deceived the passer-by, who, from seeing them, would naturally expect the fruit. And so the fig tree was cursed, not for being barren, but for being false. When our Lord, being hungry, sought figs on the fig tree, he signified that he hungered after something which he did not find. The Jews were this unprofitable fig tree, full of the leaves of profession, but fruitless. Our Lord never did anything without reason; and, therefore, when he seemed to do anything without reason, he was setting forth in a figure some great reality. Nothing but his Divine yearning after the Jewish people, his spiritual hunger for their salvation, can explain this typical action with regard to the fig tree, and indeed he whole mystery of his life and death. 
14: Shows his divinity

Symbol of bearing good fruit, a person who does good things (Judges 9:8-15)

He made this fig-tree an example, not to the trees, but to the men of that generation. It was a figure of the doom upon the Jewish church, to which he came seeking fruit, but found none. Christ went to the temple, and began to reform the abuses in its courts, to show that when the Redeemer came to Zion, it was to turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

have faith, not do good deeds.  Good roots produce good fruits.

Context, Jesus has two parables about Fig Trees

Parable of the unfruitful fig tree

“A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vine dresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” - Luke 13:6-9

This parable of the barren fig-tree is intended to enforce the warning given just before: the barren tree, except it brings forth fruit, will be cut down. This parable in the first place refers to the nation and people of the Jews.

is now on its last trial; indeed, were it not for the intercession of the Gardener, the Lord of the vineyard had already pronounced its final doom."

The restriction of the intercession of the Vinedresser for a single year's grace indicates Christ's own sympathy with this Divine rigor... The Vinedresser knows that, though God is long-suffering, yet his patience as exhibited in the history of his dealings with men is exhaustible, and that in Israel's case it is now all but worn out. Jesus intercedes for us.

3 years divine complete number. One more to show divine long-suffering, patience, fairness, gave them every chance, etc... also christ's public ministry has been three years.
Last year, last chance, apostles preach to Jews, before the destruction of the temple.
after the utmost limits of reasonable forbearance, are found fruitless, will be pre-eminently and confessedly just (Pr 1:24-31; Eze 24:13)

The Lesson of the Fig Tree
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. -Mark 13:28-30 (also in Matthew 24:32-35 and Luke 21:29-31)

As to the destruction of Jerusalem mentioned just before, expect it to come very shortly. As to the end of the world, do not inquire when it will come, for no one knows the time. Last times signs are here.

now fruit a sign of God, not of Israel/sanctification

Theology Must Sing

When I was a kid, I didn't really like singing in church all that much. It seemed like filler to me between the substance of the "real" liturgy. How wrong I was. I always thought the reason we sang so much was that Martin Luther was also very big on signing in church. He wrote Hymns after all. While Luther might have been musical and liked music anyway, he had it figured out how important music is in the life of the church.

First of all, we should sing because God tells us to:

Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Ephesians 5:18-19: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…”

Second of all, the church sings, because we can't help but sing. Martin Franzmann once said, “Theology is doxology. Theology must sing.” In Psalm 106:12, recounting how God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptian army at the Red Sea, we read, “Then they believed His words; they sang His praise”. They believed, therefore they sang. We read in Revelation that the church triumphant cannot help, but sing praises to God.

Third of all, it is clear that putting the words of what we believe in song is a wonderful way to learn. Many times Luther stated that the purpose of music in the church was to teach theology. For example how many of us learned the alphabet by singing the ABC song? Putting the letters to a tune helped us learn them. Over and over again we hear stories about how older people with dementia can't remember their past or their owns names, but they can still sing the liturgy.

Theory and Practice

Albert Einstein had a lot to say about the difference between theory and practice. For example, “In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.”

and, "Theory is when everyone knows what they are doing and nothing works. Practice is when everything works and nobody knows why."

T.S. Eliot has a poem called "The Hollow Men" that addresses this same issue in Stanza V:

“Between the idea
And the reality Between the motion And the act

Falls the Shadow

Between the conception

And the creation…

Falls the shadow"

It is the similar in theology. I have heard it said that it can be done in an Ivory Tower, but is only worth something if it works in the ditches. The translation of the word orthodoxy is “right praise,” from the Greek orthos (right) and doxa (praise or glory). Only by extension, and yet it is commonly understood, that it means “right doctrine.” The two, however, are inseperatble because from doctrine’s womb the child of praise is born. The ancient church used to say the same thing when stating: "Lex orandi, lex credenda", which means, the rule of prayer [constitutes] the rule of believing. What the church proclaims and sings in her liturgy is indicative of what she confesses to be true.

In other words, the church must practice what she preaches.

John 2:1-11 - The Wedding at Cana

1: Wedding feasts typically lasted 7 days, with the best day for the actual marriage on the third day. This is becauase on the third day of creation God said it was good twice. It is the only time he did so. Also the third day represents new life, so this was considered the best day to start a new life together. Jesus miracle here shows he is bringing new life in the New Testament.

2: Jesus approved and participated in marriages and earthly traditions/celebrations.

3: Running out of wine after three days, would be very embarrassing, but even more, the hosts had a social obligation to provide for their guests. There was still four days of the feast left, so this would have been an emergency.

4: In the Greek, the text really means "what has this to do with me and you?", or "what do you and I have to do with this?". He was commenting that they were guests, not responsibility. "Woman", respectful greeting, like ma'am, and the same term as he used with affection on the cross. However, the formality does show some distance. This is the first of many times he says his hour not come, showing his ministry started after his baptism and that he is moving toward the time of his sacrificial death on the cross. 

5: Even though he didn't have to, Jesus helped this family avoid embarrasment. This shows and models living and serving the neighbor, even on mundane things. Mary had great faith and knew he was the messiah. This was right after Jesus' baptism. She put a petition to Jesus and left it at that, being confident it would be done. On the flip side, this shows Jesus' obedience to his mother, as always.

6: Stone jugs were ceremonial for washing. Stone was thought to be "clean". Guests would dip fingers in like holy water as a symbolic act of cleansing from sin, or purifying (Numbers 19). This shows Jesus' power to purify and provide. It also shows Jesus' wine (blood, when looking forward to the Lord's Supper), is replacing the old testament ceremonies. His blood now cleanses us, not a tradition.

7: Jesus didn't even touch the water, but turned it into wine with his words. Jesus had the authority to tell servants what to do. Jesus also made the servants witnesses of the act. This shows Jesus is okay with drinking.

8: The master/host was the first served. The chief steward was in charge of the physical needs of the guests. The jars were too big to pour, but were reservoirs. This shows God'said abundance.

9: Jesus was the fulfillment of the "type" of Moses, whose first public miracle was changing water to blood (Ex. 7:20). This highlights Law vs. Gospel, that instead of blood he made something regular something better. This also foreshadows when he would wine into blood. Doing it of his own authority shows Jesus is master over creation. Lastly, this verse is obvious evidence against teetotalism.

10: The fact that the best wine was served last, was backward because usually the good wine was first. After a few days of drinking, people would notice the quality less. Also saving the best for last points to salvation, and that this life (and communion) are foretastes of the feast to come. Also the New Covenant is better than old because it is based on Jesus' actions, not the people's. It is based on better promises (Jesus, not mine).

11: This first miracle, was a sacrament type, the appearance of Jesus himself, who is the good wine. There was prophecy of blood a d wine for coming of the messiah of Jews (Gen. 49:10, Amos 9:13). John always talks of Jesus miracles as "signs", emphasizing the action and the fulfillment of prophecy, rather than the marvel. Everything in old testament is a type pointing toward Jesus. John later states that "these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." -John 20:21

Tattoos

Lately it seems like Christians like to talk a lot about tattoos for some strange reason. The most often quoted verse is:

"You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord." -Leviticus 19:28

This verse talks about marks on your body in general, like decorative scarring. i think it is safe to say branding and other permanent marks fall into the same category. However, the question is if we should follow this verse or not. The first thing to do is to look at the immediate context. Doing this, we see that we follow the verse before, but we don't follow, verse after we do. This makes it clear that we must look at the broader context of the Livetical law. The reason for the Levitical law was to guide the people of Israel and set them apart from their pagan neighbors. Therefore, the law is no longer applicable to us. I have heard it said that the moral law is still God's will, but the ritualistic law was just for the nation-state of Israel.

More importantly, though, we need to look at the even broader context of the scripture s a whole and God's plan throughout history. We must recognize the Christ came to fulfill the law, so that we are no longer a slave to it. This Christian freedom means that our salvation and standing before God has nothing to do whatsoever if we have tattoos or not. Even our preoccupation with this question is missing the point. We are too focused on if it is okay or not (if something is a sin or not). Its not about what we do, but about what Jesus has done for us.

There is one more thing to keep in mind. Why would a Christian want a tattoo? What is the motivation and the purpose. That is what is potentially sinful. Our bodies are not our own, to do with whatever we want. Out bodies are temples for God. Yes, we are free in Christ, but that does not mean that we should do whatever we want. If we are doing something permanent with our bodies we should ask if it is selfish, or causes a stumbling block to other, or does it help spread the Gospel and build up others? 

Romans 10:9-17 - The Message of Salvation to All

Romans 10:9-17 makes if very clear that God has a plan for saving people, but that there are two possible paths.

Paul puts faith and confession as parallel ideas, not distinctly different, and he puts righteousness and salvation as roughly equivalent terms. The law required obedience, but the gospel requires belief. This was written specifically addressing the Jews, so throughout, there are references to the Old Testament to show that this is not a new idea or doctrine, but even what the old testament teaches. Verse 11 is quoting Isaiah 28:16. Verses 12-13 are quoting Joel 2:32.

The early church fathers understood the Bible's teaching on the importance of ordination:

"The unrighteous are the ones who on their own authority, without any divine arrangement, set themselves up to preside over the daring strangers who assemble with them, who appoint themselves bishops without any law of ordination." -The Unity of the Church by St Cyprian

List of Miracles

Unity

I have written about unity being in a shared (correct) doctrine in previous posts, but I wanted to explore what theologians throughout church history have taught.

Starting with the church fathers, St. Cyprian wrote "The Unity of the Church", his greatest work, to counter the Novatian schism. In it, he argues that there can only be one united church:
"The spouse of Christ cannot commit adultery. She is uncorrupted and pure. She knows one home, she guards with chaste modesty the sanctity of one bed. She keeps us for God. She appoints the sons whom she has born for the kingdom. Whoever is separated from the Church and unites with an adulteress, is separated from the promises of the Church. No one who forsakes the Church of Christ can receive the rewards of Christ. He is a stranger; he is profane; he is an enemy. No one can have God for his Father, who does not have the Church for his mother....

"This sacrament of unity, this unbreakable bond of concord, is demonstrated in the Gospel, when the coat of the Lord Jesus Christ is not at all divided nor cut, but is received as a whole garment by those who cast lots for it. Scripture says, “Because the coat was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, they said, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it.” [John 21:23-24] That coat had a unity from the top down, that is, unity that came from heaven and the Father, that could not be torn by those who received and possessed it. It is whole and undivided. No one who splits and divides the Church of Christ can possess the garment of Christ."

St. Ignatius of Antioch, in his Letter to the Philadelphians, 4,1 (ANF, Vol. I), wrote:

"Wherefore I write boldly to your love, which is worthy of God, and exhort you to have but one faith, and one [kind of] preaching, and one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ; and His blood which was shed for us is one; one loaf also is broken to all [the communicants], and one cup is distributed among them all: there is but one altar for the whole Church, and one bishop, with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow-servants. Since, also, there is but one unbegotten Being, God, even the Father; and one only-begotten Son, God, the Word and man; and one Comforter, the Spirit of truth; and also one preaching, and one faith, and one baptism; and one Church which the holy apostles established from one end of the earth to the other by the blood of Christ, and by their own sweat and toil; it behooves you also, therefore, as "a peculiar people, and a holy nation," to perform all things with harmony in Christ."

Later, during the reformation, Martin Luther (sermons from the year 1531, W.A 34-11-387. "Day by Day We Magnify Thee" p. 384) wrote:

"No, my dear man, do not recommend to me peace and unity when thereby God's Word is lost, for then eternal life and everything else will be lost. There can be no yielding nor giving way, no, not for love of you or any other person, but everything must yield to the Word, whether it be friend or foe. The Word and doctrine will create Christian unity or fellowship. Where they reign all else will follow. Where they are not, no concord will ever abide. Therefore do not talk to me about love and friendship, if that means breaking with the Word, or the faith, for the Gospel does not say love brings eternal life, God's grace, and all heavenly treasures, but the Word."

Also:

The founder of the American, Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, CFW Walther, in his "Pastoral Theology", wrote:

"Sadly, as we have discovered, there are many preachers who call themselves Lutheran and, after preparing the holy table to administer the Lord’s Supper, invite to the gift of grace anyone who wants to come—without permitting an examination their faith and life. And they even think this is a most Gospel-centered practice."

J.W. Baier explains:

“[T]he unity of the Church is disturbed by syncretism, or the religious union of dissenting parties in a brotherly and ecclesiastical fellowship in spite of dissension, so that either the errors in doctrine on the part of the dissentients or at least the erring persons themselves are tolerated within the communion of the Church and the latter are regarded as brethren in Christ and coheirs of eternal life. Either class of tolerance, however, is sinful.”

Bless We the Lord



 

We know that God blesses us.  But the Bible also speaks of us blessing God in the Psalms and James 3:9.  Last post, I discussed our disposition toward God, and blessing Him is apart of it. How does that work, though?  How can mere mortals “bless the LORD”? What can we do to benefit Him, the One who needs nothing?  The blessing that most people think of I the blessing from greater to lesser, such as when God gives gifts to us, but also when kings bestow gifts to their subjects, etc....  But there is also a blessing from lesser to greater.  This kind of blessing–when the subject blesses the king or the mortal blesses God. This kind of blessing mainly consists of thanksgiving. Thus, when we bless our food, we are thanking God for it.

 

Also, consider the liturgy where the pastor says, “Let us bless the Lord.”  And we in congregation do so by responding, “Thanks be to God.”

It is also possible to bless someone in the name of the “greater,” as when pastors, in the name of God–that is, in His stead and on His behalf–pronounce a blessing on the congregation as they convey His gifts.

 

"Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion." -Psalm 134:1-3

"[B]ut no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God." -James 3:8-9

Our Disposition Toward God

First of all God's disposition toward us is what is most important, and it is defined as Grace. However, the Bible and the Lutheran confessions also talk about our disposition toward God. One aspect of our disposition is our "moods" toward God. In his Small Catechism, Luther frequently begins his explanations with, "We should fear, love, and trust God so that..." When I was little, I used to wonder about the fear, just like many, until it was explained that fear is related to awe of power and submission to authority. This concept really sank in when I saw a chart of moods in a class I took.  As I noticed all of our disposition toward God was on one side of the mood chart and really all of those together make sense.

Genesis 11:1-9 - The Tower of Babel

Chapter 11 starts with the comment that the whole earth had one language (v.1).  The people migrated from the East and settled in the land of Shinar, an ancient name for the land of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, known to us more familiarly as Mesopotamia or Babylonia (Isa 11:11). There is a single group of people here who are migrating together as a large family.  They have "one language... the same words" (v.1), yet fear being "scattered" (v. 4).  The tower portrayed in this story is not itself unusual culturally. Yet God acts so that they will be "scattered" (v.8).  These people decided to build a city and a "tower." The idea of building a city was not new (note 4:17) and may simply have represented the movement from nomadic to sedentary culture. Since there is no real hint in that direction in the text, it should not be read as any critique against urban life or the development of technology (note 4:17-22). The issue here is not the building of the tower itself, but the reasons for building it. The first goal was to "make a name for ourselves," with the longer range purpose that they would not "be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (v. 4).

 

The concept of having a "name" in the ancient world was close to what we mean by the same expression. A person’s name not only represented the person and their reputation, but it also communicated something about the character of the person (cf. Prov 22:1).  The implication here is that the people are depending on themselves to define who they are, and what they are about in the world. This stands in stark contrast to God’s promise to Abraham in the following chapter: "I will... make your name great" (12:2). The implication is that God is the one who should make their name great (cf. 2 Sam 7:9, 23; I Kings 1:47). This introduces an element of self-sufficiency and self interest here.

 

Their intentions were also in direct contrast to God's command to spread and fill the earth. They instead decided to stay there "lest we be scattered" (v4). The people were afraid of division. Their solution? Take matters into their own hands. They proposed a project: A city, a tower, a name. And yet, since early in the creation story, this has been God’s stated purpose for humanity: that they would "fill the earth" (1:28, cf. 9:7).

 

The next part of the passage is from the perspective of God. There is a certain sarcastic tone in verse 5 that serves to highlight their arrogance: "The Lord came down to see the city and the tower." They intend to build a tower to reach into the heavens to make a name for themselves. The irony is that God can’t even see this tower. He must come down and find this puny tower that the mortals had built. From high above in the heavens, God had to stoop low to see how their little project was progressing. The implication here is that these people aren’t ever going to become gods. 

 

God sees that they are "one people... one language" (v.6). Their unity was real. It had limitless potential. There was only one problem. It was all man-made. As is obvious from the response of God, the problem here is not unity itself. The telling theological commentary of verse 6 provides the crux of this passage: "this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them." This reveals that the issue here is not unity, but is really one of arrogance and pride.  The unity of these people is not something positive, because they are unified around the wrong center. The focus of their unity is their own ability to establish themselves in the world apart from God (note the same idea in a scathing prophetic denunciation in Habakkuk 1:11, 16). Here echoes the same problem that was evidenced in the Eden story: they aspire to become like God, themselves establishing their place in the world and implementing their own rules by which they live in that world.

 

At this point, God entered the picture and confused their language so they could no longer communicate with each other (v. 7). The very thing they feared most, division, dispersal, a half-built city, not a trace of a tower, and a name that means “confusion.” What man makes, God unmakes. Man-made unity, God-made division. Fear of division (real or imagined) is a terrible reason to unite. It will never produce anything more than a man-made unity. True unity isn’t the product of man’s proposals, but of God’s promise. He disposes of our proposals, plans and projects. He leaves us with nothing but his promise and his unity.

 

But this does not necessarily mean that God will intervene directly in history every time humanity poses a new threat by our own selfishness and sin (that issue was addressed in the flood story, 8:21-22, 9:11).  On one level, it is a judgment from God on a self-centered arrogance that wanted to ignore God’s purposes in the world. And yet, on another level, that scattering is a fulfillment of what God had wanted humanity to do, to fill the earth.  That suggests another dimension to the story not yet told in this text that will explain how the scattering can be a fulfillment of God’s purposes for his creation. That part of the story will begin in chapter 12 on the upbeat of grace. There God will call Abraham to begin a journey that will take him into a future he does not know, to places he has not yet seen, and will begin a new scattering that will not reach its climax for many centuries.

Pastors

Previously I had a post on the roles and relationships of Pastor and Elders, which was really about what an Elder is. I have not done a post on Deacons, but it can be summed up rather quickly. The best definition I have heard for what a Deacon is in the LCMS is: "one who is certified to break the Article 14 of the Augsburg Confession". The second best definition I have heard is: "an abomination." Previously I have discussed what pastors wear and why and that Pastors are to fulfill the Great Commission. Johann Gerhard Lists what pastors duties are:

1. Preaching the heavenly Word
2. Administering the sacraments
3. Praying for the flock entrusted to him
4. Honorable managers of their life and behavior
5. Take care of the administration of church discipline
6. Preserve ecclesiastical rights
7. Take care of the poor and visit the sick

A shorthand for what Pastors are supposed to do is to preach and teach. To accomplish that, they need to be constant students of the Bible (theologians), but they need to be out among the people. This is why Pastors have a study and not an office. I have been hearing lately that it has become common to unjustly oust Pastors because of conflicts in personality and/or style.  This is a great sin.  The 2003 CTCR Study Report on “the Divine Call” lists five reasons and not without due process:

1. Teaching false doctrine 
2. Offensive conduct or scandalous life 
3. Deliberate unfaithfulness in the performance of official duties 
4. Neglect of, or inability to perform, official duties 
5. Domineering in office.

The Bible is also full of verses about qualification of becoming a pastor:

1. Aspire to the office
2. Without/above reproach
3. A husband of one wife
4. Self-controlled
5. Sober-minded
6. Orderly
7. Disciplined
8. Hospitable
9. Able to teach
10. Good manager of his household
11. Good Father with faithful, well-behaved children
12. Well thought of
13. Lover of Good
14. Hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught

There is also a list of things he should not be:

1. Not a drunkard
2. Nor violent, but gentle
3. Not quarrelsome
4. Not a lover of money
5. Not a recent convert
6. Not arrogant
7. Not quick tempered
8. Not greedy for gain

Bible Verses About Pastors

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. -Acts 20:28-31

[S]hepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. -1 Peter 5:2-4

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,  not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. -1 Timothy 3:1-7

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. -1 Timothy 5:17-22

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers  and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. -Titus 1:5-9