Why is it that many in Baptist churches today wear theological illiteracy as a badge of honor? Phrases like "I don't need any of that fancy language, I just need Jesus" unfortunately abound.

In his biography of Andrew Fuller, Paul Brewster makes note of the growing problem.

Brewster recalls a quote by Billy Sunday, who said, "I don't know any more about theology than a jackrabbit does about ping pong, but I'm on the way to glory."

While this quote might seem silly to some, this type of language likely finds purchase with many in our pews.

This type of ignorance has not historically been acceptable. John Rippon specifically wrote against this mentality. In his Baptist Annual Register, Rippon included a theological dictionary to promote theological literacy.

Many who read his work were laity.

Brewster suggests that this shift is largely because "the center of theological discussion has migrated away from churches and taken residence in seminaries" and that "'pastor' and 'theologian' are now seen as separate callings."

This shift is, of course, lamentable.

One major antidote to this mindset is to not only take doctrine seriously as a pastor, but to consistently and clearly teach and preach doctrine. Offering resources like Rippon did with his register are helpful, but the main discipling ministry of the church is the preached Word.

John Gill is one such pastor who did this throughout his ministry. Not only did he preach through the entire Bible (this teaching ministry to his church and to an interdenominational meeting he led would become his commentaries), but he taught on tricky doctrinal issues as well.

Topics like predestination, election, justification, the continuity of the covenants, sin, eternal generation, and the humanity of Christ are all doctrines, along with many others, that Gill addressed in his preaching ministry.

Gill shows us that theology is a churchly endeavor.

Aside from his teaching ministry, there is one other way that Gill demonstrated the value of doctrine in his church.

In 1719 there was an important, yet controversial, debate at Salters’ Hall in London. Minsters gathered to determine if subscription to the Trinity was necessary.

Unfortunately, it was decided that subscription to the Trinity was unnecessary. While many Particular Baptists retained the doctrine, many General Baptists rejected the doctrine and slid into Unitarianism.

The growing Trinitarian controversy of the 18th CE was significant.

Thus, when Isaac Harmon, a member of Gill's church, decidedly rejected an orthodox view of the Trinity and the eternal generation of the Son of God, there was cause for major concern.

Harmon’s rejection of orthodox doctrine led Gill to mobilize his church to excommunicate him.

Gill feared that Harmon would fully slide into Unitarianism. As a result, Gill's church unanimously agreed to excommunicate Harmon on the basis of heterodox doctrine. While this is a serious action by Gill's church, it shows the importance of doctrinal purity in the church.

Though church members needn't agree on ever matter of doctrine, there are primary doctrines like the Trinity that if rejected, lands individuals outside the realm of the Christian faith.

Gill saw doctrine as so important that he enacted church discipline over essential matters.

I'm not suggesting that we ought to mobilize our people to discipline their theological illiterate members. I simply want to highlight how exceedingly important doctrine has been/is to the local church.

It is necessary that we teach our people to think rightly about God.

Thankfully, because of the work of @toddadamswilson, Gerald Hiestand (along with the rest of the folks over at @CenPasTheo), @KevinVanhoozer, @ostrachan, and others, the concept of Pastor as Theologian has seen a unique form of retrieval over the past ten years.

To summarize, theological illiteracy is not a badge of honor. It is not merely an academic enterprise to learn truths about God, it is the joyous burden of every follower of Christ to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your *mind*."

My hope is that sound doctrine would see a continued return to our pulpits, that theological illiteracy would plummet, and that the rejection of sound doctrine would be taken seriously.

Our people need the historic truths of our faith, may we be wise and fast to teach them.