Fundamentalists and Scholarship, Part 12

The Dual Responsibility of a Christian Scholar

Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, and Part 11.

Christian scholars—especially theological scholars—owe certain duties to the academic world, but they also owe duties to the Christian faith. For the most part, the Christian duties of scholars are exactly the same as those of Christians in any calling. What Christian scholars owe to their faith is not different in kind than the obligations of Christian farmers, dock laborers, or truck drivers. Two areas of duty, however, merit special emphasis for Christian scholars.

One is the defense and exposition of the faith. All Christians have a duty to defend and expound the faith, but this is an area in which Christian scholars should exercise genuine leadership. They must provide that leadership in at least three ways.

First, Christian scholars act as a “distant early warning system” for heresy. Because of their involvement in the academy, they will usually be among the first to confront new attacks upon the faith. Errors such as Open Theism and the New Perspective on Paul were first voiced in the academic world. One responsibility of Christian scholars is to alert the rest of the Christian world to the presence of theological aberration, not only by pointing it out, but also by helping church leaders to understand what it means and why it matters.

A good example of a scholar who performed this duty well is J. Gresham Machen. He lived in a day when few people understood what theological liberalism was, and fewer could explain why it was not Christianity. Because he had been schooled under liberals, Machen knew their system in detail. In Christianity and Liberalism he was able to pinpoint the specific characteristics of theological liberalism that disqualified it as a Christian theology. His voice sounded a fearless warning against the liberal theology. Like Machen, Christian scholars must be willing to expose serious error.

Second, Christian scholars bear the special responsibility of developing detailed answers when the faith is challenged. They are the people who are best positioned to hear the arguments and to examine the evidence. Their job is that of “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

The Christian faith can withstand full examination. It has nothing to fear from exposure to the truth. The bare facts are never against Christianity for the simple reason that a bare fact has never existed. Every putative fact has already been interpreted through the lens of some set of presuppositions. The responsibility of Christian scholars is to expose the failures of false systems of interpretation and then to demonstrate how the evidence appears when interpreted from the perspective of truth.

Machen again serves as an outstanding example of a Christian theologian who was faithful to this duty. He lived during the era when biblical criticism was at its apex. Critical scholarship as a whole seemed determined to drive a wedge between the religion of the (historical) Jesus and the religion of Paul, which was supposed to have been derived largely from pagan sources. Machen knew the arguments, and he knew the evidence. In The Origin of Paul’s Religion he offered a full exposition of the best and latest critical scholarship, but then answered it so thoroughly that his treatment has never been refuted successfully. After nearly a century, Machen’s book remains a convincing refutation of the liberal position.

Third, Christian scholars are responsible to expound the faith for the people of God. Christian teaching includes many matters that are difficult to grasp, and God’s people are not greatly edified by affirming a faith that they do not understand. Christian scholars have the duty to explain the faith so that ordinary Christians are able to comprehend it and to respond rightly.

Machen again illustrates the point. Besides his works of scholarship and apologetics, he published several volumes of addresses and essays that expounded aspects of the Christian faith. Books such as God Transcendent and The Christian View of Man were meant for ordinary Christians, not just other scholars. Popular articles flowed from Machen’s pen. Without ever relinquishing his responsibility toward the scholarly community or his duty to defend the faith, Machen produced an exposition of Christianity that continues to edify God’s people more than six decades after his death.

Defense and exposition of the faith is one area in which the duties of Christian scholars should receive special emphasis. The other area involves the demonstration of servanthood and Christian humility. Again, this obligation is not unique to scholars—all Christians are to serve humbly within the body of Christ, but scholars probably face some unique temptations in this area.

Christian scholars must realize that they are not the appointed leaders of the hurch, nor are seminaries and universities divinely ordained. God has determined that His work should be accomplished primarily through local churches under the leadership of pastors. Theirs is the teaching office of the church. Scholarship is a nearly impossible pursuit for all but a few pastors, but pastors can benefit greatly from the insights that scholars provide. For their part, scholars must understand that their primary role within the churches is to use their gifts in support of pastoral ministry.

Christian scholars must also realize that their calling, while dignified, is not a higher calling than any other. Granted, it is unique, and the number of people who can answer the scholarly calling is small. Some Christians display a tendency to view scholars (especially theological scholars) as a kind of elite corps. Scholars must remember, however, that their abilities are purely a gift from God. All callings have their places, and in the providence of God the accountant, the mechanic, and the grocery clerk serve with as much dignity as the scholar.

Scholars have a tendency to define the value of persons according to their intellectual contributions. This attitude has no place in Christian scholarship. The Christian scholar is first and foremost a citizen of the New Jerusalem. Therefore, Christian scholars must never be embarrassed to acknowledge any brother of whom God Himself is not ashamed (Heb. 11:16).

Christian scholars must not lose their focus upon piety. Churches do not need cold intellects. They can, however, be edified by sharp minds, as long as those minds are directed by warm hearts. The life of study does not replace the life of prayer, and intellectual understanding is no substitute for obedience. Many scholars may find themselves beggared at the Judgment Seat of Christ, while simple widows and illiterate laborers receive great reward.

Most of all, Christian scholars must cultivate the virtue of patience. Not everybody will grasp the implications of biblical ideas as quickly as scholars do. The work of the scholar is partly to explain the truth over and over again, laboring patiently until the people of God begin to understand where it leads.

Fundamentalism needs scholars. Fundamentalism especially needs scholars in the theological disciplines. Those scholars will be a tremendous help as long as they remember their twofold responsibility. They hold duties toward the academic world, but they also hold duties toward the Lord, the faith, and the church.

Prayer to the Father of Heaven

John Skelton (c. 1460-1529)

O Radiant Luminary of light interminable,
Celestial Father, potential God of might,
Of heaven and earth O Lord incomparable,
Of all perfections the Essential most perfite!
O Maker of mankind, that formed day and night,
Whose power imperial comprehendeth every place!
Mine heart, my mind, my thought, my whole delight
Is, after this life, to see thy glorious Face.

Whose magnificence is incomprehensible,
All arguments of reason which far doth exceed,
Whose Deity doubtless is indivisible,
From whom all goodness and virtue doth proceed,
Of thy support all creatures have need:
Assist me, good Lord, and grant me of thy grace
To live to thy pleasure in word, thought, and deed,
And, after this life, to see thy glorious Face.

This essay is by Dr. Kevin T. Bauder, president of Central Baptist Theological Seminary (Plymouth, MN). Not every professor, student, or alumnus of Central Seminary necessarily agrees with every opinion that it expresses.