Year End Thought On Social Media Theologians
Yes, I'm talking about myself first and foremost.
Sometimes I wish the Bible was a Q&A book—a nice, helpful concordance where the Holy Spirit just updates the text to match our current cultural situation. For instance, I want to turn to the section under “theologians” and find the answer to:
“Should people listen to their favorite social media theologians over the personal pastors who lead them?”
Now, obviously this is much more complex. But it gets to the heart of the issue I’ve been struggling with.
Sometimes—actually, lately it’s been often—I’ve found myself wanting to quit my presence on social media. I love teaching theology. I love commenting on cultural issues from a biblical worldview rooted in the text. I want to always start from the biblical text, not from human philosophical ideologies.
So here’s the rub: I think we’ve lost (or neglected) the spiritual practice of discernment and applying discernment to theological triage. Gavin Ortlund has an amazing book on theological triage that’s been so helpful for me. There are primary issues, secondary issues, and tertiary issues.
Here is how I would define these:
Primary Issues - Core doctrines of the faith. We lose these, we lose Christianity as a whole. The Triune God. Yahweh as the uncreated Creator. The Incarnation. The Resurrection. The defeat of sin and death through death. Jesus as the only way to reunion with the Father. Baptism and the sacraments.
Bottom line - We can’t reject these, or we reject the essence of the Gospel.
Secondary Issues - How some of these doctrines are fleshed out. For instance, baptism: Is it based on confession of faith? Is it for children? What about infants? Communion: Do you do that every week? Once a month? Questions about end times and the rapture?
Bottom line - We can disagree over these. They may influence our participation at the local church level, but we’re all still believers and followers of Christ.
Tertiary Issues - Things like the style of music, the color of the carpet, the stage design. Things that often fall into the area of methodology but are not essentials.
Bottom line - We should never divide over these. These are preferences and often areas that will push us into deeper sanctification.
So when a social media theologian—let’s say myself—makes a comment on something secondary or tertiary that’s in direct contrast to the position or view of your local church pastor, what do you do?
And this is why I want to quit sometimes.
People have started to trust and follow the way of the social media theologian above and beyond the local pastors at their church to whom they’ve submitted themselves. And this is a true tragedy.
Let me make this loud and clear: If I say something that’s in contrast to your local pastor in the area of secondary issues, I think this is a great conversation to have with your pastors and ministry leaders. Research, read, learn, and grow! Don’t create unnecessary debates. Don’t ever divide. But be spiritually mature and humble in your approach. In the end, you may be convinced by what I said. Cool. Don’t create chaos or division in your church. And whatever you do, do not dismiss or diminish your local pastor. It’s fine to disagree on secondary issues. In fact, it may even be serious enough that it causes you to pray, fast, and consider your long-term membership. But this should never cause dissension or division in the church.
Now, if the issue is tertiary and preferential—please, for the sake of everyone—just take your pastor or ministry leaders’ side on things! It’s fine to disagree with me and other social media theologians. We are NOT the final authority in your life.
Now, if there’s an area of concern or disagreement in the primary area—yes, this is something to address with humility but seriousness.
Why This Matters:
I was sitting with some pastor friends at a local church, and they were sharing how they’d just walked through something really hard. They made some decisions in terms of their church structure. And when they did, some members—not many—made the comment, “Well, [insert social media theologian] says [insert their opinion on the matter], and we think you’re wrong, and we’re leaving the church.”
Now, keep in mind, these folks had been around for a while. They’d been served by these pastors, and they’d served in the local church. But because of a difference of opinion (a secondary issue), they made the reactionary decision to bounce from the church because they chose the side of some social media theologian over their own local pastors.
My heart grieved. I NEVER want anyone to leave a church or distrust their pastors over something I say. I realize it may happen over primary issues. And it may even happen over secondary issues after serious prayer, fasting, conversation, humility in discussion, and then a release by the Holy Spirit. But this shouldn’t be the norm.
And here’s why I think all of this is so damaging: God has established LOCAL pastors and ministry leaders to care for your heart, soul, and mind. Friend, honestly, if something tragic happens—you get a diagnosis you never saw coming—who do you turn to? Your local pastor! You may message me on Instagram. If we get lucky, I may see that message, and I’ll do my best to respond and say I’m praying. But that’s the extent of what I could possibly do.
But your local pastor? They’ll pray with you in person. They’ll go to the doctor’s office with you. They’ll celebrate with you in victory and health! They’ll be next to you if the diagnosis turns deadly. They’ll mourn with your family when you’re with the Lord.
I cannot EVER do any of this.
So let me ask you: What’s the cost of siding with me or any social media theologian on non-serious secondary and tertiary issues if it costs you your relationship and community in your local church?
One of the things I’ve always appreciated about Matt Chandler and the Village Church is that at the beginning of the podcast for his sermons, there was this disclaimer that Matt would give. If you weren’t a member of the Village and you wanted to listen to the message as a supplement to your church home, that was great. But not to take the podcast or stream of the sermon and rely on that in place of a local church and local church pastor - that was an embodied experience.
I want to take Pastor Matt’s lead and humbly ask you to do the same with me. I do take seriously this call from the Lord. But I know that what I provide is supplemental. I want what I say and teach to serve in alliance with your local church pastors. I want to stir your love for your pastor and local church. I never want what I say to take away from the local church or cause any distrust between you and your pastors and ministry leaders.
Just a raw message from my heart.
~ Your Theologian Friend,
Dr. Joel
P.S. - Pastors and Ministry leaders. I love you. I’m sorry on behalf of the “social media theologians” who have created choas in your life and ministry. I’m personally sorry if anything I’ve ever said has done that. That is not my heart, and Lord willing; it will never be my heart. Cheering you on in your holy work!