A Heavenly-Minded Theological Egghead: What’s in a name?

Some may have wondered why the subtitle of my blog is “random thoughts from a heavenly-minded theological egghead.”  I thought that I would answer the question regardless of whether or not it has been asked.

Years ago I was serving at a small church as the youth pastor/worship leader.  It was during my tenure there that I began my theological education.  The pastor under whom I was serving was a seminary graduate and I thought that he would encourage my studies, but I was wrong.  As I progressed in my studies and began correcting some views that I had held that were not biblical I began sharing the changes in my thinking and attempted to get input from my pastor, a man who I had considered a close friend.  Apparently my thirst for learning and my deep desire to study Systematic Theology irritated him.  It did not take long for him to begin to use certain phrases that seemed to be directed at me (I’m sure it’s possible that I was too sensitive), but one was used over and over again.  And that was the derogatory term “theological egghead.”  After his repeated usage of the term I began to believe that he was either calling me a theological egghead or he was attempting to discourage me from becoming one.  That should clearly explain the origin of the “theological egghead” portion of the subtitle.

Now, as to the “heavenly-minded” portion of the name.  I had heard that phrase many times over the course of many years in the Baptist college that I attended and in other ministry related settings.  The context would normally be something like the following; Don’t become so heavenly-minded that you are no earthly good.  At first glance it sounds very spiritual, at least it did to me.  However, over time people began to use it as a negative attack against those who held to a pre-tribulational rapture of the church and a separate time of tribulation yet to come.  Since I am unashamedly a Dispensationalist, or as some would rather be identified, a Biblical Covenantalist, the term became very offensive to me.  As a subtle way of showing my disdain for the usage of the term I included it in the subtitle.

Putting the two together – – Lest someone thinks that I am just being petty and vindictive (I would be lying if that weren’t somewhat true) allow me to share my biblical basis for rebelling against the terms.  First, in the pastoral epistles Paul continually exhorted Timothy and Titus to, “Speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1 cf. 1 Tim. 4:15-14; 6:20; 2 Tim. 4:1-5).  Since Systematic Theology is a product of intense Bible study and the scientific organizing of all that Scripture says about God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, etc. the necessity of its study can easily be deduced from Paul’s instruction concerning “sound doctrine.”  Therefore, I will continually study theology in my attempt to maintain a properly biblical worldview and to be obedient to Paul’s command to the shepherds of the Lord’s Church.  Secondly, the idea that one could be too heavenly minded is patently unbiblical.  Here are a few of passages that have led me to that conclusion.  1.) Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  2.) Ephesians 2:6-7, “And (God the Father) raised us up with Him, and seated us with HIm in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”  The point is that positionally we are already there in Christ and that is where our hearts should be.  3.) Colossians 1:5a, “Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.”  Finally, 4.) Colossians 3:1-3, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

These passages should be pretty self-explanatory and hopefully reveal why I chose to include these two somewhat offensive terms in the subtitle of my blog.  My life is centered around the word of God and it is my hope that I can be as biblical as possible in my thinking and my actions.  In other words I seek to maintain a purely biblical worldview.  That worldview includes knowing what the Bible says about everything and keeping my focus not on the things of this world (the devil controlled world system), but focused on “the things above” where my Lord and Savior currently is seated.

Hope this is helpful.