Is it possible to be a slave to Christ and a professional minister?
In Brothers, We Are Not Professional, John Piper answers this question with a resounding no. He argues that when the pastor views his vocation as a profession, he will inevitably despiritualize the calling. A professional attitude that seeks human respect is antithetical to a Christian minister's calling.
Piper recognizes that the pastorate is filled with temptations to compromise and seek self-fulfillment and self-glorification. Even more so, in our modern age, it is tempting to compromise on the message of Christ crucified to gain acceptance from our peers.
In his introduction, Piper cites the Islamic understanding of who Jesus was. Muslims typically understand Jesus as a great prophet who was risen to heaven before he could suffer the pain and humiliation of the crucifixion. The crucifixion of Jesus is at the center of Christian teaching, and to bend on it would be an unacceptable compromise. Because a Christian minister must be unapologetic in preaching Christ crucified, Piper believes he will inevitably have to choose between being a professional with wide acceptance and a faithful preacher.
Piper calls the Christian minister to a "pastoral ministry full of joy ... [where] there are tears, to be sure ... [but these] tears deepen and intensify the joy of our hope." Many have acclaimed Brothers, We Are Not Professionals as a book worthy of anyone called to be a pastor.
