The Importance of Pastoral Epistles in Christian Ministry

In this keynote from TGC’s 2009 National Conference, Ligon Duncan urges pastors to recover the centrality of the pastoral epistles—1 and 2 Timothy and Titus—as foundational guides for faithful life and ministry. He critiques two persistent errors in the Western church: theological liberalism, which changes the message to suit culture, and methodology divorced from theology, which compromises ministry effectiveness. Drawing from 2 Timothy 4, Duncan exhorts pastors to endure, study diligently, build gospel community, and finish the race with faithfulness rooted in God’s grace and presence.