As we set sail into the study of theology, I thought it would be a good idea to take the first week and go over some key terms and ideas to help us understand what theology is, why theology is important, and how it impacts our daily lives. Theology, in its simplest form, is the study of God (Theo = God, -ology = the study of). But not only is it the study of God, it is the study of what God has revealed in Scripture. 1 Timothy 3:16 says that all Scripture is theopneustos, or God-breathed. All Scripture comes from the very breath of God. We know that God is a holy, righteous, perfect being that cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18) and He cannot contradict Himself or change His mind (Numbers 23:19); therefore, the Word that He breathes is without error (inerrant), cannot fail (infallible), and cannot change (immutable). If these things are true, we would do well to spend a large part of our lives devoted to understanding the word of God.
Theology can also be seen as a kind of umbrella term, with many other studies falling under it. Within the realm of theology, there is also the study of Christ (Christology), the study of sin (hamartiology), the study of the church (ecclesiology), the study of the Holy Spirit (pneumatology), and the study of the end times (eschatology). Another term worth mentioning here is doctrine. Webster defines doctrine as, “a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of belief.” Baptist doctrine might look a little bit different than Presbyterian doctrine. These both look extremely different from Catholic doctrine. But doctrine is the system of beliefs in which we believe the Bible teaches. On top of these things, we look to the insight that church history brings, such as great men of faith, teachers, creeds, and confessions. When we put all of these things together and approach them in a cohesive, coherent manner, we call it systematic theology. The God of the Bible is not a god of confusion but rather One of order. He has systematically ordered, created, and worked things together for His glory and the good of His people. R.C. Sproul says in his book Everyone’s a Theologian:
“The systematician studies not only the Bible and the creeds and the confessions of the church, but also the insights of the master teachers that God has given throughout history. The systematician looks at all the data—biblical, historical, and systematic—and brings it together.”
So now we must answer the question: So what? Why does all of this matter? How does it apply to me? It is an unfortunate truth many Christians today believe that theology is only for pastors, seminarians, or historians. On the other hand, some neglect the rich study of theology and excuse themselves by saying, “I just need Jesus.” I had a mindset similar to these for quite some time. My Bible studies felt dry, boring, and like it was just something I had to do. It wasn’t until I attended a G3 Ministries conference and was introduced to theology, church history, and the reformed faith that I really began to delight in Scripture and desire to know/serve God well. These studies helped me see God larger than what I did. It created in me a sense of awe, reverence, and love for who God truly was and what He had done for sinners like me.
Kevin DeYoung, a pastor, author, and professor, once said anyone who wants Christ without theology will end up getting neither. Every page of Scripture that you turn to is theology. Theology is everywhere because God is everywhere. It matters because the Bible is the only objective truth. It tells us of the God that has created all things (Genesis 1:1), how we have all sinned against Him (Romans 3:23), and that because He is a holy, righteous, just judge, we are all deserving of eternal separation from in utter torment (Isaiah 59:2, Romans 6:23). But on top of all of that, it reveals the beautiful redemptive plan that God had to save His people from their sins by sending His only Son into the world to take that punishment for them. It tells of the glorious news that we can be made right with a holy God through Christ. And so theology matters because if you do not get that right, nothing else matters. You can study biology all you want, sociology all you want, or archeology all you want, but none of them offer eternal life, peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, and life to the full. So my friends, why would we not want to spend your life studying this?
Next week we will set sail on this never ending voyage of theology, beginning with the attributes of God. It’s important for us to understand the characteristics of God that make Him God. Oftentimes, because of our sin, we like to define God by how we understand ourselves and the world around us. Knowing His attributes helps us flip that order. When we first see God for who He has revealed Himself as through Scripture, we then get a right picture of who we are and what the world is in light of who God is. I hope you all will come back and read next week!
Soli Deo Gloria