“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16 ESV
Why does theology matter?
Theology. Sadly, it’s a word we don’t hear too much about in modern churches. But does that mean it doesn’t matter?
I argue it matters greatly. It matters because what we believe matters. And if our entire faith is based on what we believe, then it’s safe to say that our faith rests on the foundation of our theology. Poor theology leads to wrong beliefs about God and His Word, whereas proper theology leads to right beliefs about God and His Word.
Theology provides us with the big picture of our faith. It teaches us the basic tenets of what we say we believe and encourages us to live properly as disciples of Jesus. We need right theology for worship, for our own personal benefit, to be effective evangelists, and to build up the saints.
As CS Lewis said, “Doctrine leads to devotion.”
What is theology?
So what is theology?
Simply put, theology is the study of God. It examines what is true of God and what He says about this world we live in. It forms the foundation upon which our faith rests, the lens through which we see the world and people, and the basis on which we deal with hardships in life.
Believe it or not, you already have a theology! We all do! The issue then becomes, is our theology actually true? Has it been formed by the Word or by the World? By Jesus or by Netflix? You may not realize just how influenced we are on a daily basis by the things we allow our eyes and ears to consume. No matter what it is, it’s shaping our beliefs about who God is, who we are, and everything about how we view this world we live in.
Types of Theology
Theology covers 4 main areas: the study of Christian beliefs (Systematic Theology), the development of biblical themes (Biblical Theology), the consistency or changes of Christian beliefs throughout history (Historical Theology), and the application of how our beliefs shape our worldview (Practical Theology).
While all are equally important, I believe the one that is the most foundational is Systematic Theology. It helps us determine right and wrong beliefs about everything Scripture covers in a way that will then help us to uncover biblical themes, identify proper Christian history, and shape the way in which we view the world.
Systematic Theology is the big question answerer. The ultimate encyclopedia for the Bible. It lumps similar topics into categories in order to help us learn everything God’s Word has to say about them. Like its name, it creates a system for being able to answer hard questions, while being faithful to the authority of God’s Word.
Systematic Theology typically covers:
- the study of God- Theology Proper
- the study of the Bible- Bibliology
- the study of humanity- Anthropology
- the study of Christ- Christology
- the study of salvation- Soteriology
- the study of the Holy Spirit- Pneumatology
- the study of the Church- Ecclesiology
- the study of angels and demons- Angelology
- the study of sin- Hamartiology
- the study of end times- Eschatology
Tiers
The question then becomes, are all issues of equal importance? To answer that, we need to take a look at historical consistency. Many teachings have remained consistent for over 2000 years. But others have divided the Church into different camps (denominations). Still others vary widely even within each denomination. We categorize accordingly.
First tier issues are of primary importance to the Christian faith. They are essential for salvation and clear within Scripture. These include issues such as the deity of Christ, the Trinity, the resurrection, etc.
Second tier issues are not essential for salvation, but are still important convictions to hold because they affect our daily living. They are up for interpretation within Scripture, out of which denominations have been born. These include issues such as the practice of baptism and communion, the use of spiritual gifts, predestination vs free will, church structure, etc.
Third tier issues are also non-essential and are of lesser urgency. These are mostly matters that aren’t clearly spelled out in Scripture and are matters of conscience. These include issues such as end times beliefs, worship style, and other issues of personal conscience.
By categorizing issues in this manner, we can rightly discern what is of most importance. If you church is out of alignment on a top tier issue, then you are under false teaching. That church is not in alignment with historical Christianity. However, if your church’s views on a third tier issue vary from your own, it’s okay. These are not salvation issues.
Who needs to understand theology?
I used to believe that pastors were the only ones who needed theology. But now, more than ever, I’m seeing that this pervasive belief has been a lie from the enemy who wants followers of Jesus to be ignorant of God’s character and commands for biblical living.
As a pastor’s wife, the dangerous trend I’ve seen in Church-world over the past few decades, is that we leave the the deep teaching to the Christian universities. We make the assumption that things like church history, theology, apologetics, and the like don’t have a place in our churches. But considering the fact that only a small fraction of Christ-followers have or will attend a Bible college to take these classes, we’re leaving the rest of the Christians to figure things out on their own. And will they? Most likely not.
How do we begin?
It can easily feel overwhelming when delving into the world of theology. Big words, thick books, highly educated people… but what about the rest of us? Are there theology resources out there for your average Christian? There absolutely are!
I have two favorite resources right now:
- The Bible Minor Project by Cedarville University– This amazing university is in the process of filming all of the classes that make up their Bible minor, and putting them on their website for free! So if you’re a mega-nerd like me, this will be right up your alley! If not, then still give them a chance and see if you track well with them. My husband and I have started them and so far, the professor is super engaging and easy to learn from.
- The Theology Handbook by The Daily Grace Co.– This is an incredibly basic overview of all of the basics of theology in a gorgeously designed coffee table book. This book will NOT be over your head, as it’s written for the average believer as opposed to a PhD.
(Remember, if these resources vary from your own beliefs on 2nd or 3rd tier issues, that’s okay. Maybe research each perspective and see where you land after doing your homework. They will not veer from historical Christianity on 1st tier issues.)
There are many more wonderful resources out there, but these are a great starting point.
Let’s be followers of Jesus who know what we believe and why we believe it! It truly doesn’t have to be overwhelming!
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