STUDYING THEOLOGY

-

Theology is basically the study of God. Among Christians, it’s common to label topics about the Bible that are a bit challenging to study as “theology.” Because of this, many believers today avoid theology to save themselves from the hard thinking and effort it requires! Modern churches even promote the idea that discussions about theology are reserved only for a select few—pastors, teachers, and scholars—and therefore, not necessary for ordinary churchgoers to study. But why should all of us take studying God and the Bible seriously, even if we’re not all going to become pastors or engage in theological debates? There are many good reasons! Here are some:

To love the Lord with all our minds.

The Bible instructs us to love the Lord with all our minds (Matt. 22:37). The best way to love God with our minds is to know Him more and more through His Word. This makes the study of theology an act of obedience to God’s command. The more we know Him, the more we can value Him. Theology helps us love Him more deeply.

To be able to teach others all Christ commanded.

All believers share in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19–20). Part of that command is “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” The Great Commission does not end with sharing the gospel—it includes teaching! Making disciples can never happen without teaching, and teaching cannot exist apart from learning. An effective teacher must first be a diligent student.

To safeguard ourselves from wrong beliefs.

False teachings have always been around, and more will arise in the future. We also don’t know what questions or issues people will challenge us with. A Christian who studies theology can easily discern what is true from what only seems true, and therefore avoid deception. A believer who knows what the Bible says about certain issues will know how to respond effectively to others and help protect them from error. Those who remain uninformed are often the easiest to mislead.

To help us make informed and better decisions.

The more we know, the more we can make decisions based on truth. Our way of living depends on what we believe—that’s why theology has real impact on practical life. The Bible always connects sound teaching with godly living (1 Tim. 6:3–10; Titus 1:1), while sinful behavior is considered contrary to sound teaching (1 Tim. 1:10). The more we understand God’s truth, the more easily we can apply it in our daily lives.

To assist our spiritual maturity.
The more we know the Lord, the deeper our faith in Him grows. The more we learn about the Bible, the more confident we become in its reliability. Our obedience to God increases with our knowledge of Him. Peter urges us not only to grow in grace but also in knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18).
______

Studying theology is both challenging and fulfilling—and it’s not meant to be boring! As Wayne Grudem writes: “I do not believe that God intended the study of theology to be dry and boring. Theology is the study of God and all His works! Theology is meant to be lived and prayed and sung!... True theology is ‘teaching which accords with godliness’ (1 Tim. 6:3), and theology when studied rightly will lead to growth in our Christian lives, and to worship.” Stay Curious.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE LAMB OF GOD (Agnus Dei)

-
Image
  In the Bible, Jesus as the Lamb of God ( Latin , Agnus Dei ) is one of the most celebrated descriptions of Christ, for it reveals so much about Him as our Savior. π—Ÿπ—”π— π—• 𝗔𝗑𝗗 π—§π—›π—˜ π—’π—Ÿπ—— π—§π—˜π—¦π—§π—”π— π—˜π—‘π—§ In ancient times, the lamb was indispensable in Israel’s offerings. Priests offered it twice a day (Exodus 29:38–42). On the Sabbath, the number of young lambs doubled (Numbers 28:9). At the start of every month, more lambs were sacrificed (28:11). They were also offered during the entire Passover week (28:16, 19), and in other festivals (28:26–27; 29:1–2, 7–8, etc.). The lamb to be offered had to be perfect and without defect (Leviticus 22:24–25).  Since the lamb was consistently sacrificed as a victim, it came to symbolize innocence. That’s why the prophet Nathan used the parable of the ewe lamb in 2 Samuel 12:1–4 to convict David of his sin. Likewise, Isaiah portrayed the lamb as a picture of the Suffering Servant of the Lord —a prophecy pointing to the coming M...
Read more

THE HALL OF HERESIES: ADOPTIONISM

-
Image
Since then, Christ has remained the most controversial figure in history. Even when He was still on earth, people already had many different opinions about Him (Matt. 16:13–14). Just imagine—He was physically present, yet fake news about His identity was already spreading. How much more now that He has returned to heaven? Looking at history, so many misconceptions have emerged and misled many people. Today, we’re going to talk about Adoptionism—the idea that Christ was merely adopted by God and only became the Son of God. 𝗧𝗡𝗲 π—›π—Άπ˜€π˜π—Όπ—Ώπ˜† For many modern scholars, Monarchianism (from monarchia , meaning “one rule”) refers to certain beliefs from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD that emphasized that there is only one ruling God, even in light of the Trinity. One heresy that came out of this view is called Dynamic Monarchianism , which claimed that God’s power (Greek: dynamis ) was merely given to Jesus—making Him divine only because of that power. This belief was influenced by earlier...
Read more

WHAT IS THE BOOK OF LIFE?

-
Image
In Rev. 20:15 , we read a very sobering statement:  “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”  On Judgment Day, when everyone stands before God to be judged, those whose names are not in the book of life will be punished. It’s terrifying to think that your name might not be registered in that book! You can lose your spot on a government aid list—but not on the list of the book of life!  But what exactly is the book of life ? And how did people in biblical times understand it? Book of Life in the Old Testament First, we should note that during biblical times, books were actually scrolls . The codex—the book format we use today—came much later. So, technically speaking, the “book of life” is a “scroll of life.” The Old Testament already presents ideas related to the book of life. In Exodus 32:32 , when Moses pleaded for the Israelites, he said to God: “If you will not forgive their sin, then erase me from the book yo...
Read more