Theology is the "queen of sciences" and probably the first science since it formulated the basics of all we still know of God. It is based on Scripture, the immediate revelation of God, and cannot be disputed by man's conjecture or speculation. We are all theologians in a sense because we all have private ideas concerning God and interpret the Bible accordingly. It's not that some people are just good at theology and are therefore theologians, but some people just take a liking to this avenue of knowledge--direct from God.
Someday even science will have to admit that the theologians were right and they will meet together where theologians have stood for centuries, contemplating the origin of the universe, of evil, of man, et al. Theology is not an abstract science that is a fool's errand of speculation, rather it's an exact science based on the faith that God has revealed to us what we need to know. It's not a matter of faith versus reason, but of faith in God versus faith in science, or which set of presuppositions you decide to accept as your starting point. In other words, everyone has faith!
You can know all there is to know of theology and miss the boat spiritually, yet theology is necessary, though it's not sufficient. You must have your heart in the right place and have faith in God, not just head knowledge or consent to a dogma. We all need a sound theology to mature in Christ, and that is why theologians are necessary--those that devote themselves to this endeavor. The reason is that you cannot avoid theology--we're all theologians (those who study the nature of God)! However, you can get A's in theology class and hardly know the Lord, because it's just head knowledge--it must go down 18 inches to the heart.
Many people distrust theologians because they seem to be intellectuals with their heads in the clouds or on abstract ideas, but this is unwarranted because there are theologians who know the Lord and know how to apply theology to the Christian experience. It's the immature believer who balks at learning the teachings of God in-depth and doesn't go on to know the Lord. We must get an intellectual grasp on the concepts found in theology because something cannot be in your heart that's not first in your head! That's why it's vitally important that our heart is in the right place, even before we get our thinking straightened out--which is commanded in 2 Cor. 10:5, ESV, to "take every thought captive to obey Christ." Otherwise, we will be "carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Eph. 4:14, ESV). When we are ignorant of basic doctrine we are vulnerable to the assaults of Satan and are led astray by false doctrine and even doctrines of demons.
The mistake is to be overly convinced that the primary goal is to be right in everything; however, it's imperative that our hearts be in the right place more so than our doctrine be "impeccably correct." There are some controversies worth the fight to see what the truth is; godless ones are not. Sound doctrine must be ascertained and heresy denounced--this is the calling of polemics or of defending the faith. Soli Deo Gloria!
Someday even science will have to admit that the theologians were right and they will meet together where theologians have stood for centuries, contemplating the origin of the universe, of evil, of man, et al. Theology is not an abstract science that is a fool's errand of speculation, rather it's an exact science based on the faith that God has revealed to us what we need to know. It's not a matter of faith versus reason, but of faith in God versus faith in science, or which set of presuppositions you decide to accept as your starting point. In other words, everyone has faith!
You can know all there is to know of theology and miss the boat spiritually, yet theology is necessary, though it's not sufficient. You must have your heart in the right place and have faith in God, not just head knowledge or consent to a dogma. We all need a sound theology to mature in Christ, and that is why theologians are necessary--those that devote themselves to this endeavor. The reason is that you cannot avoid theology--we're all theologians (those who study the nature of God)! However, you can get A's in theology class and hardly know the Lord, because it's just head knowledge--it must go down 18 inches to the heart.
Many people distrust theologians because they seem to be intellectuals with their heads in the clouds or on abstract ideas, but this is unwarranted because there are theologians who know the Lord and know how to apply theology to the Christian experience. It's the immature believer who balks at learning the teachings of God in-depth and doesn't go on to know the Lord. We must get an intellectual grasp on the concepts found in theology because something cannot be in your heart that's not first in your head! That's why it's vitally important that our heart is in the right place, even before we get our thinking straightened out--which is commanded in 2 Cor. 10:5, ESV, to "take every thought captive to obey Christ." Otherwise, we will be "carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Eph. 4:14, ESV). When we are ignorant of basic doctrine we are vulnerable to the assaults of Satan and are led astray by false doctrine and even doctrines of demons.
The mistake is to be overly convinced that the primary goal is to be right in everything; however, it's imperative that our hearts be in the right place more so than our doctrine be "impeccably correct." There are some controversies worth the fight to see what the truth is; godless ones are not. Sound doctrine must be ascertained and heresy denounced--this is the calling of polemics or of defending the faith. Soli Deo Gloria!
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