Natural Theology

"Dear brothers and sisters, don't be childish in your understanding of these things.  Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind"  (1 Cor. 14:20, NLT).

Theology is called the queen of sciences and is not an abstract study nor a so-called "fool's errand of speculation", but down to earth, systematic, and relevant;  it is in the application that the power is apparent.  All Scripture has theological undertones and significance (Note 2 Tim. 3:16, KJV, emphasis added,  "All Scripture is given inspiration of God, and profitable for doctrine...").  Childish faith balks at in-depth study, and thrives on the milk, without ever maturing to solid food! 

Charles Darwin attempted to become a preacher, before becoming embittered by the death of his father and was quite impressed with a book by William Paley, called Natural Theology.  In it, there is proof of God's existence, including the "argument from design."  For example, if you found a watch in the middle of a forest, you'd assume someone put it there, and even that someone made it and designed it, due to a design--voila--a Designer!  Now we've proved God's existence indirectly.  Men have no excuse for disbelieving in Him, there is ample evidence for anyone willing to do His will. Even Bertrand Russell, the most famous atheist of the UK and of the twentieth century probably, was asked if he found out there was a God, what he'd tell Him:  "Why didn't you give us more evidence?"  There is never enough evidence for the skeptic; note that Russell admitted that there was indeed evidence!

There is great inherent value in doctrine because it essentially means teaching; we are to disseminate sound doctrine according to Titus 2:1.  You can have a sound theology, though, and not a sound spiritual life; however, without sound theology, in its essential and non-negotiable aspects, you cannot have a sound Christian life.  It's not a matter of being good at theology or thinking that if you know some theology, you are better, and others are poor specimens of the faith.  We are all theologians by any definition of the term; it's not a matter of semantics--all Christendom should be on the same page here!

We need to know the scoop or the lowdown in order to live right.  Our actions and beliefs are interrelated and correlated.  Scripture says that in the latter days, some will bail out theologically, and no longer listen to sound teaching (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3).  Nonbelievers are defined as those who reject the truth in Romans 2:8, but God is able to open their eyes and show them the light when the day dawns and the morning star arises in their hearts (cf. 2 Pet. 1:19).  There is no "secret knowledge" like the Gnostics (those in the "know") taught, but everything God wants us to know and all we need is written in the Word. The things hidden are not in the Apocrypha ("hidden"), but they don't belong to us at all (cf. Deut. 29:29).

Theologians, or those who make theology their pursuit, are an unpopular breed.  They get a bad rap and this is with all due respect because there are so many false teachers out there.  We cannot reject theology, for that would be spiritual suicide in rejecting the knowledge of God--it's no option!  One of the signs of the last days is the rise of false prophets and/or teachers saying what the people want to hear with their itching ears.

There is also natural law (sometimes called transcendent law from God) that all men are aware of in their God-given conscience, and they have no excuse for not knowing basic right and wrong--it's not social custom nor inherited by genes, but granted by God's common grace to all men.  Paul says to look to creation and you will see that man has no excuse (Romans 1:20, NLT, says, "... So they have no excuse for not knowing God").  However, though there are many "proofs" for God, it cannot be done scientifically, for those who will only believe what science posits:  God is outside the domain of science, because He is unseen, immeasurable, and infinite, meaning you cannot define nor confine Him for experimental research with laboratory conditions.  God demands faith, and so the only absolute proof of God is by experience, knowing Him personally by invitation.  You cannot know without any reservation that there is a God, except that He came to earth and revealed Himself to us--Jesus is all the theology we need (i.e., knowing Him is where it's at).

Just because there is bad theology, doesn't mean we can avoid it or reject it.  There is also good theology and you don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!  Bad theology needs to be answered.  We do have the option to reject biblical knowledge as believers, for this is ultimately rejecting God.  The wise are hungry for the truth  (cf. Prov. 15:14), and knowledge is found on their lips since they store it up.  We are commanded to "study to show yourself approved unto God," and this implies we are to become students of the Word and ready apologists for the Lord.  The elders and deacons are to have the ability to refute false doctrine and defend the faith (cf. Titus 1:9, NKJV, which says, "[Holding] fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict").  

And so, it's not "those theologians!" It's "what kind of theologian are you?"  Just like we are all preachers and Good Samaritans, even if it's not our gift, we are to study the Word systematically, if possible, and to learn to discern truth from error and discern the solid food of the Word, not surviving solely on the milk of the Word.  All theology was designed to be understood with the mind (we have the mind of Christ and illuminating ministry of the Spirit), and theology is said to enter the heart via the mind, not vice versa.

And in conclusion, doctrine or theology is necessary for healthy spiritual growth, but not sufficient:  the fact that our hearts be right is more important than what school of theology we subscribe to.  Our doctrine doesn't need to be impeccably correct, but our heart needs to be in the right place!  Scripture, however, does teach both the primacy of the heart and of the mind--God wants us to understand the Word!   The mere presentation of doctrine can leave a person cold and seem farfetched to the spiritually naive because it must be enlightened by the Spirit and done in the right way, not just as an intellectual exercise!   We are not called to make converts to our school of theology, and God won't even ask us what we held so dear doctrine-wise, but to be held accountable for our works, when the final audit of our life's work is done.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Knowing What To Believe

Someone has remarked that people get their beliefs like they catch colds (probably referring to The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, where he alleges that "faith is caught" and religion is a "mental virus"), and they get faith from hanging around certain people and becoming infected--they don't think independently, but get easily persuaded by the loudest and most vociferous voices heard. You can predict what these people think of the crowd they hang around. They have not learned the science of critical thinking and know nothing of being skeptical when it does matter.


Consider the source!  Who is saying what and what is the authority of that source?  They have not thought it out or been challenged in their thinking. Do they know what the person means by their terminology, sometimes there may be a semantic problem or a simple misunderstanding of definitions that can cause quarrels and misunderstandings?  Knowing what you believe is only the prelude to knowing why and defending and contending for the faith and your position as commanded. People have to come to the realization and awakening that it doesn't matter what people believe, but what matters is the truth and we must find it and defend it.


We often agree more than we disagree and it is vital to find commonality and not stress our differences, yet we are prone to disputations because of our human nature. Not knowing what you believe can be disastrous to keeping the faith.  You become susceptible to influence and persuasion by those more educated if you have no foundation and don't know the rules of the game or of engagement. The unschooled, unseasoned believer is "tossed to and fro ... by every wind of doctrine," according to Ephesians 4:14, ESV.  Scholars can sometimes take advantage of the unskilled in the Word (especially those skilled in the Koine Greek or Hebrew) and naive students are easy prey. People who are skilled at the technique and art of debate and polemics know that you should be able to argue both sides of a case to be able to be in a position to judge the merit of it.


Keep your mind open till you have considered the relevant verses, such as proof texts.  The reason is that you need a frame of reference and viewpoint to interpret reality and God's truth.  Sound doctrine is foundational--the building block on which all other knowledge, discernment, and wisdom rest, the simple basics and starting point. Doctrine cannot be avoided without committing spiritual suicide; it is the infrastructure of Bible knowledge and it's mandatory to learn the ABCs  You shouldn't just be able to converse on the subjects, but know where you stand and be ready to defend (cf. 1 Timothy 2:15) your convictions (you hold beliefs, by the way, but convictions hold you!). This is rudimentary and not subject to compromise!


You cannot be biased at the beginning and must be willing to go where the evidence leads, even if it is against your gut instinct and presuppositions, which may become shaken up a little and shock you out of your comfort zone. Flannery Connor said that truth doesn't change according to our ability to stomach it!  You will never arrive at the truth if you are unwilling to go there, or even consider it as an option!  You should know why you believe something, and not just because you accept someone's word for it or you accept someone's authority as a teacher.  For instance, Roman Catholics don't believe they have the individual authority to interpret Scripture, but that it is the domain of the clergy. This is why they swallow the belief that tradition is of equal authority with Scripture--they've never checked things out for themselves.


We are to follow the example, the Berean Jews who searched the Scriptures to see if these things that Paul taught were so (cf. Acts 17:11). This is a dangerous presumption to forego our responsibility to interpret Scripture because you are literally blindly putting the fate of your soul into someone's hands. This is literally coming full circle from the Reformation!  The Bible is the sole and final authority (sola Scriptura, or Scripture alone, as authority was a battle cry of the Reformation), and God has given each of us the privilege to interpret it, but also the responsibility to do it right.  God wants us to read the Word, and if we don't believe we can interpret the Bible, we will be less likely to do this.


There are a few critical questions (this is not original of mine) one needs to ask if one is to be skeptical and doubt someone at their word: Where do they get their information?  Is there evidence? Do they footnote it or do they assume you accept their authority?  Be vigilant about the meaning of terms and words, because they may mean something you don't understand.  Ask them to literally tell you what they mean by the words in question--this will reveal a lot.  Don't take words for granted! Always ask them what they mean by their proposition.  And most importantly, you must consider the issue of how they know it's true--is there evidence?  Some people confuse belief with truth and "feel" in their hearts something as true and that is "evidence."  Believing something doesn't make it true!  


Are they mystical and relying on their own experience (you'd be surprised how many people just "feel" something is true in their hearts!), or are they mere scholars (not that scholars are to be avoided--they are needed too!) who quote so and so?  The authority of the source is vital and one should weigh in on the validity of this source--for instance, do you have a Bible verse for that or are you just theorizing this for yourself? For example Martin Luther said he would only be persuaded by Sacred Scripture or evident reason, otherwise, he would not recant (not the papal authority either) at the Diet of Worms. Remember, "no Scripture [cf. 2 Pet. 1:20] is of any private interpretation," and this means no one can come up with some newfangled meaning, secret or esoteric knowledge, or "spiritualization" no one else will realize or apprehend.


John MacArthur has rightly said, that not knowing what you believe is a sort of non-belief!  We are not to waver in limbo not knowing anything for sure, but to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior and to study to show ourselves approved unto God, as workmen, not needing to be ashamed, but rightly diving or handling the Word of Truth (cf. 1 Timothy 2:15).  Not knowing what you believe will only make you susceptible and vulnerable to false doctrine and even doctrines of demons and, when people attack the faith, you will have no basis to answer them or defend the faith (contending for the faith is not the option, but commanded in Jude 3).


The childish believer balks at learning the things of God in depth (cf. 2 Tim. 3:9) and isn't able to distinguish good from evil (cf. Heb. 5:14), therefore he tends only to the milk of the Word and is unskilled in the Word of Righteousness and isn't ready to digest the meat of the Word.  The more you are aware of what you believe, the better equipped you are to battle the forces of evil which attack us with ideas from the devil himself in an onslaught.  There is a false religion, false doctrine, and false mysticism out there that must be revealed and brought to light so that we are not influenced by it.

Knowing what you believe is the very foundation of living in faith and should also be a building block to the truth.  Never assume you have arrived or have monopolized the truth.  No one has cornered the market and we all need each other in the body to share insight and enlightenment.  We are to think in terms of doctrine as a vocabulary of the Spirit, not experience, and we need to learn how to think in a godly manner and be doctrinally correct to root out misconceptions and error from our thinking--we all need to get our thinking straightened out!  

Caveat:  Don't allow teachers or authorities to be the arbiters of truth--they often contradict each other--God alone is the arbiter of all truth based on what is revealed to us in Scripture (cf. Deut. 29:29, ESV, which says:  "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.").


In the final analysis, it is far more important to live out your beliefs, put them into action, and turn your creeds into deeds, than to be impeccably correct in all your doctrine. You cannot have a sound life without sound doctrine, according to R. C. Sproul, but you can have sound doctrine without a sound life--both are necessary and we shouldn't downplay either one.  Faith is only valid when it is acted upon, it is knowledge put to work to glorify God.  We will be judged by our deeds, not our beliefs; God isn't going to ask us what doctrinal position we hold on such and such or what church we went to, either--we aren't saved by our theory of the atonement, for instance!  

It is not that we will make assumptions (this is unavoidable), but the crux of the matter is on what evidence they rest! Remember:  To gain any knowledge you must first admit your ignorance (be teachable!), according to Socrates. You cannot avoid doctrine by claiming it is too arcane or only has academic value.
Soli Deo Gloria!

"How Does This Man Know ..?"

They really wondered how Jesus could be so wise, having never learned (been taught)--He was self-taught by God. Some people have only second-hand knowledge of God and not a first-hand experience from walking with Him.  1 John 2:27 (ESV) says:  "But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you.  But as his anointing teaches you about everything--and is true and is no lie, just as it has taught you--abide in him." Psalm 119:99 (ESV) says, "I have more understanding than all my teachers...."

Christians are not meant to be dependent on teachers forever but come of age spiritually enough to learn to be noble enough like the Bereans, who searched these things out for themselves what Paul taught.   Some believers that aren't even teachers are mighty in the Scriptures because they have learned to abide in the Word--it doesn't take high intelligence or any arcane knowledge.  When you meet a genuine believer, you will find out that he has had first-hand encounters in the Word and has learned to attend to it to hear God speaking to him.

There is nothing to be privy to except a basic reading skills and good study techniques.  We are not Gnostics claiming a secret knowledge that is necessary for salvation, but when we are able to discern good and evil (cf. Heb. 5:14) we can then be ready for the meat of the Word. The childish believer balks at learning the things of God in depth and remains an infant in the faith.  Deacons are called to "hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience [not reluctant to study the deeper truths]" (cf. 1 Tim. 3:9, ESV). The Bible is not abstruse and its basic message of salvation can be comprehended by children.

The simplicity of Scripture is a mystery and inscrutable to unbelievers who don't have the Spirit to enlighten them and show them the way. The way of salvation is not complicated nor a mystery to unravel, but the wise in this world, don't see its wisdom.  1 Cor. 1:25 ESV, says, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men").  God makes the world's wisdom foolishness.  All it takes is to be teachable and receptive, having a willing spirit, an open mind, and a needy heart.

When we are in heaven we will know what we cannot know in the flesh and every question will be answered to our satisfaction (Jesus said that "in that day" we "shall ask [Him] nothing").  We cannot know the secret things of God because they are none of our business, but that which is revealed in Scripture belongs to us forever (cf. Deut. 29:29).  As Jesus quoted the prophet in John 6:45 (ESV): "They shall all be taught of God"

No prophecy is of any private interpretation and that means we have the privilege to interpret Scripture, but not to fabricate our own truths--God is not going to give us a personal revelation of the meaning of a passage or prophecy that He doesn't give to others--we are to avoid strange teachings and people claiming special links to God that makes them infallible like the pope does.  It is the illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit that shows us the light in the Word and opens the eyes of our hearts.  We must learn to depend upon the leading of the Spirit and not depend on our own wits.

In summation, the aim of the teacher is to teach others and equip them to be able to pass on that which is committed unto them and spread the Word, and ultimately and hopefully so that they can also teach others and exponentially increase the ministry, rather than arithmetically. When they believe they don't need you anymore, that is good news and a blessing--the fulfillment of a ministry; we don't want them to become dependents!  2 Timothy 2:2 says to entrust these things to faithful men who will be able to pass them on to others.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Theology's Importance

Since we are talking about doctrine we should define theology, the most important doctrine, since it is the study of God. C. H. Spurgeon said that the highest thing man can do is contemplate the Godhead--it would blow his mind indeed! God is the highest thought possible. Actually, theology has been called "God-talk." In the 17th century, it was the past-time of every gentleman to discuss theology and most were well studied on the subject.

Of course, Theos means God, and logy refers to the study of. Theology is the queen of the sciences since it is really the original science if you call the attainment of truth a scientific endeavor. Theology is more than a philosophy which is just speculation, conjecture and hypothesis. Theology is based on revelation, not rationalization. We could only know God if He were to reveal Himself to us. "Canst thou by searching find out God?" Zophar asked Job. Only as God takes the initiative and reveals Himself to us. This is either mediate or immediate revelation. There is general revelation such as the heavens declaring the glory of God, and there is special revelation such as God's Word. (Erasmus of Rotterdam, the unsurpassed scholar of the 16th century who debated Luther, thought theology was the "bugbear" the Church's life.)

We are not to be debating theology for theory's own sake, or to keep it theoretical; we are to live it out. The purpose of studying God is to be led to God and know Him personally. However, the case is sad today, for in the last days some will "bailout theologically" as Swindoll couches it. We are seeing orthodox theology less and less tolerated in the name of tolerance. One day we tolerate as they define the term and then we are embracing. We should never give up on sound doctrine and theology. "Teach sound doctrine." "Adorn the doctrine of God." "All Scripture is profitable for doctrine...."

Theology is not a "fool's errand of speculation," nor an "abstract science," according to R. C. Sproul, but self-attesting truth. If the Bible appealed to anything else such as human logic or reason then it would be inferior to it--we must take that leap of faith to begin our knowledge of God. Sproul calls us all theologians; the question is whether our theology is sound or not. We can have a sound theology without a sound life, but not a sound life without a sound theology.

C. H. Spurgeon said, "No subject of contemplation will tend to humble the mind than thoughts of God." "Nothing will so enlarge the intellect." God wants us to see the world through the spectacle of God's Word. "We develop a taste for spiritual things," someone has said. "Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good...." Ps. 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." I was hoping to "whet your appetite."

As we learn we get PROGRAMMED with the Word of God. Remember the principle "GIGO" and apply the flip side which would be "the Word in = the Word out." (Not "garbage in = garbage out".) We see the world through the spectacles of God's Word we will have divine viewpoint instead of human viewpoint.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Let's Not Ridicule Theologians

Did you know, according to R. C. Sproul, that we are all theologians? The point is:  How good of a one are you?  You cannot escape it, whether you realize it or not you have a theology. We are epistles, known and read by all men!  "For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7). The question is not whether you have a theology, but what kind of theology you have, and whether it is "sound." We need to have our minds renewed by the "washing of water by the Word" (Eph. 5:26).

The truth will sanctify us and set us free. There are some Christians who are the type to get A's in a theology course, but they hardly know their God! Just being able to talk about theology in itself is no clue to maturity. It was every gentleman's hobby in the 17th century to discuss theology.

We must not look down on those less informed as "poor specimens." Let us also not look down on those who have a God-given desire to learn the things of God in depth, since an immature believer balks at learning the things of God in depth. However, the aim should be to have a simple faith and to keep it as simple as possible--not secluding ourselves in our ivory towers. Yes, we cannot escape theology, it is here to stay, and to reject it is not an option. Theologians get a bad wrap, but we need them!

By the way, R. C. Sproul is rated as one of the most influential theologians in the world and I can say that I personally owe him a debt of gratitude. I don't think his knowledge is just theoretical, but that he puts it into practice. The knowledge of doctrine is meant to be a means to an end (of knowing God), not just for storing it up--but for passing it on and practicing it. In the final analysis, it is not how much we know as to how much we sow.   Soli Deo Gloria!