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!

The Place Of Sound Doctrine...

To theologians:  Don't be content or satisfied just to be right in your doctrine, because there is more to the Christian abundant life than knowing all the answers, in being right all the time, or your "philosophy," because love is what makes us distinct--not orthodoxy, which can be a sham or pretense.  You can have all your theology correct and be hollow and shallow inside amounting to nothing spiritually, and then again you can know very little about doctrine (I assume you know the basics of a standard credo) and have a very strong faith.  However, if the doctrine you do believe in is not sound, your walk will not be either:  You can have a sound doctrine without a sound life, but not a sound life without sound doctrine--you cannot be a heretic, or out on a limb.

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To be a theologian is not a spiritual gift and we are all theologians; some are just better at it than others or are more serious about it.  It is not whether or not you are a theologian, but what kind of theologian you are--your doctrinal viewpoint reflects your theological school of thought and you see in this light in a sort seeing the big picture through a lens.  Without doctrine, you get tunnel vision and don't have any perspective.  A lot of theological skill is just plain academic skill and that is why all the great theologians have been men of great learning and expertise. A word of wisdom:  We are not rewarded according to how much we know, but how much we sow.

Doctrine is not everything, but it is still necessary, and if you realize that it means "teaching" you will not object to the nomenclature.  The early disciples were devoted to the "apostles' doctrine" according to Acts 2:42.  Paul urges Timothy to "watch your doctrine closely...."  There will come a time according to 2 Timothy 3 that men will not endure sound doctrine, but will "bail out theologically" to use Chuck Swindoll's wording.  No matter what, you cannot avoid facing up to theology or you commit spiritual suicide--this is not an option for the believer, according to R. C. Sproul, renowned theologian.

We are not all professional theologians and the reason they get such a bad rap is basically the distrust of theologians, and their reputation as being eggheads, intellectuals, and scholarly, and not realistic or applicable. To cite three well-known examples:  Where would we be without St. Augustine of Hippo, the greatest theologian of the first 400 years, of the church after the closing of the canon? It was Tertullian who first termed and taught clearly the doctrine of the Trinity.  "All Scripture is profitable for [what?] doctrine..." (2 Tim. 3:16); Athanasius was called the Father of Orthodoxy because of his diatribe with the Aryan heretics and defense of the triune Godhead.  

That is a loaded question since most people have a preconceived idea of what doctrine is. Doctrine is important; don't bail out theologically (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3). We all have a credo; we all have doctrines; some of us just don't have sound doctrine. Usually, they think of something dogmatic or doctrinaire or narrow-minded. They want to avoid doctrine. Actually, if we realize that all doctrine means is "teaching" then half the problem is solved. Who's against teaching?

Doctrine isn't just for intellectuals. You don't commit spiritual or intellectual suicide when you join a ministry or church. You are committing spiritual suicide if you ignore doctrine: It is a given and we are all theologians in a sense. We cannot avoid doctrine: "All Scripture is profitable for doctrine..." (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16). "Those who are wayward in spirit shall gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction [doctrine, as it were]" (cf. Isa. 29:14).

There is value in knowing the scoop, as it were, or being "clued in," because this gives us confidence and these two, according to Charles Swindoll, are like Siamese twins. Doctrine feeds the soul and is the spiritual bread that Christ referred to when He said, "You shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (cf. Matt. 4:4). Just because we are privy to some doctrine doesn't make us a cut above other Christians. " The mere presence of doctrine can leave us cold, even if it is sound doctrine." It is necessary for spiritual wellness but not sufficient.

We don't have the right to believe what we feel is right but must obey rules of hermeneutics and logic that apply to any other book as well. Avoiding controversy is un-Christlike because Christ didn't shy from controversy: "To avoid controversy is to avoid Christ" (see John Stott's book Christ the Controversialist) The early disciples were devoted to the apostles' doctrine or teaching. Remember, God wants us to be "mature in our understanding." Ignorance is not bliss! It is a childish faith that balks at learning Scripture in depth. The meat of the Word is for those who "have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (cf. Heb. 5:14). I rest my case!    Soli Deo Gloria!

We Are All Theologians

"You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1).
"Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept doctrine"  (Isaiah 29:24).
"They were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes [who footnoted and quoted the authorities]"  (Matt. 7:28,29).
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' doctrine, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer"  (Acts 2:42).
"Watch your life and doctrine closely..."  (1 Tim. 4:16).  BOLDFACE MINE.

Bear in mind that teaching is the same as doctrine, and theology or systematic theology is an organization of doctrines.  You cannot escape doctrine or you commit spiritual suicide.  Read on to see why.

Theology is not an abstract science, but the queen of sciences!   Theology is literally the study of God, while Christology is literally the study of Christ.  If you don't abide in the doctrine of Christ you don't have God (cf. 2 John 9).  If you believe in false doctrine you are a heretic if it is a major  (affirming the deity of Christ is a prerequisite for salvation,) it is a  necessary doctrine--we need to learn discernment and be orderly in our study and benefit from the scholarship of our church fathers--we don't have to start from scratch every generation---the church is Semper reformanda, or always reforming or improving; likewise our doctrine is Semper reformanda.   People sometimes refer to theologians in a derogatory manner, but I want to present them in a new light:

Where would our church be without the church fathers Athanasius, the Father of Orthodoxy, (or right doctrine), and Augustine the greatest theologian, arguably, that lived in the first millennium of church history?  We owe a debt of gratitude to giants such as John Calvin, who wrote Institutes of the Christian Religion, and Jonathan Edwards who began the Great Awakening.  To put things in perspective:  the well-known theologian Karl Barth was asked what was the deepest truth he had come across and he replied, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."  Now, I know theologians get a bad rap, but here's a case on their behalf, since I have been called a theologian myself too:

To quote my favorite theologian, R. C. Sproul:  "To reject theology is to reject knowledge, this is not an option for the Christian."  Also, we cannot reject theology per se, just because there exists bad theology.  "To reject all theology just because there exists bad theology is to commit spiritual suicide," says Sproul.  Theologian is not known to be a spiritual gift because, I believe, we are all potential theologians clerically and actual practical theologians by definition.  We don't avoid theology because we have a distaste for controversy either--we are to avoid godless controversy, not necessary ones.  What if Martin Luther had never nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the Wittenberg Castle church (All Souls Church) in 1517 to initiate the Reformation?  The spirit of the Protestant is this:  I dissent, I disagree, I protest. Sproul goes on to say that you can have sound doctrine without a sound life, but not a sound life without sound doctrine--think about that!

In other words, you can excel in the study of doctrine and not know the Lord--it can all be in your head!  The presence of doctrine is necessary, but not sufficient--you must add the Holy Spirit.  Asserting that theology is not important is tantamount to saying:  "It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere."  However, I want to stress, that as Protestants, we are not at the mercy of church doctrine and have the right to interpret Scripture for ourselves, but with the right comes the responsibility to interpret it right and that means eliminating subjectivism.  We cannot fabricate our own truths because no "Scripture is of any private interpretation" (2 Pet. 1:20).

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine" (2 Tim. 4:3).  I have just experienced this first hand at a Bible study tonight when the host said it was doctrine itself that turned him off to Christianity and he will have nothing to do with it.  What is doctrine, but teaching:  "All Scripture is profitable for doctrine..." (2 Tim. 3:16).  We all have our viewpoints and way of interpreting the Bible.  Doctrine in itself is a good thing but not an end in itself, but a means to an end and we are warned not to call good evil in Isaiah 5:20.  Knowledge of the Bible is necessary to spiritual health:  "You know not the Scriptures, nor the power of God"  (Matt. 22:29).

No one is perfectly objective except God, but have a school of thought or doctrine that we adhere to.  Examples are Arminian, charismatic, evangelical, Wesleyan, Reformed or Calvinistic, Catholic, ecumenical, and semi-Pelagian, among others.  There are the "freewillers" and the people who believe in predestination and election--that our destiny is ultimately in God's hands.  We all develop a system of doctrine and it grows as we mature in Christ.  One of the most basic doctrines we accept as Christians is the doctrine of the Trinity--so we are Trinitarians!   2 Tim. 4:3 can be translated:  "...Men will bail out theologically."

You are committing spiritual suicide and will never grow up if you ignore doctrine per se.  I'm not saying it is our goal to argue or debate doctrine, but we are to "study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed."  We are trying to catch people ultimately and win them over, not win an argument. Why do we want to know God?  To know Him is to love Him!   There is a direct correlation between our knowledge of God and our love for Him.  Be not deceived: there is a difference between knowledge of God and knowledge about God.

Systematic theology is an orderly view or presentation of the doctrines of the Bible.  Do you believe Jesus is God--that is basic doctrine and fundamental theology or "study of God" literally.  The childish believer or immature one balks at learning the deep things of God.  The man of God must hold the deep things of the word with a clear conscience (cf. 1 Tim. 3:9).  The milk of the Word is for the baby believer, but solid food or meat is for the mature or the one who discerns good and evil (cf. Heb. 5:14).

The point I'm trying to make is that we are all theologians, it's just what kind of theologian we are! You cannot escape theology or a system of theology--we all understand the Bible in a different light and one part of the body cannot say to the other that he isn't needed.  We need theologians and we are all theologians and this is no contradiction because the word has different nuances of meaning.   Theology is necessary to maturity, but not sufficient.  We can just study theology and not apply it and it will leave us cold.  We need theology but we also need to go beyond it so that we don't put God in a box and say, "I like to think of God as a ...."   We need to apply it and use it to interpret the Word.  If you believe you are saved and cannot lose your salvation you will interpret the Bible in a completely different light than if you aren't sure of your salvation or if you think you can lose it.          Soli Deo Gloria! 

Is Doctrine Prosaic?

I guess it comes with the territory of a theologian to be boring--ennui you might say. Everyone wants what's practical and not what is true to Scripture. The Bible says that in the last days many will "bailout theologically", maybe a bunch of "do-gooders" who aren't really interested in knowing the true God. This is spiritual suicide, because you can have sound doctrine without a sound life, but not a sound life without sound doctrine. We are all theologians, as it were, and the way we interpret Scripture has a lot to do with our ethics (orthodoxy and orthopraxy). Hos 4:6 says: "My people perish for lack of knowledge." Is 5:13 says: "For this reason, they go into captivity because they lack knowledge."

Some people think ignorance is bliss, but au contraire--knowledge is power (says Prov. 24:5); it is ignorance that binds us not knowledge. There is value to knowing the scoop, and getting the "big picture;" to whet one's appetite is progress. We have so-called "tunnel vision" (not seeing the forest for the trees) without knowing basic Bible doctrine and can "twist the Scriptures to [our own] destruction."

We need to recognize fallacious doctrine like the "perpetual virginity of Mary" and have no preconceived ideas. If we have no presuppositions we can have a better chance of arriving at the truth. That means we must have a teachable spirit. We take an open mind, a willing spirit and a needy or thirsty heart  (or teachable spirit, receptive mind, and obedient heart), to Scripture to have it speak to us. Doctrine gives substance to faith and biblical savvy is a fortification in the angelic conflict and war with the world, the flesh and the devil. Knowing doctrine is like having our antennae sensitized. It gives mental stability. As long as we "keep the main thing the main thing": In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity (St. Augustine's dictum). It is a childish faith that "balks at learning the things of God in depth," says R. C. Sproul.

 Once we know our way around the block theology-wise we can "deliver the goods" as we hone our skills. Doctrine is not blasé or dull; it is the foundation upon which our interpretation rests and the superstructures are built. We need to improve doctrine's reputation and realize that it is just "teaching" and basically it what the Bible teaches dogmatically. It is not an application like promises, commands, warnings, examples, but principals to have faith in. To be mighty in the Scripture like Apollos we need a frame of reference or a worldview, so to speak.

We can "add a cup of discernment" when we know doctrine--if you only drink of one fountain, you will lose it, according to Chuck Swindoll. But we must never be intolerant of those we disagree with, or what we have is "truth gone to seed." Remember, no one has a monopoly on the truth or has cornered the market. The Bible itself is profitable for doctrine and the measures up where we don't.  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!