Monday, December 7, 2009

Everyone is a Theologian

Many people tend to hide behind the statment, "I'm not a theologian." That is always a convenient excuse to justify misguidied and/or heretical theology. The fact is that everyone is a theologian. Any statement about God is in and of itself theological, and right theology is critical in understanding who God is and who we are in relation to God and the rest of creation. What one believes about God affects how and if one worships the one True God or some idol.

Though it takes time to systematize Scripture in one's mind, one can understand God's Word if one asks of Him to teach oneself. William Carey, the great missionary to India who was one of the Founding Fathers of the Modern Missionary Movement, was a cobbler (shoe maker) who become a premier theologian. He did this because He was committed to learning the Word of God so that he could then rightly apply it.

Right applied theology (applying God's Word to one's life) is always rooted in right sytematic theology (what the Bible says on a particular topic) and biblical theology (overarching theme of what the Bible is communicating in all its parts as a whole unit).

Therefore, let us strive to become skilled theologians so that we can love Him and love our neighbor as He commands in more prfound way to His glory.

1 comment:

Meggan said...

amen. The more we know about God (as He has revealed Himself to be) the more we worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.