As a layman among scholars, discussing theological issues and learning about biblical translations can be quite intimidating. Conversations that start in a space you feel confident quickly soar way above your head leaving you feeling overwhelmed and asking yourself “How did we get here…wherever here is?”. Names such as Augustine, George Whitefield, Gary Habermas, F.F. Bruce, and others are dropped like hot potatoes, and theologies such as Eschatology’s Premillennialism vs. Postmillennialism, discussions of cessationism vs continuationism, and words such as hermeneutics and soteriology fly around like fireflies in the night air. Growing in your understanding of God’s Word and the theology it contains takes patience and knowing the purpose of your studies.
The first book you pick up on theology will likely not be Systematic Theology by Millard J. Erickson – a very comprehensive look at all the theology of the Bible. However, don’t sell yourself short! Have confidence in the abilities God has given you, and more importantly trust that the Holy Spirit will guide you in your study of Him that He will reveal His truth to you.
In the same vein do not sell the knowledge of God short. Do most Christians need to understand soteriology (the theology of salvation) well enough to write a full dissertation on the topic? Of course, not! But having a firm grasp of salvation is essential to our beliefs. Far too often I hear the phrase “well I don’t need to know that”, but Scripture is clear that the knowledge of the Lord is central to following God. The Psalms are full of verses like Psalm 1:1-2:
1 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Paul also encourages us time and time again such as in Colossians 1:9-10:
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
We should want to know our Father more and more, deeper and deeper as we mature in our faith.
So, when you watch a video or read a book or article on theology, be prepared to find things you are unfamiliar with and just spend some time researching what you don’t know before moving on. Having the internet at our disposal has made information more accessible than at any time in history, and we should be using this to our advantage! There are many brilliant theologians and philosophers out there that have spent their lives studying theology, who have put together incredible resources for those looking to expand their horizon (Check out our “Suggested Reading” page and coming soon “Helpful Links”). Have a dictionary, or smart phone ready for the words you don’t know, and be willing to ask someone, such as your pastor, when the internet doesn’t quite cut it.
You must also recognize your limitations and purpose for study. Your limitations of both time and how you learn best. Taking on more than you can handle will quickly wear you out and push out more information than you take in. Knowing what you want the information for should guide how deep you go: personal study, leading a study, as opposed to giving a sermon or teaching an in-depth study on a topic at an academic level.
At first, try to stick to a max of two levels of study if you can. What I mean by this is if you find yourself needing to define a word and then have to look up the meaning of an additional word in that definition, or you are studying a topic but find you need to study another subject to be able to understand the original topic, maybe take a step back and take a smaller bite.
For example, if you are wishing to study the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism, and you look up “total depravity”, but are unsure what original sin is, maybe start with a study of original sin and build upon the basics before taking on the Calvinism and Arminianism debate in its entirety. You also don’t want to get lost in the weeds by digging deeper than the time you have allotted. If you are simply wanting an introductory understanding of Creation, don’t get off-track trying to understand every aspect of the concept of Creation ex nihilo (creation out of nothing) and leave more confused than informed.
The word of God is a gift of immeasurable worth, and as Christians we should crave understanding of our Creator and Savior. This knowledge, however, does nothing to save us or make us more worthy than anyone else belonging to God. This knowledge should not be shunned as a waste of time nor lauded over others as a badge of honor but treasured as a thing of great value. The more you study the more you will be able to take. Start small and see how much deeper you can go as time goes on. So, what are you waiting for? Wade out into the sea of theology and trust that God will see you through!
Until the next time we see you here at CultivatingFaith.org, God Bless! #CultivatingFaithOrg
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