Bible Students

All people have their own idea of who God is, based personal experiences and reading. Some of these ideas are according to God’s Word, but some of them are not. Having worked in junior high ministry, I often have students who say something about God. Most of the times this is from students who know God well through His Word. Sometimes, not so much. 

God wants us to know who He is, both what He has done and what kind of character He has. Because of this, He gave us His Word. Knowing God through His Word is often called theology. Theology is an ancient compound word from the Greek theos and logos, simply meaning the study of God. 

For disciples to understand God well, it is helpful for disciple makers to understand Him well also. So, let’s take a look at how we can explore God’s Word consistently in order to know Him in the way He has given us. 

What is Theology and How Should it be Done?

Theology is the study of what the Bible says about a certain topic. Now, there are at least three essential components of this study. First, theology must be a personal understanding. For example, theology can not just be about knowledge, but also heart and action. Second, theology must look in all the places it can. For example, we must answer questions from life like “why does God allow evil?” Third, theology must center around the Bible. For example, we will not be attempting to know God through the Quran or other religious writings. 

First, theology must be a personal understanding. Understanding does not come from a surface-level viewing of life or a text, but rather comes from diligent study. To understand through theology must be to vigorously study what God is like. Theology takes effort. Theology apart from effort is not theology at all, but rather a surface understanding of who God is (in the case of theology proper, though this applies to all other kinds of theology as well). This surface-level understanding is not a true reflection of theology, and will lead to many assumptions which are not true. 

Second, theology must look in all the places it can. Theology can not be a look at only one small aspect of life or Scripture, but must take into account the whole of reality. One theological point should not be understood apart from another relevant theological point. For example, if Paul in the New Testament claims salvation is by faith alone but James in the New Testament claims faith without works is dead, these two claims can not be understood apart from each other. To understand theology comprehensively means to take into account all the Bible and experience say on a certain topic. 

Lastly, theology must be based in the Bible. There is such a thing as natural theology, where creation is sought to be understood on its own terms in order to give a picture of God. This is the study of general revelation, which gives some aspects of God all people can know through the observation of the universe. However, this is not the foundation for complex (studied) theology. General revelation does not give much direction, and can be much more easily misunderstood than special revelation, namely the Bible. The Bible must be the foundation for a theological understanding of the world and God. Scripture must be listened to if one is to understand theology. Listening to Scripture does not mean reading “proof-texts” for a certain position, but rather taking the text on its own terms and practicing proper hermeneutics. To understand theology biblically is to listen to all the Bible has to say, and to take that as the foundation for theological understanding. 

Theology can not be understood apart from those three essential aspects. It must be done with diligent study of the whole Bible. Theology can not stand apart from hard work. Theology can not make sense without examining what the whole Bible says about something. Theology will not have a proper foundation apart from the Bible. These three aspects of theology are what make it such an important practice today.