Theology means the study of God, and to some, the word
sounds scary. It sounds like something that only smart, intellectual people can
engage with. That makes them uncomfortable, for it suggests that the gospel is exclusively for the elite.
People are suspicious of theology because some worry that it
would puff someone up with pride. People are worried that too much focus on the
Word of God will only lead to head knowledge without changing the heart.
There is some degree of truth in these statements. It is
true that there are certain Christians who see theology as a means of looking
good. And there are some Christians who say that in order to be a Christian,
you must be able to perfectly express all kinds of theological doctrines.
Some may use special words such as “propitiation”, some may
critique in detail a verse or a book they have just read, some may talk about theologians and church history thoroughly.
Christians can be so over-eager to share what they have
learnt about God that they may have not realised that they drew a blank with the
people they are talking to.
But it is also equally true that Word ministry is of great
importance. Our minds need to be shaped by it.
In Romans 12:1-2, we are called to renew our minds, so that
we are able to think God-patterned thoughts, and thus able to live out holy, God-pleasing lives.
And in the gospel, Jesus quoted Scripture to say that we are
to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind. (Luke 10:27).
What our minds think about God is important.
Theology is not a collection of dry facts we know about God.
Theology shapes our ideas about who God is.
For example, when I say I want to know more about somebody,
this does not mean I want to gather cold, hard facts about them. It means I
want to spend more time knowing them as they are. It means I want to spend time
listening to what they have to say.
God has revealed Himself in His Son Jesus. (Hebrews 1:1-2) When
we read the Bible, we know Jesus more and more. We say we know Him better and
more deeply.
Theology is less about rationality and intellectualism, and
more about the person of Jesus. Theology is learning about the gospel more.
Learning about the gospel is hard. First, it is hard
emotionally. It tells us of our sin and our need of a Saviour.
Second, it is hard understanding it. There are a great many
things that we have to learn when we become a Christian. Like in a relationship
where we have to understand a person’s complicated backstory, or their complex personality.
But though the gospel is not easy to understand, it is in
its essence very simple
.
The gospel is simply God, who came in the person of Jesus,
to die on the cross to save us sinners from His judgment on sin.
That is already the gospel.
Growing in theological understanding gives us more to
appreciate about this great truth. Like when you know someone more and more, you are able to better appreciate who they are too.
But let us also not think that we must store
up various facts about God and His church in order to become a Christian. And
may we not let our knowledge cause us to stumble younger Christians! (1
Corinthians 8:1-11)
Nonetheless, we must try, in our weakness, to grow in
knowledge of Him (Philippians 1:9-11). We mustn't be discouraged if studying the Word is overwhelming
at first. The more our minds and hearts are exposed to gospel truths, the more
we understand Him better.
We can only love God if we understand rightly - not necessarily in such complicated terms - who He is.