That said, it would be better, when encouraging young (or new) believers to start learning theology, to tell them that such a venture ought to be done with caution and discernment. Logical and analytical thinking must also be encouraged.

Coming back to the first question, it raises a good point- we have trouble enough getting our Christian youths to study the Bible, but theology? Isn't it asking too much?

Before I go on, let me digress a little by defining what I mean by Bible study and theology.

Bible study is, basically, (whether done with oneself or a group) consists of a reading of selected Bible passages, and then usually discussing (whether with oneself or others) its meaning and how it can be applied today.

What are its uses? Many, to say the least. It gives a good grip of what's going on in the Bible (Though I would hesitate to say that it would give us a good understanding of the Scriptures. I think that is theology's job. But more later.). It also gives us good instructions on how to live as a Christian today. But then again, theology does that as well.

And what is theology? Someone who edited "Theology" in Wikipedia defined it as such:

Theology refers to discourse concerning religion, spirituality, God, and other religious topics, that attempts to be reconciled with both the language and concepts of belief as well as those of reason and rationality (cf. Western empiricism).

That is one side of it. Theology is also the study of the Bible with the aim of knowing God & His Word deeper, and better. It aims to piece together the ideas found in the Bible to make a coherent doctrine. You don't get the doctrine of the Trinity through Bible study, you learn it through theology. Theology is also the combining of exegetical understanding of different Bible passages into a certain category.

Hence, theology creates such things as Soteriology (consisting of everything pertaining to salvation) to Eschatology (consisting of everything the Bible has to say about the end times). I'm having in mind Systematic Theology at this point, though.

Theology, I think, is something every Christian ought to learn as soon as they are able to grasp such concepts. Teenagers are the ones who are primed and ready to go, in this regard.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 at 6:39 PM. |