In a previous post I asked for your input on two quotes about theology. I will look at the first here, and the second in a later post.
Here is the first quote again:
Theology is supernatural. It is thinking the thoughts of God. It is fire in the bones. It is the breath of God upon your lips. The light of God in our very soul. It is the most challenging and the most rewarding task a person can ever undertake. It is an attempt to know the Unknowable; to understand the Incomprehensible. While no one can fully do these things, we can know and understand some small portion. And those who have tasted this heavenly gift, long for more.
This is a quote from me. I know…. It’s vain to quote yourself. But wait until you read what I say about it.
I wrote the statement above ten years ago as part of a theology training class I was offering in the church I pastored. I distinctly remember that when I wrote it, I was trying to sound like Charles Spurgeon when he spoke about theology.
Today, I shudder at this quote, not only for the vanity it represents in trying to sound like someone I am not, but also for the concepts it carries. In the quote, I feel I have replaced God with theology. I made theology into an idol. Some of the things I say in there should only be said about God; not about the study of God.
Theology Can Become an Idol
And that is the primary danger of theology. In learning theology, we can confuse the study of God with God Himself, and begin to worship a manmade creation, rather than the Creator. I am not sure I have fully broken free of this yet, and maybe in another ten years, I will look back and shudder at some of what I write now.
Theology Is Not the Goal
I just want to warn you: If you study theology, make sure that learning theology is never the goal. The goal of theology is love: love for God and love for others. If learning theology does not lead to love, then abandon the study, for you are learning wrong theology.
We will look at the second quote later today.
two items; 2nd first,.. quoting yourself when you were developing and revealing Spurgenest aspirations excellent! We stand on the shoulders of giants. ( I did my best to sound like my musical aspirations,.. after enough variety and blending I began to sound like myself as I was attracted to some inner music in the first place,.. and now feel an obligation to pass it on,.. I teach,..thoughts on the culture of jazz.1rst item; A primary goal of Theology I believe is to accept en toto who G-d says He is. The requires utter dependance on His revealed word, being inerrant and foundational. Humanistic theology clearly exemplified in the presumptions of Job’s friends fails to grasp imcomprehensible sovreignty. ” it is the sole purpose of man to glorify G-d.” being a disp messianc jew does not preclude my adherance to Sola Scriptura.
Elias,
Do you limit God’s revelation of Himself only to what is in Scripture? Even if so, who gets to decide how to properly understand what is written?
We’ll get into some of this when we jump into the Study of the Bible next week (or the week after).
re: limiting G-d’s revelation to scripture only? not at all,.. the heavens declare the Glory of God( I am an apologist of varying stripes), answered prayer, personally present at a moments of supernatural revelation and evangelical harvest,my own Damascus style new birth, simutaneous with my wife’s in another city,.. we were both alone and unbeknownst to each other,calling out to the unknown god?… whoever he might be? I place no limit’s on G-d’s sovreign capacity to reveal H-mself in the darkest corners of the earth where there are no Christians, bibles etc. I am very cautious with (vain?) philosophies that seek to interpret (deconstruct?) the bible in reductionist systems. The point is the canon(from cubit) is the yardstick by which all other yardsticks are measured first,… off a degree in port, miles off course out to sea,i.e. ( upon this rock ain’t the pope) been there done that,..looking forward to Study of Bible, be blessed and filled with revealed Joy of the Lord. Baruch HaShem. ps I own many many books,… which one you think I would take to the desert island.
Elias,
I must have misunderstood what you were saying in the previous comment. Sorry about that. I am having trouble understanding what you are saying in the comments.
As far as which book to take to a desert island, I hope you would take a book on ship building.
That’s a good desert island line, I got to remember that.
I assumed the quote was from a sermon or speech by someone like a theology professor to aspiring or beginning theology students. It does get a bit lofty.
Your more recent statement (Under “Theology Is Not the Goal”) shows you’re getting your feet planted on terra firma.
My paraphrase of the very thoughts and words of God (as spoken by Jesus): “Love me with all of your being. A big part of that is loving other people. This is what’s behind the Law and the Prophets, (and theology). Without love for me and people, these things (law, prophets and theology) are meaningless.”
Sam,
You stole my thunder! That is pretty much the point I will be making when I critique the second quote later today.
When you get a chance, look at the e-mail I sent you in the middle ofm the night.
Ha Ha I stand corrected or sink,, my wife has trouble understanding me too,
I think the key to determining if theology is an idol or not is peeling back the layers even deeper. Do I *really* want to study theology because I love God? Or do I just want to think of myself as well-informed and intelligent? Am I more interested in winning debates? Am I more interested in feeling like I’m part of some exclusive club?