In this series of post on the topic of doing theology, I have covered the 5 ways not to do theology, explored the source of doing it correctly, saw the help we receive from the creeds, confession, and catechism, and understood the place the church plays in our lives of doing theology. Today we come to the final post (for now) on doing theology. This post will cover the goal of doing theology.
Before we explore the goal of doing theology, a few important points to keep in mind. First, theology is the study God, the Bible, Jesus, sin, salvation, and all the other truths the Bible brings to light. When we read our Bibles we are doing theology work. When we listen to a sermon, we are listening to theology spoken. When we study the depth and beauty of God, either in His common revelation or His special revelation, we are drinking from the theological fountain. Theology is everywhere around us and is clearly taught in God's Word.
Second, all of us are theologians. Every single person has a theological framework. Stephen Hawking had a theology of God, Creation, salvation, and the supernatural. Billy Graham had a theology of God, Creation, salvation, and the supernatural. Even the person who claims they can't read or thinks theology does not matter or rejects the use of the mind as a Christian, has a theological framework of God, Creation, salvation, and the supernatural (it just might be really poor or heretical). Everyone is a theologian, doing theology.
Third, theology is at the heart of a Christian, in that, what a person knows and thinks always drives what they do. Whether it is the Torah, the Prophets, David, Jesus, or Paul, all of the Biblical writers and speakers command a love of God with our minds. Paul is very clear, what you think in your mind drives your heart and passions, which in turn drives what you do. Theology is loving God with our minds, which in turns lights a fire and passion in our hearts (which is theology of the heart). When our hearts are on fire for God and being driven by the mind, what we do is being driven by we think. Theology is the center of a Jesus lover.
Fourth, doing theology is the point of both studying theology and living theology. Doing theology is theology in motion. What we think about God, drives our emotions which in turn drives our actions. How we understand God to save, drives what we feel and in turn drives how we live our lives. Because our mind is the engine that drives our actions, loving God with our mind in the deep truths of who He is will always lead to doing what we think of God. A true theologian does not just study theology, they live that theology out in action. Doing theology is both growing in love with God in the mind and loving God with the hands through action.
All four of these four points make it very clear, theology (including all the fields of theological study) revolve around a love, study, and worship of God. The goal of theology is to glorify God, period. Theology is a joyful and glorious activity becasue it is ultimately about glory and joy of our God. Theology is simply eloquence about God, called forth by His glory. Since we exist to glorify God, theology is about the glory of God.
Here is the problem. We as humans think it is about us, always. Even as Christians, we still think it is about us. We think God created us becasue He needed us. We think God is good because we need the goodness. We think God saves us because salvation is about us. We think the church (God's gathered people) exist for our good. We think the Bible is about us. We think singing songs in church is about us. We as Christians (in more ways than I can express) always think it is about us.
This has led people to think theology is about us. We study God to gain wisdom for ourselves. We dig deep into the depths of God's salvation, to prove we as humans have the power. We study creation to prove it is the human power that must save creation. We study the supernatural to see the power we as humans can have. We study the Bible to learn about Jesus and learn how we as humans must live righteously. We drink deeply from the end times prophecy to somehow be ready for our fate and future. None of the above things mentioned are inherently wrong. But we study theology becasue we think theology is about us, our knowledge, and our power. Sadly, theology has, nor ever will be, about us. Theology and doing theology has always been about God.
When Paul drinks deeply from the ocean of God's salvation (Romans 1-11), He explodes in glory to God. When David understands the beauty of God and His tender mercy, He stands in awe with worship. When Isaiah understands the depth of God's holiness, he declares "woe is me, all glory to God". And when John realizes the full plan of God, he writes for the glory of God in worship. True theologians are always only about the glory of God. It is God's glory that drives theology. It is God's great name that motivates a theological growth. It is God's praise that always produces theology in motion.
Doing theology always leads to transformation. Doing theology always produces worship. Doing theology always leads to God's glory being exposed. Doing theology always produces a pleasure in God that drives the theologian to want more. The goal of doing theology is always about the glory of God. We, as theologians, are simple partakers in the great divine glory of God. A true theologian is a worshiper. A true theologian is a living sacrifice of praise. A true theologian is one who exist for the glory of God above all else. Doing theology always leads to the glory of God as its only goal.
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