I have heard “Christ-followers” say time after time that
they hate theology or that theology is bad or theology makes people cold etc. It has even become slightly trendy in certain
circles to say such things. I typically just shrug it off and give them the
benefit of the doubt that they probably don’t know what they are saying. But
what are they really saying?
Jesus said that all of Scripture is about Him, and the
Scriptures teach us that He is God. Therefore all of Scripture is words about
God or “theology,” which comes from “Theos” meaning “God” and “Logos” meaning
“Word.” Theology then, in its simplest definition, is words about or the study
of God.
So, when “Christ-followers” say that they hate theology, they
are really saying that they don’t like the Bible, that they don’t like to talk
about God, and that they don’t want to know any more about God. I guess what they are really saying is… that
they aren’t Christian.
Brothers and sisters, please, just say what you mean! Not all theology is bad. Any theology
that is not centered in Christ, which only shares a partial truth or is
completely false, is bad. For an example
of bad theology turn on your TV to any of the “Christian” stations; your first
“Hour of Power” should serve as a pretty good introductory course.
“Never Read a Bible Verse.”
what we should believe, how we should live, who we should marry, etc. He gave us a narrative that contains other
narratives. Verse distinctions were not
made until after the Scriptures had been written and compiled and were never
intended to make verses islands or bullet points. When reading the Bible we should seek to find
how a single text of Scripture fits into the larger narrative, the Bible as a
whole, and God’s ultimate plans in redemptive history. There is a saying that goes, “never read a Bible
verse.” The problem with many people’s theology is that they take a single
verse or phrase of Scripture and begin to form doctrines around that single
thought without taking into account the broader context. Please,
don’t do that.
