JESUS OR THEOLOGY? You need both |1 Timothy 2:15

‘I don’t need theology, I just need Jesus ’ is a very popular statement you may hear someone say when you mention the word theology. Whether you know it or not, you are a theologian! That said, I want to show in this article how you cannot avoid being a theologian.

Meaning of Theology

The word ‘theology’ comes from the Greek word θεολογία (theologia), which is a combination of 2 words;Θεός (theos, God) and logia(λογία) which is related to the greek word Logos (λόγος) which means (word, account). When you combine the two words, theology basically means thinking about God. It is important to note that although the root word of theology focuses majorly on the study about God, it is not limited to God alone but the subject spreads to other faculties like man, creation, salvation, sin, human will, evil, satan etc.

The reason why theology is a broad term is that once we grasp who God truly is, we shall have a clear view and understanding of everything else. This is because God made everything else and His witness is true.

Who is a Theologian?

A theologian is someone who basically studies about the nature of God. A theologian is not someone at a seminary, with a beard, or a person who lived in the medieval ages. A theologian is neither someone who has much Christian literatures nor has the ability to quote and argue on matters of the church and doctrines.

A theologian is someone who studies the word of God, the Bible. The other Christian literature is important because it may help us understand some of the subjects better.

Everybody A Theologian.

Every person is a theologian. Whatever you can say about God, the state of man, the devil, religion, all of that is theology. You are either a good theologian or a bad theologian. A good theologian will always adhere to the Bible as the only primary source of truth about God. He will strive to read other materials with caution, lest he is dragged away by false teachings. A bad theologian will contradict God’s clear teaching. He will follow the words of men, pre-conceived notions about what the Bible ought to say than what it says. A bad theologian will always try to twist scriptures to teach what he desires.

For example: If I asked someone who is Jesus? They may point to me things like; the second person of the trinity, our savior, born by virgin Mary, he died and was resurrected on the third day, etc. So what do these answers say? That is basically what is theology. Now if you believe these things about Jesus, you have a sound doctrine or good theology about Jesus. If you believe that Jesus never died on the cross, He is not God, then you have bad theology.

Best Place to Study Theology

Bible is the best book to study if you want to study theology. 66 books of the Bible will help you to grow to study theology and know more about God. You can consider also going to the seminary and studying good books to deepen your understanding of God’s nature.
If you do not make your Bible standard, you will have a very bad, awful, stinking, weak, and blasphemous theology. Theology outside without scripture as a standard will bring out heresies.

Why Study Theology?

1:The Bible commands us to study God’s word. Although there is no word theology in the Bible, by definition of theology, we can agree that we are commanded to study God’s word. The verses below command us to study the word.

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15

8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Joshua 1:8

2. To know yourself. When you study scripture, you get to know God more, understand yourself more, and get to understand the depths, heights, breadths, and lengths of God’s love for sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross.

3. Studying theology will increase your joy and happiness. Those who know too little worry much, are always anxious, unstable in their faith, and never seem to rejoice in the Lord always. The more you know how God loves us, how His mercies are new every morning, and how He is so good and gracious to His people, the more you will find joy in the Lord.

4. Studying theology will deepen our worship. Worship is directly related to theology. The more theology you know, the deeper your worship goes. Shallow theology will lead to shallow worship. How can you worship who you know not or know very little?

24God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 4:24 NKJV

God cares what we know about him. He seeks those who worship him in truth and in the spirit.

May we seek to know God more and more. Study theology. Be a good theologian. Share the Word.

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