03.01. THEOLOGY
Systematic Theology
1. THEOLOGY THE NATURE OF THEOLOGY THE POSSIBILITY OF THEOLOGY THE NECESSITY OF THEOLOGY
Theological reflection is the most important activity a human being can perform. This statement may astonish some readers, but an explanation of the meaning and implications of the theological enterprise should provide justification for such a claim. We will consider the nature, possibility, and necessity of this field of study in the next several pages. THE NATURE OF THEOLOGY The word THEOLOGY refers to the study of God. When used in a broader sense, the word may include all the other doctrines revealed in Scripture. Now, God is the supreme being who has created and even now sustains all that exists, and theology seeks to understand and articulate in a systematic manner information revealed to us by him. Thus, theology concerns itself with ultimate reality. Since it is the study of the ultimate, nothing is more important. Because it contemplates and discusses the ultimate, it in turn defines and governs every area of life and thought. Therefore, as long as God is the ultimate being or reality, theological reflection is the ultimate human activity. This book is a presentation of several major biblical doctrines that come under the study of systematic theology. A doctrine consists of a set of propositions relating to a certain theological topic it is the biblical teaching on a given subject. Theology then refers to the study of Scripture or the systematic formulation of doctrines from Scripture. A truly biblical doctrine is always authoritative and binding, and a system of theology is authoritative only to the extent that it reflects the teaching of Scripture.
Many warn against studying theology for its own sake. The anti-intellectual spirit of the age has so infiltrated the church that they refuse to believe that any intellectual activity possesses intrinsic value. To them, even knowing God must serve a greater purpose, probably a pragmatic or ethical one. Although the knowledge of God ought to affect one’s conduct, it is nevertheless a mistake to think that the intellectual enterprise of theology serves a purpose that is greater than itself. Christians should affirm that since to study theology is to know God, and knowing God is the highest purpose of man, theology therefore possesses intrinsic value. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says: This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.
There is no higher purpose for which the knowledge of God intends to reach, and there is no higher purpose for man but to know God. Theological knowledge produces moral demands and other effects in one’s life, but these are not higher purposes than the theological task of knowing the verbal revelation of God. THE POSSIBILITY OF THEOLOGY A prerequisite to constructing a theological system is to establish that theological knowledge is possible. Jesus says that "God is Spirit" (John 4:24); he transcends the spatio-temporal existence of man. The question then arises as to how human beings may know anything about him. Deuteronomy 29:29 has the answer: The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29) Theology is possible because God has revealed himself to us through the words of the Bible.
God has revealed his existence, attributes, and moral demands to every human being by including such information within the mind of man. The very structure of the human mind includes some knowledge about God. This innate knowledge in turn causes man to recognize creation as the work of a creator. The grandeur, magnitude, and complex design of nature serve to remind man of his innate knowledge about God. The heavens are declaring the glory of God, The vast expanse displays his handiwork. Day after day they "pour forth speech"; Night after night they display knowledge. They have no speech, there are no words; No sound is heard from them. Their "voice" goes out into all the earth, Their words to the ends of the world. (Psalms 19:1-3)1 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:18-21)2
Although the testimony of nature concerning its creator is evident, man’s knowledge of God does not come from the observation of creation. A later passage in Romans informs us that the knowledge of God does not come from empirical procedures, but that it has been directly "written" on the mind of man - it is an innate knowledge:
Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them. (Romans 2:14-15)3
Theologians call this God’s GENERAL REVELATION. This knowledge of God is innate in the mind of man and does not originate from observing the external world. Man does not infer from what he observes in nature that there must be a God; rather, he knows the God of the Bible prior to having access to any empirical data. The role of observation is to stimulate the mind of man to recall this innate knowledge of God, which has been suppressed by sin, and it is also by this innate knowledge that man interprets nature.
Every person has an innate knowledge of God, and everywhere he looks nature reminds him of it. His every thought and every experience gives irrefutable testimony for God’s existence and attributes; the evidence is inescapable. Therefore, those who deny the existence of God are accused of suppressing the truth by their wickedness and rebellion, and that in claiming to be wise, they have become fools (Romans 1:22). In other words, God’s general revelation of his existence and attributes through his creation - that is, the innate knowledge in man and the characteristics of the universe - renders those who deny his existence without excuse, and so they are rightly condemned.
Although one has an innate knowledge of the existence and attributes of God, and the created universe serves as a constant reminder, general revelation is insufficient to grant a saving knowledge of God and of information impossible to be so obtained. Thus, God has revealed what has pleased him to show us through verbal or propositional revelation - that is, the Scripture. This is his SPECIAL REVELATION. Through it, one gains rich and precise information concerning God and the things of God. It is also through the Scripture that one may obtain a saving knowledge of God. One who studies and obeys the Scripture gains salvation in Christ: But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14-15)
Knowledge of God is also possible only because God has made man in his own image, so that there is a point of contact between the two despite the transcendence of God. Animals or inanimate objects cannot know God the way man can even if they are presented with his verbal revelation.
God has chosen to reveal information to us through the Bible - in words rather than images or experiences. Verbal communication has the advantage of being precise and accurate when properly done. Since this is the form of communication that the Bible assumes, a worthy theological system must be derived from the propositions found in Scripture, and not any non-verbal means of communication such as religious feelings or experiences.
Now, every system of thought begins from a first principle, and uses deductive or inductive reasoning, or both, to derive the rest of the system. A system that uses inductive reasoning is unreliable and collapses into skepticism,4 since induction is always a formal fallacy, in that it often depends on empirical data, and that it produces universal conclusions from particulars. Absolute certainty only comes from deductive reasoning, in which particulars are deduced from universals by logical necessity.
However, since deductive reasoning never produces information that is not already implicit in the premises, the first principle of a deductive system must contain all the information for the rest of the system. This means that a first principle that is too narrow will fail to yield a sufficient number of propositions to provide its adherents with a meaningful amount of knowledge. Thus, both induction and an inadequate first principle in a deductive system make knowledge impossible.
Even if a first principle appears to be broad enough, we must provide justification for affirming it. Its justification cannot come from a higher authority or principle, for then it would not be the first principle or the ultimate authority within the system. A lower authority or principle within the system cannot verify the first principle, since it is on this very first principle that this lower authority or principle depends. Therefore, a first principle of a system of thought must be self-authenticating - it must prove itself true. The ultimate authority within the Christian system is Scripture; therefore, our first principle is biblical infallibility, or the proposition, "The Bible is the word of God." Although there are compelling arguments to support such a first principle even if one were to employ empirical methods, such that no unbeliever can refute them, the Christian must regard them as inconclusive since empirical methods are unreliable.5 Moreover, if we were to depend on science or other empirical procedures to verify the truth of Scripture, these tests would then stand as judge over the very word of God, and thus Scripture would no longer be the ultimate authority in our system.6 As Hebrews 6:13 says, "When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself." Since God possesses ultimate authority, there is no higher authority by which one may pronounce Scripture as infallible.
However, not every system that claims divine authority has within its first principle the content to prove itself. A sacred text might contradict itself, and self-destructs. Another might admit dependence on the Christian Bible, but then the Bible condemns all other alleged revelations. Now, if the Bible is true, and it claims exclusivity, then all other systems of thought must be false. Therefore, if one affirms a non-Christian worldview, he must at the same time reject the Bible. This generates a clash between the two worldviews. When this happens, the Christian can be confident that his system of thought is impervious to the attacks from others, but the biblical system itself provides the content for both defense and offense in such encounters. The Christian may destroy his opponent’s worldview by questioning the first principles and subsidiary propositions of the system. Does the first principle of the system contradict itself? Does it fail to satisfy its own requirements?7 Does the system crumble because of the fatal problems of empiricism and induction? Does its subsidiary propositions contradict one another? Does it borrow Christian premises not deducible from its own first principle?8 Does the system give adequate and coherent answers to the ultimate questions, such as those concerning epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics? To repeat, the first principle of the Christian system is biblical infallibility, or the proposition, "The Bible is the word of God." From this first principle, the theologian proceeds to construct a comprehensive system of thought based on infallible divine revelation. To the extent that his reasoning is correct, every part of the system is deduced by logical necessity from the infallible first principle, and is thus equally infallible. And since the Bible is the verbal revelation of God, who demands our worship and commands our conscience, a system of theology deduced with logical validity is authoritative and binding. Therefore, to the extent that this book is accurate in presenting what Scripture teaches, its content summarizes what all men ought to believe, what Christians have pledged to believe, and what is objectively true. THE NECESSITY OF THEOLOGY
Theology is necessary not only for Christian activities, but also for all of life and thought. Since God is both ultimate and omnipotent, he has the right and the ability to address every aspect of our lives. Theology seeks to understand and systematize his verbal revelation, and it is authoritative to the extent that it reflects the teaching of Scripture. The necessity of theology is a question of the necessity of communication from God. Since this is God’s universe, the ultimate source of information and interpretation regarding all of life and thought is divine revelation. And since it is necessary to hear from God, theology is necessary.
Theology is central to all of life and thought because it deals with the verbal revelation that comes from the supreme being - the essential reality that gives existence and meaning to everything. For example, ignorance of musical theories has no direct relevance to one’s ability to do algebra or to reason about moral issues. However, ignorance regarding divine revelation affects all of life and thought, from one’s view toward history and philosophy, to one’s interpretation of music and literature, to one’s understanding of mathematics and physics.
Since this is God’s universe, only his interpretation about anything is correct, and he has revealed his thoughts to us through the words of the Bible. It follows that an ignorance of theology means that one’s interpretation of every subject will lack the defining factor that puts it into the proper perspective. In the area of ethics, for example, it is impossible to set forth any universally binding moral principle without an appeal to God. Even the concepts of right and wrong remain undefined without his verbal revelation. And since the Bible is the only objective and public divine revelation, the only way to appeal to God’s authority is by an appeal to the Bible.
One of the greatest reasons for studying theology is the intrinsic value of knowledge about God. Every other category of knowledge is a means to an end, but the knowledge of God is a worthy end in itself. And since God has revealed himself through the Scripture, to know the Scripture is to know him, and this means to study theology.
Succumbing to the anti-intellectual spirit of the age, some believers distinguish between knowing God and knowing about God. If "knowing about" God refers to the formal study of theology, then to them one may know much about God without knowing him, and one may know God without knowing much about him. A person’s theological knowledge is disproportionate to how well he knows God. But if it is possible to know God without knowing very much about him, what does it mean to know God? If knowing God means to have fellowship with him, then it involves communication, which in turn necessitates the exchange of thought and intellectual content, thus bringing back the concept of knowing about something. One cannot communicate with another without exchanging information in the form of propositions, or in a manner in which the information conveyed is reducible to propositions.
How does one know God, if not through knowing about him? Some may answer that we know God through religious experience, but even that is defined and interpreted by theology, or knowledge about God. What is a religious experience? How does one know he has received one? What does a particular feeling or sensation mean? Answers to these questions can only come by studying God’s verbal revelation. Even if it is possible to know God through religious experience, what one has gained is still knowledge about God, or intellectual information reducible to propositions.
One may claim to know God through prayer and worship. But both the object and practice of prayer and worship remain undefined until one studies theology. Before one can pray and worship, one must first determine to whom one must offer prayer and worship. Afterward, he must determine from biblical revelation the way in which he must offer prayer and worship. Scripture governs every aspect of prayer and worship. Knowledge of God therefore comes from his verbal revelation, and not from non-verbal means or religious exercises. Most people who resist theological studies have not thought through these questions, but they are able to pray and worship by assuming, often without warrant, the object and manner of these spiritual practices.
Yet another person may say that we get to know God by walking in love. But again, the concept of love remains undefined until one studies theology. Even the relationship between knowing God and walking in love originates from the Bible:
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)
Without this and other similar passages in the Bible, one cannot justify the claim that to know God is to walk in love. Many who claim to know God through walking in love are doing nothing other than being kind to others, with kindness as defined by societal norms rather than the Scripture. These individuals possess nothing more than an illusion of knowing God.
Once a person attempts to answer the above questions about how one comes to know God, he is doing theology. The matter then becomes whether his theology is correct. Therefore, theology is unavoidable. Whereas an erroneous theology leads to spiritual and practical disaster, an accurate one leads to genuine worship and godly living.
One slogan that reflects the anti-intellectual attitude of many Christians says, "Give me Jesus, not exegesis." However, it is the Scripture that gives us information about Jesus, and it is through biblical exegesis that we ascertain the meaning of Scripture. Without exegesis, therefore, one cannot know Jesus. One only needs to test this assertion by questioning those who say such things as this slogan on what they know about Jesus. Most of the time, their version of Jesus does not remotely resemble the biblical account. This means that they do not know him after all, let alone other important theological topics such as biblical infallibility, divine election, and church government. What we need to say is, "Give me Jesus through exegesis." A repudiation of theology is also a refusal to know God through the way prescribed by him. Knowing the Scripture - knowing about God or studying theology is prior to all of human life and thought. Theology defines and gives meaning to all that one may think or do. It ranks above all other necessities (Luke 10:42); no other task or discipline approaches it in significance. Therefore, the study of theology is the most important human activity.
Endnotes:
1. Robert L. Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith; Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.; p. 396. The NIV reads, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard."
2. "...ever since the creation of the world, the invisible existence of God and his everlasting power have been clearly seen by the mind’s understanding of created things. And so these people have no excuse..." (v. 20, NJB).
3. "So, when gentiles, not having the Law, still through their own innate sense behave as the Law commands, then, even though they have no Law, they are a law for themselves. They can demonstrate the effect of the Law engraved on their hearts, to which their own conscience bears witness..." (v. 14-15, NJB).
4. The self-contradictory position that knowledge is impossible.
5. See my other writings that show how scientific and empirical methods of investigation preclude the discovery of truth.
6. As a minor part of his apologetic strategy, the Christian may employ empirical arguments to refute objections from unbelievers, who often claim to rely on empirical data. Nevertheless, the strongest arguments for Christianity do not depend on empirical reasoning and induction, which are fatally flawed. I have argued elsewhere that empiricism renders knowledge impossible.
7. For example, a principle stating that every assertion must be empirically verified cannot itself be empirically verified. The principle self-destructs.
8. For more information on induction and deduction, empiricism and rationalism, first principles, worldviews, and how to defend the Christian faith, see Vincent Cheung, Ultimate Questions, Presuppositional Confrontations, and The Light of Our Minds.