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Ephesians 4:11–14
“So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (v. 14).
Every discipline must focus on a particular subject and have a reason for its existence, and Christian theology is no exception. As we begin our study of systematic theology, then, we will consider the subject and reason of theology, the what and the why of Christian doctrine.
The English word theology comes from two Greek words: theos, meaning “God,” and logos, meaning “word.” Thus, theology essentially consists of a word about God just as the discipline of biology is a word about bios—that is, “life.” More specifically, as Dr. R.C. Sproul writes in his book Everyone’s a Theologian, “The science of theology is an attempt to gain a coherent, consistent knowledge of God.” It is grounded on the assumption that such coherent and consistent knowledge can be attained truly, if not fully.
Why would we want to have a “coherent, consistent knowledge of God”? First, the alternative to such knowledge would be an incoherent and inconsistent understanding of our Creator, and surely we do not want that. We can make sense only of what is coherent and consistent. An incoherent and inconsistent knowledge of God gives us no foundation for trusting Him or loving Him. Jesus tells us that eternal life is to know the only true God (John 17:3), so striving for a coherent and consistent knowledge of this God is essential for enjoying our salvation to the fullest.
Ephesians 4:11–14 gives us other reasons for studying theology. Paul explains that Christ has given various officers to the church to equip us for ministry according to truth (vv. 11–12). Soundness in doctrine is essential for soundness in ministry to other Christians and to the world. As we increase in our comprehension of the theology that God has revealed, we move closer to unity in faith and the fullness of Christ (v. 13). Some people want to avoid thinking about theology because they believe that doctrine divides. That is not Paul’s view. Fuller doctrinal knowledge actually enables us to achieve greater unity in our local churches as we all come to share the same fundamental theological convictions. It also provides a foundation for working with Christians from other traditions that is based on the truths on which we agree. Finally, knowing theology gives us stability, keeping us from being led astray into serious error (v. 14).
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Growing in our understanding of Christian doctrine is useful for deepening our relationship with God, developing a more effective ministry, and finding unity with other Christians based on the truth. There are many other benefits as well, of course, but these reasons alone are enough to encourage us to study the systematic theology of the Bible.
For further study
- Psalm 46:10
- Hosea 6:6
- Titus 2:1
- 2 Peter 1:2
The bible in a year
- Genesis 1–2
- Matthew 1