My definition of theology is, “My words about God.” The word itself is made from two Greek words, theos…God and logos…word, or “God word.” Since words are made my individuals, therein my definition, “My words about God.”
As a result, theology is ultimately subjective. But, theology is not just my words based on my personal experience or anecdotal experience or those of others (often shared through writings, blogging, videos, worship or sermons). Theology also comes from the study of the primary written source of Christian belief, the Bible. I believe Christian theology needs to be Biblical Theology.
Christians believe the Bible is the written record of God’s communication to humans at certain times and under certain circumstances. God revealed his will and ways to humans through humans. Christians believe those communications were recorded by trustworthy individuals who lived within a period of history useing human language. Traditionally this has been called the Gramatico-Historical method of interpretation. Christians also believe that these individuals were under the direction of God’s Holy Spirit as reflected in these verses in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (New International Version)
Beyond the written words Christians believe that God became one of us in Jesus Christ so the communication could be direct and not through third parties. This is reflected in these wonderful verses from Hebrews 1:1-3
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
God communicating to us through Jesus is also the power behind the beginning words of the Gospel of John.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning… 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
So, theology is our words attempting to understand, describe and respond to God who sent his words and The Word into our world.
There are two implications that I draw from this process. The first is that God is much bigger than are we and therein we will never have a complete definition of the One about whom we write. If this were not the case, then we would be the ones defining God and therein God would be made in man’s image instead of we begin made in God’s image. It is because of the reality that God is greater than us that we need help in discovering who God is. The most important person in every religion is not God per se, it is the one who reveals God as they understand God to be. Because of this, Biblical theology needs to be Christo-Centric Theology. Listen to what Jesus said to Philip in this regard in John 14:7ff:
Biblical, Christ-Centered Theology.
The second implication is that Biblical Theology ought to be extremely practical and applicable to people whom God so loves. I just lead a wedding celebration for a couple who were raised in the church but, as is true for many younger church-raised folks these days, are not presently involved in the church. In going over the marriage ceremony I reviewed the intent of God for marriage as recorded in Genesis 2:24 which says
Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and they shall become one flesh.
God, who created humanity in his image, God who created humanity for relationship, God who created humanity for intimacy with another, is the same God who gave practical instructions for how that relationship can be successful. Here is what I emphasized with this young couple.
First, marriage is to be among equals. How do I get that from this verse? These words were written in an age when women were a piece of property owned by a man. It was assumed within culture that when a marriage took place, the women would leave her father and mother to become part of the man’s clan. So, for God to say, “A MAN shall leave his father and mother…” was counter-cultural. It was revolutionary. Both must leave their families or they will not have the type of relationship that God envisioned them having. Marriage starts on an equal footing.
In addition, for me, in the 21st century, I emphasize that we must leave our pasts behind. It seems that most of us have pasts that need to be left behind. To me, the message is very simple. You can’t move forward into the new when you are looking at or anchored in that which is past. LEAVE. Biblical Theology. (PS. Isn’t this the implication of Jesus coming into our world? Jesus left heaven, left God’s immediate presence to become part of our world, part of our lives so we could know that “God so loved the world…)
Second, for marriage to work there must be a bonding. This is what the biblical word “Cleave” implies. Unfortunately, in the West when we think of cleave we think of a meat cleaver that separates. No, this word means to become bonded to making something stronger like a laminate or an alloy. So in marriage, each person brings their gifts, their talents, their perspective, their personality and when they become bonded together they are stronger before than they were individually.
Third, marriage is about a journey. I read of a pastor who said in his wedding ceremony remarks something to the effect that “I pray that this is the worst day of the rest of your life.” “What?!,” people thought. How rude! I believe his point was something like this:
If what most people would say is the best day of your life…a day which culminates courtship and births a marriage, a day when family and friends gather to celebrate…is the worst day of your life,
Then, everything else will be that much better as enter the process of “becoming one.”
A wedding is a destination, an event. A marriage is a journey of becoming. God so loved the world, from the very beginning of biblical history, that God revealed this truth 3500 years ago through Moses and we are still living in this truth today.
Biblical, Christ-Centered, Practical Theology.
Comments