Most Christians don't study doctrine. It simply requires more discipline and study than we are accustomed to doing, and it is just too easy to let the waves of satellite television roll over us at the end of a long day. I get that. The problem with this is that everything worth doing requires work, and most of the things to which we give our time are of no lasting importance. I propose that the study of doctrine, however, serves to equip the Christian man or woman with a sound and proper understanding of his/her relationship with the Lord, and protects the believer from false teaching that is in no short supply in the vast marketplace of ideas that is our pluralistic culture. Regrettably, there is also no shortage of false teaching in the church. It is also worth mentioning at the outset that the study of the orthodox doctrines of the Christian faith, while certainly worth our time, is no replacement for a genuine, loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Correct doctrine can certainly inform and deepen that relationship, but it is never a replacement for it. We have been saved by the God of the Bible, not the doctrines contained in the Bible. Having said this, if you are still reading, I pray that the content of this study over the coming years will serve to inflame your love for Jesus Christ, your faith in Him, and your steadfast hope and trust in His soon return.
Let's begin.
The Prolegomena
of any area of study is the introduction of the topic. Here below is the prolegomena of the study of Systematic Theology, or the primary doctrines of the Christian faith. We begin by defining terms.
Systematic Theology
is the study of what the entire Bible says about a given topic such as the
nature of God, man, sin, redemption, the atonement, justification, etc. Other areas of theological study are related
to Systematic Theology, but are
different in their scope. For example:
Old Testament Theology asks what Deuteronomy teaches
about sin, or what the book of Psalms teaches concerning sin, or what the
entire Old Testament teaches about sin.
New Testament Theology asks what the Gospel of John
teaches about prayer, or what the entire New Testament teaches about
prayer.
Biblical Theology asks what specific sections of
Scripture or certain biblical authors teach on a given topic, and how that
topic developed historically in Scripture.
For example, what does 1 John say about the obedience of a true
Christian, or what does the Apostle Paul say the role of women in the church? This sounds very close to Systematic Theology, and indeed these
disciplines overlap, but Biblical
Theology is concerned with the historical development of a doctrine in
Scripture.
The difference then between Systematic Theology and these other areas of theological study is
that Systematic Theology focuses on
all of the relevant biblical passages on a given doctrine to arrive at a proper
understanding of what the whole of Scripture teaches on a particular
subject. Therefore, Systematic Theology asks what does the entire Bible teach us about
prayer, about sin, about salvation, etc.
Why is it important to study Systematic
Theology, or doctrine?
All of our study of theology must help us arrive at
a right understanding of Who God is, how we are to live in relationship with
Him, and how we are to live out this relationship in everyday life. If all of our efforts do not bring us to this
place of knowing truth and right living before the Lord, why bother?
Systematic Theology, then, is the study of God’s
timeless truth that should transform the way we live our daily lives for His
glory. Therefore, we study Systematic Theology to know the truth of God’s Word, to correctly articulate the doctrines
of orthodox Protestant Christianity, to walk in holy obedience before the
Lord Jesus Christ, to correct any false assumptions or
heretical positions that we may currently hold, and to have an answer for the hope that is
within us.
What are the doctrines to examine in the study of Systematic Theology?
1. The
Doctrine of the Word of God (Bibliology)
2. The
Doctrine of God (Theology)
3. The
Doctrine of Christ (Christology)
4. The
Doctrine of the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology)
5. The
Doctrine of the Trinity
6. The
Doctrine of Man (Anthropology)
7. The
Doctrine of Sin (Hamartiology)
8. The
Doctrine of Salvation (Soteriology)
9. The
Doctrine of the Church (Ecclesiology)
Finally, while the above list is not exhaustive, but rather a starting place, the study
of Systematic Theology
begins with two assumptions, or presuppositions: the Bible is true and is our only
absolute standard of truth, and the God of Whom the Bible speaks does exist,
and is absolutely Who the Bible declares Him to be, specifically, the Creator of all things that exist.
Important Terms from this section: Prolegomena, Orthodox, Old Testament Theology, Systematic Theology
