Thursday, March 5, 2009

The Necessity of Theology: Revelation and Doxology

The necessity of Christian theology is five-fold: revelational, doxological, ecclesial, personal, and evangelical. Each component highlights the unique way theology reinforces the character and nature of Christianity. While its study can often tempt the believer to become puffed up with a sense of all-encompassing knowledge of God and the world, the true purpose of theology focuses on the journey of coming to know God better and better daily in the particular ways, which He has chosen to make Himself known to man, His created image bearer.
In the formation of man in the Garden, God charged Adam and Eve to obey Him and His commands (Gen. 2:16-17). After the Fall, God continued to pass on commands to His people for the purpose of their wellbeing and reconciliation with Him. Theology is a study of God’s precepts and statutes, defining and expositing His instructions for the purpose of obedience. Because God has revealed Himself, both generally (Rom. 1) and specifically (Exod. 3:6), man must study His ways to better obey Him.
Uniquely, the study of theology serves as worship of the God around whom the discipline centers. To respond to God’s self-revelation by our study demonstrates our devotion and allegiance to Him and to His truth alone. Psalm 48 illustrates the poetics and worship of God, which emanates from meditating on His precepts and nature. Moreover, Psalms 1 and 2 demonstrate how man’s worship of God is related in direct proportion to his growing knowledge of Him.

1 comment:

  1. I like the new name of the blog Pat, as well as the posts! Keep them coming!

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