Why Study Theology

A common declaration of many Christians is "no creed but Christ." On the surface, it sounds pious and spiritual. At its core, it's vacuous and myopic. 

It is vacuous because it ignores Scripture's commands to study and the faithful work of the giants on whose shoulders we stand. It also is self-contradictory as it is itself a creed, just a woefully insufficient one. 

It is myopic because it fails to unpack the riches and glory of who Christ is and reduces him to a mere slogan and a means to an end (whether that is salvation or personal fulfillment). 

People ignore or outright avoid theology mainly for three reasons: 

(1) they do not know the benefit and necessity to the Christian life (as described above), 

(2) they think it is too difficult, or worse, 

(3) they think it is boring. 

These excuses fall flat under scrutiny because they betray the person's predisposition to the Bible, and these people need theological training the most. They are passionate about Jesus but know very little about Jesus. 

Does this mean that they need to go to seminary or fill their home library with tomes of books? No. But they do instruction. One great blessing of our modern world is that everything one would need to study the Bible and theology well is available for free or is inexpensive. We have resources that our brothers and sisters in antiquity could not even imagine.

Here are three ways to make theological study a habit:

(1) multi-task — listen to Christian/Theological podcasts while driving, working, or doing chores;

(2) incorporate systematic studies into your devotional times (begin with the Creeds and Confessions, move on to specific books of the Bible);

(3) and incorporate theological books (subject- or book-specific, or biographies) and articles (from theological blogs or ministries) into your reading schedule.

A Christian can get a seminary-level education with minimal effort if he or she just sets aside a weekly time slot and is equipped with the tools to study well. 

Here are three reasons to study theology:

(1) to worship God;

(2) deepen your knowledge of God, share it with others, and defend the Christian faith in the public square (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Peter 3:15); and

(3) to make sure you have a sound theology (because we all have one, Colossian 2:8).

As time marches forward, the people of God will experience blessings and hardships, but in both, we must look to the Word of God for balance and encouragement. To quote J. Gresham Machen, "… our hopefulness should not be founded on the sand. It should be founded not upon a blind ignorance of the danger but solely upon the precious promises of God. Laymen, as well as ministers, should return, in these trying days, with new earnestness, to the study of the Word of God."

Herman Bavinck encapsulates the essence of systematic theology, emphasizing its God-centered focus. He describes it as an all-encompassing discipline that examines God in His being, creation, opposition to sin, redemption through Christ, and the restoration of all things by the Holy Spirit, ultimately fulfilling God’s ordained purpose—the glory of His name. Far from being abstract or lifeless, Bavinck asserts that systematic theology is a theodicy and a doxology, a hymn of adoration and thanksgiving that echoes Luke 2:14—“Glory to God in the highest.” In this sense, theology is meant to inspire worship. Dogmatics, another term for systematic theology, is ultimately an expression of doxology, revealing biblical wisdom that cultivates awe and reverence for God.

Theology centers us. It guides our understanding of God and his work in history. It also helps us define and live a Christ-centered life.

One theologian summed it up this way: The Christian life is fundamentally a life of “reasonable worship” (Romans 12:1), characterized by a call to be a “living sacrifice” wholly dedicated to God’s glory and the good of others. This life of worship is shaped through the renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2), allowing believers to grow in understanding and devotion. Systematic theology plays a vital role in this process, cultivating wisdom and wonder by providing a God-centered framework for understanding reality. Moreover, it guides believers in aligning all aspects of life—especially their redeemed selves—with God as the source and ultimate purpose of all things: “To him be glory forever” (Romans 11:36).

To study the Word of God is to engage in the most important endeavor in the Christian life on this side of Glory.

Do it well. Do it often.