Tag: Kingdomlife

T0007 How Can Christians Spot Bad Theology?

Posted on by John Mwafise Woloko

 

How Can Christians Spot Bad Theology?

Besides misunderstanding the role and purpose of theology, many Christians struggle to distinguish between the Bible and theology. As a result, it becomes difficult to recognize when a theology is undermining the faith. Let’s examine six approaches to spotting weak theologies that might jeopardize the faith of believers in various ways.

 

The Theology is Crafted to Defend a School of Thought

To keep it simple, a school of thought is the engine of every theology. It influences the way theology handles the Scriptures and shapes how a person or group interprets the Bible and develops doctrinal conclusions. Each worldview has its own school of thought that allows it to interpret the Bible. For example, Calvinists interpret the Bible believing that God exercises His absolute sovereignty through His grace rather than free will. Armenians believe that humans possess free will and can choose to accept or reject God. These two groups never reach a consensus. Other Christian groups approach the Bible with the perspective that Jesus is not God, or is simply a prophet or an ordinary human being. Others deny the trinity, opting for their preferred theory and reading the Bible through their unique lens. For anyone wanting an accurate interpretation of Scriptures, the sole guidance to depend on is the Holy Spirit. The Bible depicts Him as the sole guide to all truths (John 16:13).

The Theology Begins with an Assumption then Looks for Verses to Validate it

Assuming things or forming suggestions and theories in life is perfectly fine as long as we conduct sincere research. The sole purpose of assuming something or creating a theory should be to conduct research aimed at uncovering the truth. The research findings have the potential to validate or invalidate your thought. Here is where the difficulty usually occurs, since many engage in research to validate their theory or assumption at any cost, despite insufficient evidence. The appropriate response upon assuming something is to carry out sincere scientific investigation and concede when evidence is insufficient. Individuals who consider their viewpoint infallible and avoid critical evaluation are entirely mistaken. They are often the ones who create problematic theologies with contradictory interpretations of the Bible.

 

The Theology Relies on Selected Scriptures, not on the Entire Bible

A major issue in Bible interpretation within the Body of Christ today is depending on selected Scriptures to construct theologies for Bible doctrines. This is evident in various areas like marriage, tithing, sowing financial seeds, prosperity, healing, women ordained to lead men, the trinity, and more. Many randomly select Bible verses from both covenants, neglect to interpret them within their context, and construct theologies that inadequately explain the doctrines they aim to clarify. A lot of imbalances arise from this, as many prioritize their own desires and go their separate ways, neglecting the Bible’s calls for unity.

A major reason Calvinism and Arminianism will never agree is their reliance on selected Scriptures. We must not casually dismiss God’s sovereignty, nor assume that God created us as robots with no ability to make decisions. God’s sovereignty and free will operate side by side, a mystery we struggle to clarify. But He made things that way to ensure we remain humble. We can conduct a similar analysis for all the other aforementioned areas of misinterpretation. Christians who base their theologies on selected Scriptures seldom let the Bible interpret itself, unless it supports their preconceived beliefs.

 

The Theology Wants to Maintain Certain Christian Traditions

There is nothing wrong with having unique Christian customs and approaches to worship and service. God structured the Christian faith to ensure His gifts to us manifest in a variety of ways. Nevertheless, we need to be cautious in differentiating human traditions from God’s doctrines. Many Christians perceive their denominational loyalty through a traditional lens, believing it to be more scriptural than other denominations. The question emerges whether God is responsible for creating denominations with conflicting doctrines. Clearly, our different geographical locations and cultural backgrounds will lead to varied forms of worship and service. Nonetheless, these human and geographical diversities should not conflict with God’s doctrines. It is alarming when people mix cultural, geographical, and traditional alienations with the doctrines of the Bible. These kinds of actions always cause confusion since people focus more on their traditions and human patterns than on the Word of God. A major issue with such tendencies is that they result in extreme religiosity.

 

The Theology Doesn’t Distinguish Between the Old and New Covenants

We briefly mentioned this earlier by noting that the Bible has two covenants, and a Christian who fails to differentiate between them will face limitations in their spiritual journey. The Word of God in the Old Testament paves the way for us to understand the New. To genuinely understand the New Testament, we must first carefully analyze the Old. Although the Old Testament is considered obsolete, it is presented as a copy or subordinate version of the New, with many principles and doctrines repeated within the New. Undoubtedly, the New Testament can be confirmed as having a much greater standard than the Old. Not differentiating between the Old and New Covenants when interpreting the Bible inevitably results in misunderstanding and misinterpretation.

 

The Theology Doesn’t Point to Christ and Him Crucified

Theology that doesn’t center on glorifying Christ is pointless. Throughout the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation, there is a unique message that directs attention to Christ. Our theologies should concentrate on research efforts that improve our understanding of that message. When theology emphasizes wealth and worldly achievements without Christ directing it for His purposes, it becomes nonsense. We are here on earth with one mission: to know God through Christ, by the Holy Spirit’s help, and to lead a holy life in obedience to His Word by carrying out His will. Hence, we can look forward to living forever with Him at His return, since we are merely temporary in this fading and corrupt world that holds no hope for the lost. Anything that doesn’t follow this line of thought is a waste of time on earth.

Don’t forget to share this message with anyone grappling with the relationship between the Bible and theology.

Delve into study, research, and meditation on the Word, increase in wisdom, and remain blessed in the Lord!

T0006 Does Theology Replace The Bible?

Posted on by John Mwafise Woloko

Does Theology Replace The Bible?

Many spiritual leaders today promote their schools of thought from the pulpit and establish theological institutions to teach their own Christian traditions to adherents. This has resulted in the widespread emergence of numerous Christian worldviews, denominations, and diverse movements, often with conflicting fundamental doctrines. This freedom directly leads to confusion, intellectual pride, and disunity among different Christian factions. However, the question arises whether Christians ought to focus on their theological schools of thought on pulpits, potentially overshadowing God’s Word.

To effectively answer this question, we need to examine three key aspects of theology: its definition, its role, and its purpose.

 

What is Theology?

To gain a better understanding, the reader should consult the article and the video titled “What is Theology?” Essentially, theology is our method for seeking and reasoning about God, His Word, and His divine plan for humanity, involving the organization of information and the collection of evidence to deepen our understanding of Him. This definition reveals theology as a mere instrument for investigating God and His intentions for humanity.

 

What’s Theology’s Role?

From its definition, we can readily observe a key role of theology. It enables us to collect evidence from the Bible, the world, and the universe, thereby illuminating biblical doctrines and premises. For example, a skeptic might request proof of Jesus Christ’s existence and crucifixion. How can we demonstrate this to be true? In Christology, abundant historical data exists on Jesus, sourced from both Christian and non-Christian accounts, which unequivocally detail His life. Furthermore, most places where Jesus preached the gospel have been identified. We could conduct a similar study to establish the existence of Jericho and the authenticity of the story of its walls and Rahab.

 

Theology’s second function is to organize data that supports biblical assertions. While collecting spiritual resources or evidence is beneficial, categorizing them is even more remarkable. Be aware that the Christian faith faces criticism from multiple sources. Muslims, Buddhists, cults, occultists, evolutionists, atheists, pagans, traditionalists, and others attack Christians. These different belief systems require distinct strategies and evidential apologetics to challenge their assertions and guide them toward the truth. Our approach to challenging evolutionists will differ from our approach to responding to Muslims. Organizing information is therefore crucial for research and study, enabling quick and sure responses to individuals attempting to disprove the Christian faith.

 

What’s Theology’s Purpose?

By considering the definition and purpose of theology, we find that its foremost role is to enhance our comprehension of the Father whom we serve and honor. By researching and organizing biblical information and evidence from across the universe that backs biblical claims, we deepen our knowledge of the Father and His will.

 

A second aim of theology is to nurture our spiritual development, both personally and communally. Theology’s role in gathering and structuring spiritual resources leads to greater insight into God, personal spiritual development, and the ability to pass this knowledge on to posterity.

 

At last, we are highly effective at spreading the gospel and bringing people into God’s kingdom. This statement holds true, as we can readily consult various theological fields of study for specific answers to address questions from those who challenge the Christian faith. Globally, the Christian apologetic sphere stands out as the most developed and systematic, equipped with resources and responses for any movement that has targeted Christians. This extensive collection of knowledge and resources grows daily, with more evidence supporting the Christian faith.

 

Answer

Considering theology’s meaning, role, and purpose, we can assert that it should never supplant the Bible. The Bible is unique as the sole source of God’s Word, while theology serves as a research method or tool to illuminate biblical information.

 

Pass the material on to those in your cycle who find the Bible-Theology relationship challenging.

 

Keep learning, researching, gaining wisdom, and stay blessed in the Lord!

T0005 Why Does God Allow Theological Explorations?

Posted on by John Mwafise Woloko

 

Why Does God Allow Theological Explorations?

Why not just read and stick to only the Bible’s content? What purpose does theological analysis serve? Let’s examine four reasons God permits theological research.

 

To Extract Spiritual Resources From The Bible

We explain in a different article that theology serves as a research instrument for investigating God, His Word, and His intentions for humanity. God has gifted us the Bible, a profound spiritual treasure trove of resources and promises, to help us lead a unique and purposeful life on this planet. Theological discoveries shed light on Biblical doctrines and premises but don’t take the place of the Bible. Theologies are tools that amass spiritual insights, revelations, and evidence from the Bible.

 

To Understand God’s Ways

Within the Bible, God conveys a distinct message detailing His purposes for the world, humankind, and our individual lives. God has established principles for how we should live on Earth so that we can be with Him forever. Theological research facilitates a more profound exploration of these subjects, which in turn lead to a clearer comprehension of God’s will. Even without theology, the Bible can stand alone. But sincere theologies inspired by the Holy Spirit allow for continued study and research, drawing from both biblical texts and external resources to enhance our knowledge and relationship with God.

For Organization And Efficiency

You can find the Bible’s treasures dispersed from Genesis all the way to Revelation. We use theologies to extract, sort, and categorize these resources, thereby improving our readiness to engage with non-believers, skeptics, and adherents of other faiths or belief systems. Organized information aids clarity and simplifies Bible study. Consider, for example, the theological efforts of individuals who arrange the Bible thematically for topical study, or those who investigate the authorship, dating, and contextual circumstances of its various Books. All of this information helps us better understand the message God desires to convey.

 

To Avoid A Boring Life

We are created with the innate drive to understand God, His Word, His plans, the world, and the universe. Additionally, God wants us to exert control over the world and the Satanic kingdom. Theological study allows us to uncover valuable resources, which is great. However, what’s even more beneficial is using those resources with the Holy Spirit’s guidance to enhance our spiritual journeys and transform our communities for Christ.

 

To further God’s kingdom on earth, spiritual resources are essential. Christians need educational institutions, healthcare facilities, orphanages, diverse professionals, and a wide range of skills and expertise to advance the kingdom’s message. These things keep life exciting and prevent boredom. Imagine toiling ceaselessly like ordinary people, working only for the money to indulge in carnal pleasures. The Ecclesiast labels that as vanity. Engaging in theological exploration helps us lead lives filled with purpose and fulfillment.

 

These are among the reasons God permits theological explorations. Pass this information along to those who misunderstand theology’s role.

 

Study, research, grow in wisdom, and stay blessed in the Lord!

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