Tag: theology is a method

T0010 How Should Christians Respond to Conflicting Theological Views?

Posted on by John Mwafise Woloko

 

How Should Christians Respond to Conflicting Theological Views?

Regrettably, the world of Christian worldviews and movements is fragmented, with little consensus on numerous theological issues. These disputes have caused many people to form their own groups based on their personal convictions and inspirations. The outcome is that genuine seekers of truth encounter conflicting ideologies, contradictory perspectives, and clear divisions that impede cooperative work and shared research. Article T0009 stated that genuine believers benefit more from identifying as Christians than from pursuing denominational ties. Because many of God’s children are affiliated with certain denominations, your chief goal must be to pursue God’s will wherever you are. To do God’s will within those conflicting denominational factions, we must dedicate ourselves to particular Christian values that ensure we stay fruitful. Here are four rules to help us rise above the unnecessary theological segregation.

 

Engage in Personal Bible Study

A lot of Christians have developed the habit of substituting the Word of God with their preferred preachers. They no longer want to engage in personal Bible study. However, God’s primary desire is to build a personal relationship with each of His children. While He uses gospel ministers to teach us His will and support our spiritual development, the underlying aim is for us to attain maturity and rely on Him personally for every spiritual and physical need. Since God identifies Himself as the Word (John 1:1), we should treat His Word in the Bible with utmost importance (Psalm 119:105, Psalm 119:37-38, Psalm 119:165).

 

Trust The Holy Spirit as Your Primary Teacher

We can read the Bible daily, yet we won’t grasp its meaning unless we seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance through meditation. The Bible depicts the Holy Spirit as the guide to all truths (John 16:13). It is not the place of any preacher or teacher to replace the Holy Spirit in the lives of their flock. Should we stop listening to our pastor, preachers, or inspired messages from other Christians? Absolutely not! But by doing so, we understand that they are vessels the Holy Spirit uses to support our spiritual development, discover God’s will, and practice an authentic Christian way of life.

 

Never Put Your Trust in Humans

It is understood that the word trust can be applied in a wider sense in our regular daily conversations. When we choose not to trust humans, we mean that we should first seek guidance from the Holy Spirit and God’s Word before believing anything from a human source. All gospel preachers around the globe should act as servants of God, not as substitutes for God in the lives of people. Their responsibility is to guide the flock to the Master. They support new converts until it is clear that they have brought them to a stage where self-reliance on God is possible, without acting as barriers to their progress. God doesn’t expect leaders to live the lives of their followers on their behalf. Similar to guiding a newborn from infancy through childhood to adulthood, seasoned Christians in the faith need to help new converts grow spiritually and allow them room to learn from God and follow His guidance themselves (Jeremiah 17:5-8).

 

 

If the Bile Doesn’t Say it, Don’t Believe it

It’s not merely a matter of faith but of properly handling the Word of truth. It is essential for all God’s children to do their best in acquiring basic Scripture interpretation skills and to trust the Holy Spirit to aid them in biblical interpretation. Whenever a preacher delivers the Word, we should embrace the Berean mindset and check if what the preacher says is accurate. The Bereans could sift through Paul’s teachings because they primarily trusted the Holy Spirit to guide their understanding of the Scriptures. If you adopt the Berean mentality, no one can trick, manipulate, cheat, exploit, or take advantage of you. In doing so, only God’s genuine revelations will flourish among us.

 

Furthermore, no individual is higher than the Bible. Are there spiritual matters beyond what the Bible covers? Without a doubt, the answer is yes. Is it our role to seek knowledge of these extra-biblical issues in today’s church era? Not necessarily, since the Holy Spirit gathered what is essential for this era in the Bible we possess. Many more mysteries are reserved for the future age, and when we reach that time, we will perceive things as they truly are. For the time being, we should appreciate what is available to us in the Bible. Moreover, truthfully, a lifetime isn’t sufficient to fully explore the present Bible, and the revelations we gather astonish many. Why should we stress over things we can’t completely understand right now?

 

By applying these principles in your life, you will readily recognize movements that depend on logical fallacies, those leaning towards religiosity, and those employing mind manipulation techniques to mislead people. Additionally, you will learn to differentiate falsehood from lies and trust the Holy Spirit to reveal an authentic way to accomplish God’s will in your context.

Share this message along to those in your community who wrestle with the connection between the Bible and theology.

Engage in study, conduct research, increase in wisdom, and be 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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