What is Systematic Theology and Why does is matter?
1.
Definitions:
a.
“Systematic theology is any study that answers
the questions, ‘What does the whole Bible teach us today?’ about any given
topic.” Wayne Grudem ST, p. 21
b.
“The attempt to summarize religious truth or the
belief system of a religious group (such as Christianity) through an organized
system of thought carried out within a particular cultural and intellectual
context (see method of theology).”
Pocket Dictionary of Theological
Terms, p. 111
c.
“Evangelical theology can be defined as systematic reflection on scripture and
tradition and the mission of the church in mutual relation, with scripture as
the norm.”[1]
d.
John Frame: “theology is the application of God’s Word by persons to all areas of life.”[2]
e.
“Theology, then, must be a secondary description, a reinterpretation and reproclamation of
Scripture, both of its propositional and of its nonpropositional content. Why do we need such a
reinterpretation? To meet human needs. The job of theology is to help people
understand the Bible better, not to give some sort of abstractly perfect
account of the truth as such, regardless of whether anyone understands it or
not. Rather, the job of theology
is to teach people the truth of God.
Although Scripture is clear, for various reasons people fail to
understand and use it properly.
Theology is justified not merely by its correspondence with the truth—if
that were the criterion, theology could do no better than simply to repeat
Scripture—but theology is justified by the help it brings to people, by its
success in helping people to use the truth.”[3]
f.
“It is all too easy for us to imagine that we
have a higher task than merely that of helping people. Our pride constantly opposes the
servant model. And it is all too
easy for us to think of theological formulations as something more than
truth-for-people, as a kind of special insight into God himself (which the
biblical writers would have written about, had they known as much as we)… Our
theologies are merely attempts to help people, generally and in specific times
and places, to use Scripture better.”[4]
2.
Goals of systematic theology:
a.
Task-oriented theology
The ultimate aim of theological reflection is to assist in the church’s
task of bringing about the “obedience of faith…among all the nations” (Rom.
1:5). Evangelical theology is
task-oriented reflection upon scripture in light of the practical needs of
ministry and mission. Evangelical
theology’s task is to be the church’s servant in the extension of the kingdom
of God in the world and in the believer’s heart.[5]
Theology should never be a merely academic enterprise, but rather the
search for biblical understanding in the context of the ministry and mission of
the church. The point of
theological reflection is to “let the earth hear His voice.” Evangelical theology is properly “task
theology,” i.e., theology hammered out in response to the challenges posed by
the Great Commission.[6]
Systematic theology is a tool for extending God’s dominion in the
world; it is dominion-oriented.[7]
3.
Relationship to other branches of theology:
a.
Biblical Theology:
“Biblical theology gives special
attention to the teachings of individual
authors and sections of Scripture, and to the place of each teaching in the
historical development of
Scripture.” Wayne Grudem ST, p. 22
·
Two crucial ideas: process and progress
“The first term (process)
teaches us that both the character and task of Biblical theology is that of
tracing the great themes of salvation history according to their historical
order of unfolding. The
second (progress) informs us that
the focal point of Biblical theology is not only the historical unfolding of
God’s self-revelation but also the expansion and upward movement of that
revelation.”[8]
b.
Historical Theology: “a historical study of how
Christians in different periods have understood various theological topics”
Grudem, p. 21
c.
Philosophical Theology: “studying theological
topics largely without use of the Bible, but using the tools and methods of
philosophical reasoning and what can be known about God from observing the
universe” Grudem, p. 21
d.
Triangle: Biblical studies --> Systematic Theology --> Apologetics
·
Need to understand the what the Bible says
before we can accurately do systematic theology
·
Need to know what we believe (systematic
theology) before we can accurately defend it
4.
Why study systematic theology?
a.
Know God better: John 17.3
b.
Protect the church: 1 Timothy 4.11-16; 2 Timothy
2.14-18; 4.1-5; Titus 1.9-11
c.
Worship: Psalm 145; Revelation 4 and 5
·
Rev 4.11: praise (“Worthy”) for God the Creator
·
Rev 5.9, 12: praise (“Worthy”) for Lamb as Redeemer
5.
How should we study systematic theology?
a.
Prayerfully
“Men who know their God are before
anything else men who pray, and the first point where their zeal and energy for
God’s glory come to expression is in their prayers….Yet the invariable fruit of
true knowledge of God is energy to pray for God’s cause—energy, indeed, which
can only find an outlet and a relief of inner tension when channeled into such
prayer—and the more knowledge, the more energy! By this we may test ourselves.” J. I. Packer Knowing
God, p. 24
b.
With help from others—especially teachers in the
church
·
Ephesians 4.8-12 (teachers as gifts from Christ to the
Church! This includes teachers
from the past!)
c.
With rejoicing and praise: Psalm 139.17
·
Psalm 19.8; 119.14, 103, 111, 162
·
Romans 11.33-36
d.
With obedience
·
Matthew 7.24-27
“Of what use is it to discourse
learnedly on the Trinity, if you lack humility? Lofty words do not make a man just or holy; but a good life
makes him dear to God. I would far
rather feel contrition than be able to define it. If you knew the whole Bible by heart, and all the teachings
of the philosophers, how would this help you without the grace and love of
God?” Thomas a Kempis The Imitation of Christ (book one,
chapter one)
[1] John
Jefferson Davis Foundations of
Evangelical Theology, 43.
[2] John Frame The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God, 76,
81.
[3] John Frame The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God,
79-80.
[4] John Frame The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God,
80.
[5] John
Jefferson Davis Foundations of
Evangelical Theology, 9.
[6] John
Jefferson Davis Foundations of Evangelical
Theology, 45.
[7] John
Jefferson Davis Foundations of
Evangelical Theology, 47.
[8] Don
Garlington, “The Biblical-Theological Method” in Exegetical Essays (3rd ed.), Wifp and Stock, 2003, p. 1.
