Where Are the Faithful Theological Thinkers?

Many in the next generation who grew up in the church or have some kind of framework about God, and the Bible are being sucked away by popular, worldly, ‘fresh and cool’ theology.  They don’t see value in creeds, confessions, doctrinal pages and faith statements that reflect their parents, grandparents, great grandparents and their parents theological beliefs.  Really they might not even like what the church fathers said and that takes us dangerously close to the eye-witnesses of Christ’s words found in the Bible.  Many think that the “grass is greener” on the other side of the theological fence avoiding or downplaying ‘difficult’ issues in the Bible like hell, homosexuality, the definition of marriage, church discipline, our view of abortion, church leadership and the need for evangelism (to name a few) because they don’t ‘feel’ comfortable to talk about.  

 The culture has trumped what God has to say in the Bible, but these are the words of God.  Feelings, emotions and all kinds of ‘experiences’ have trumped thinking theologically.  Feelings are important, but need to be kept in check based on sound Biblical study (Oh, our thinking does too).  For help on gaining a balance, read John Piper’s book, Think.

So, I have some suggestions for the next generation (and everyone) who desires to know God, live according to the Bible and make Him known.  This is a short list, but worth talking about briefly as we move out together doing what Paul did, “boasting in nothing by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14) and “contending for the faith” as Jude wrote (Jude 3) for the glory of God.

First, have deep humility.  Did you know that God is against proud people?  When you understand and personally know God, this is intimidating.  He doesn’t think pride is just a bad idea.  He is opposed to it.  “God opposes the proud…” (1 Peter 5:5), but he “gives grace to the humble.”  We should grab grace and give grace to those around us.  Having an entitlement mentality, disrespect or close mindedness are forms of pride.  Be open to God’s words found in the Bible.  Be open to teaching and correction from others.  Read Romans 11:33-36, my blog here and Job 38-41 to seek more humility in view of the vastness of God.

Second, gain proper hermeneutics (Bible interpretation principles).  Like any piece of history or literature, there are correct ways (or a science) to interpreting the Bible and wrong ways too.  Every author has an intended meaning behind what they wrote.  Our job as Bible readers is to discover the intent of the author in light of the fact that God is behind the author’s writing (2 Peter 1:21). The immediate context of a passage of Scripture and the author’s intended meaning are the most important.  After knowing the author’s intent in the verses and book, look to understand it in the context of the whole Bible. ‘Context is king’ when reading the Bible.  This helps us avoid proof-texting and making the Bible say whatever we want it to say.  Poetry, history, principles and prophecy are interpreted differently.  Default to a literal reading of the text before reading something else into it.  Read Understanding and Applying the Bible by Robertson McQuilken for help with hermeneutics or Basic Theology by Charles C. Ryrie.  Read my blog about this here.

Third, with a pursuit after humility in our hearts, we should read, study, meditate, consume and apply the Bible to our lives using proper hermeneutics.  Having humility does not mean we can’t know with certainty God’s Word (and share it).  It does mean we approach certain theological topics with our hands open, but these are minor issues of the faith, not major ones.  Our pursuit after the Biblical text has a foundation of Inerrancy and Infallibility.  We know that the Bible is from God’s heart (2 Timothy 3:16).  It is his personal Revelation to us.  It does not give us every answer to everything during this lifetime, but it gives us what we need to know God and grow in godliness.  We also need to stop quoting popular speakers and preacher’s words and start quoting God’s Words.  Of course, God uses men and woman of God to preach and teach, but sometimes we get sucked into loving man’s words over God’s Word.  This can become a dangerous pattern leading us away from meditating on the Word of God getting stuck in popular theological arguments.  Read how to defend the Bible here.

Fourth, I hope as you study of the Bible you gain a very high view of God.  We know him to bring him more glory.  This was God’s intent in the garden (Genesis 1-2) and will be his desire for all of eternity (Revelation 4-5).  The Psalms declare praise and worship many times over.  Our God wants all of the glory.  The higher your view of God, the easier it is to trust him and in turn live for him inside a sound Biblical understanding.  Do a word study on the “glory of God” and meditate on his vastness.  Read my blog about this here.

Fifth, be sure to pursue mentoring from those who are passionately in love with Jesus and are critical theological thinkers in the stream of sound Biblical doctrine.  The writer of the book of Hebrews says, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.  Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (13:7).  I love this verse.  Think about those leaders who know God deeply and are making him known with their lives.  They are students of the Bible.  Don’t imitate their gifts, abilities, preaching, mannerisms, speech patterns, jobs or family system.  We are to imitate their faith in Jesus Christ.  Why do we do this?  Verse 8 tells us. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  He was faithful.  He is faithful.  He will always be faithful.  Look for people ahead of you spiritually to grow in your faith.  Read Christian biographies of heros of the faith like D.L. Moody, William and Catherine Booth, C.S. Lewis, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, Ulrich Zwingli, Billy Graham, Charles Spurgeon, Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, John Wycliff, John Eliot, William Carey, David Livingston, Hudson Taylor, Brother Lawrence, William Wilberforce, William Tyndale, Dawson Trotman, John Stott and Dietrich Bonhoeffer (to name a few).

Sixth, plug into a strong Bible believing and teaching church.  Don’t throw out the institutional system of the church body with all of her problems.  She can still be a beautiful form of the local church.  I like all forms of church if it is in line with the Bible’s guidelines.  There must be godly leadership including elders and/or pastors (Read 1 Timothy 3).  Baptism for new believers in Jesus Christ as ‘an outward sign of an inward change’ and should be practiced and celebrated with the body of Christ.  The Lord’s Supper should be present as a regular part of the congregations worship services.  Commitment from the body using their time, talent and treasure should be part of the body life.  The church leadership should be “equipping the saints for ministry.”  Read the churches doctrinal statement, listen with a wise ear to the preaching and teaching, and look at the lives of the leaders to determine if this is a good place to grow.  They will not be perfect, but should be pursuing godliness.  If the local church you are researching is on track with these issues, plug into it deeply with your time, talent and treasure.  Oh, don’t get bent out of shape because of church forms (i.e. worship styles, small groups, preaching and personalities vary).  Focus on sound Biblical teaching and living.  The rest will fall in place.

Seventh, don’t be sucked into culturally-popular theological-thinking without thinking theologically yourself first.  Don’t just believe the thinking of Bellology or McLarenosophy without looking at the long line of Orthodox Evangelical Christian writing.  We did not come up with these foundations of the faith over night, but in the context of community over thousands of years.  It started with Acts with the First Church, moved to the New Testament teaching and guarding for the church, to church fathers where doctrine was preserved and protected where creeds and confessions were developed based on sound Biblical interpretation from the saints.  Don’t throw all of these out just for the latest fade or slick thinking.  Nothing is new under the sun, so test it.  Put it up to the Bible (and the list above I have already given you).  Read what others theological thinkers are saying about a controversial issue.  Don’t discount others just because they are older.  They may have studied a critical theological topic more than you have.  Be open to lining it up next to church history.  For blogs on Rob Bell and Brian McLaren go here and here.

Eighth, be sure to love people deeply from the heart.  Even in the midst of challenges and controversy, be sure to care as Jesus cared showing compassion (Matthew 9:35-38) in the midst of holding the line or disagreement.  Love as God loves (John 3:16) and show Truth as God shows Truth too.  He does so out of a heart of care.  What could be more loving than to tell someone in love that Jesus is the way, truth and the life, no one comes to the Father accept through believing in Him (John 14:6)?

Ninth, the reason this is all-important is because of the words of Jude.  He said “contend for the faith.”  Jude said, “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).  In a day when sound doctrine is being compromised and marginalized, believers need to defend it and deliver it to a world in need of a Savior.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, their eternal destiny depends on it.  Watch this video illustration to inspire you to “contend for the faith.”  The world needs to know Jesus and have the Word of God written in their language.

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I hope you deeply desire to know God and make him known in the world.  This only comes by holding the line of sound theology and doctrine.  I hope his list is helpful as you pursue the Glory of God.