YOUR OWN SYSTEMATIC

The Church would be much healthier if we ditched the system where each generation two or three persons develop a systematic theology to be shared with millions, in favor of ....

Millions of believers developing their own systematic theology and each sharing their ideas with two or three other believers. 

Wouldn't that be something?

No longer would we blindly swallow what we've been taught by other well-meaning Christians - who have never questioned anything they themselves were taught.

In a way, my unofficial theological project since stepping into the role of pastor has been to develop my own systematic understanding of what is taught in Scripture. I am making good progress but still far from being finished. 

I don't necessarily assume I will finish in my lifetime. 

One of my goals is to make sure there are no blatant contradictions in my faith.

And I think developing your own "systematic" theology would be an incredibly edifying process for any believer serious about his or her faith, not just pastors. 

THE MOST DANGEROUS IGNORANCE

Hosea 4:6a - 

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;

because you have rejected knowledge,

I reject you from being a priest to me.

I am slowly coming to understand how often the nation of Israel screwed up throughout history. In fact, the majority of the record seems devoted to them getting up to one sort of evil or another. 

Israel's behavior is like a man who is more interested in a series of one-night stands than in a faithful, longstanding marriage to a loving woman - no matter how perfect she is. He never knows what he's missing.

The writings of the Old Testament prophets were, in the words of one Bible teacher, "minority reports". God's message ran starkly contrary to the nation's behavior. Most of the Israelites had little time or patience for the persistent calls to repentance.

Still, the prophets risked their lives to call their countrymen back to the God who had chosen them as His own from among all the other peoples of the earth.

And the Lord stood ready to reveal Himself to the ones He loved - but they would have none of Him.

In Hosea's day, he saw a willful ignorance of God and His ways as the heart of Israel's ongoing troubles. 

The Hebrew word translated "knowledge" here, da.at, means discernment, understanding, or wisdom. 

Would Hosea be able to say the something similar to American believers today? 

"My Church is destroyed for lack of knowledge"? 

FILLED WITH KNOWLEDGE

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

I love these verses in the 1st chapter of Colossians.

I love that Paul is praying for a church he has never met.

     Churches sometimes operate under the impression that they are in competition with each other. But no - we are all on the same team.

I love that what Paul asks is that God would FILL the people of the church with the knowledge of His will. 

     We settle too easily for surface level knowledge of God and His will. I used to think of God's will only applying to those truly big life decisions - whom should I marry? what career should I pursue? should I take this job or wait for another? These days I understand God's will as functioning on a daily basis. I am starting to truly value beginning my day with prayer and I get some of my best actionable ideas during those times. 

I love that this filling Paul prays for involves spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

     In our rationalistic, scientific culture, we lean too heavily on material understandings and get a little nervous in the presence of the divine. Finding a proper balance takes some work and some time.

I love that the ultimate purpose of being filled with the knowledge of God's will is so that our walk is worthy and God is pleased.

     THIS is living out our purpose as the local Image of God - in our homes, our schools, and our workplaces. We were created for good works, for doing God's will.

And I love that as we act upon this knowledge of God's will, it generates further growth in the knowledge of God. 

It is an upward and widening spiral!

KNOWLEDGE IS KEY

Currently I am diving into Paul's letter to the Colossians. And killing two birds with one stone.

1) I am preaching a series on it. (Started officially last week.)

2) It is the key text for my dissertation. 

One of the big themes of the letter is proper Learning/Knowledge and its role in discipleship. 

From the opening lines of the letter, Paul speaks of the gospel "bearing fruit and growing" among the brothers at Colossae and how that growth started "the day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth". (Col 1:6)

When Paul prays for these believers, he asks God "to fill [them] with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding". (Col 1:9) 

Paul proclaims Christ with an eye to "admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom". Why? "So that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." (Col 1:28) 

He says his purpose is "that they may have the full riches of complete understanding". (Col 2:2)

He warns against being taken captive "through hollow and deceptive philosophy" (Col 2:8) and against basing actions on "human commands and teachings". (Col 2:22) 

And when Paul urges the Colossians to put off the old self with its practices, they are to replace it with the new self which is being renewed "in knowledge in the image of its Creator".

All this is very interesting in light of the original cause of all humanity's trouble was Adam and Eve eating from the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil". 

There is symmetry here. 

Our downfall resulted from forbidden knowledge. Our restoration is completed through God-given knowledge. 

A few weeks back, I observed that many speak of the Church as a body, an army, a bride, or a hospital among other metaphors - but nobody ever compares it to a school. Why not?