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In my previous post I wrote about the importance of systematic theology , not just for our thinking but for our spiritual life. Doctrine is very practical, and it leads to devotion which is not only heart-filled but clear-headed. There are usually nine or ten divisions traditionally given to the topics within Christian theology. Here's my list, with notation of how practical and devotional I find these studies... BIBLIOLOGY is the study of the doctrine of God's revelation . He has shown us his will, as well as his thoughts, heart, and plan for history. This is important because it lays the foundation of God's authority in my life. I can know truth, and reality, and what is authoritative and important in life, because God himself has revealed these things to us in the Scriptures. THEOLOGY PROPER is the doctrine of God , who he is, and what we can know about him. He is not a force, not some-thing beyond good and evil, not fatalistic. He is a sovereign and infinitely good B...

  "For my own part I tend to find the doctrinal books often more helpful in devotion than the devotional books, and I rather suspect that the same experience may await many others. I believe that many who find that ‘nothing happens’ when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand." (C. S. Lewis, Introduction to Athanasius' On The Incarnation )  "And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" (Matthew 22:37)  My special focus of study in seminary was systematic theology. This has become a lifelong pursuit and passion for me. Systematic theology (also called Christian dogmatics) is biblical truth, articulated and arranged by subject into a logical and inter-connected order. It is a compilation of "sound doctri...

Bible reading for May 24 -- 25 May 24 -- Isaiah 25 and 1 John 3 May 25 -- Isaiah 26 and 1 John 4 ================    "He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces..." (Isaiah 25:8) THE DEATH OF DEATH (ch 25). Jerusalem would survive the Assyrian onslaught. And though in King Hezekiah's day food would be scarce, yet a banquet is coming, the Lord says. Isaiah is seeing over 700 years into the future to an event in Jerusalem which will destroy death itself. And the Apostle John sees a glorious future, as well: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Rev 21:4). Through the succession of nations and empires, through all the vicissitudes of time and history, there is one certain, unchanging plan of God. We can say with Isaiah, "O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise you...

Bible reading for April 12 -- 13 Apr 12 -- Proverbs 30 and 1 Timothy 1 Apr 13 -- Proverbs 31 and 1 Timothy 2 "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." (Proverbs 30:5)  OBSERVING CREATION (ch 30). This chapter records the words of Agur son of Jakeh. Nothing is really known of his identity (see the NET Bible notes on this chapter). The first section (vv 1-6) highlights Agur's dependence upon God's revelation. Here is a wise man stating his ignorance. The first step to knowing is to know that we do not know, and the more we know, the more we should realize that we do not know (though it doesn't always work that way). A philosopher once said that at best we humans are afloat on a raft of our knowledge upon a sea of our ignorance. We are dependent upon God's revelation to us, both in nature and Scripture, to know what is true, right, and wise. Agur introduces some of his sayings with numbers, such as, "there are 'n...

Bible reading for weekend February 8 -- 9 Feb 8 -- Job 7 and Romans 11 Feb 9 -- Job 8 and Romans 12 "Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert the right? If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression." (Job 8:3-4) THE MISERY OF LIFE (ch 7) . Job continues his lament. All of humanity shares suffering in common. We are all fragile. "Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good. The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more; while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone" (7:7-8). Job's case is extreme, but he knows that his suffering is not due to some serious unconfessed sin, as his friends imply .  BILDAD'S FIRST SPEECH (ch 8) . Job's second friend now speaks, more harshly than did Eliphaz (8:2; cf 4:1). But the same argument is being made: God is just and punishes the wicked; you and your children have suffered greatly; therefore, you have much wickedness to confe...

Bible reading for Nov 30.  1 Chronicles 28. "All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the LORD, all the work to be done according to the plan." (28:19)  PLANS & PREP. In chapters 23 through 27 David is preparing the way for the reign of his son Solomon. Genealogies of the priests and the Levites are reviewed, and David organizes divisions of service (or, tours of duty) for them, including musicians and gate-keepers, and finally, the military. In chapter 28 David gives a charge to Solomon to be faithful to the Lord, and to have courage to complete the work of building the temple (vv 7-9). This work was to be done according to plan (v 19). The organization of the divisions, as well as the design of the temple, remind us that our God is a God of purpose and order. The Bible teaches that behind creation and the flow of history is an infinitely-wise and powerful Designer. Our universe is not the result of random, impersonal forces. The early chapters of Genesi...

Bible reading for October 26.  2 Kings 7. "Then they said to one another, 'We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king's household.'" (2 Kings 7:9)  DAY OF GOOD NEWS. This chapter concludes the story begun in the previous chapter. Samaria has become desperate by the famine caused by the siege of the Syrian army. The unnamed king, likely Joram (cf 8:16), is wearing sackcloth (to symbolize repentance) but is also blaming Elisha for the situation. Elisha proclaims God's word that conditions will completely reverse overnight (v 1). A second pronouncement is made to the captain who said it would be impossible (v 2). (His unbelief reminds me of 2 Peter 3:3-10.) God's word comes to pass just as it was pronounced (vv 16-17). This is a reminder that God's pronouncement regarding the future is not merely foresight of "...

Bible reading for October 23.  2 Kings 4. "So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, 'Bring me another vessel.' And he said to her, 'There is not another.' Then the oil stopped flowing." (2 Kings 4:5-6) SUPERNATURAL SUPPLY . We read of four remarkable miracles in this chapter. The "sons of the prophets" (v 1) were the disciples who followed and studied under the prophets (v 38). These miracles are similar, but not exactly, to Elijah's in 1 Kings 17. And these look forward to (foreshadow), even more amplified, the miracles of our Lord in feeding the multitudes, raising the dead, and giving children back to parents. He said, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). These miracles also teach us of God's continued, ongoing care for us. He provides what his people need, and more. The p...

Bible reading for Aug 21.  I Samuel 13. "And Samuel said to Saul, 'You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.'" (1 Samuel 13:13-14)  PROBLEMS BEGIN. Saul is a good leader, but a pragmatist who has an eye to the crowd. In this chapter he is seeking to hold his troops together by taking charge of matters. In many ways we can identify with Saul, seeing things falling apart and just wanting to do something. But he takes charge of the sacrifice that was to be offered by the priest, in this case, Samuel. Saul's real job was to be obedient to the Lord, and to wait for the Lord's blessing through the priest. In this h...

Bible reading for April 26.  Numbers 3. "They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle." (Num 3:7) A friend and I were attending a Hokies' basketball game at an instate rival university a few years ago.  Two men in front of us, noticing our colors, turned and said to us in a friendly way, but with no uncertain terms, "You're in our house now."  The rivals defended their arena well, and we went home chastened with our loss.   Guarding his house.  As I noted at the beginning of Numbers, the Levites were charged with guarding God's house and the people worshiping there.  This word [ shamar, "keep watch, protect", 8 times in this chapter] was the same word used by God to command Adam to "keep" the garden of Eden (Gen 2:15), that is, to preserve its holiness and to protect it from evil encroachment. (Adam failed.)  God's sanctuary in Israel ...

“Sound theology has its source in a founding drama with its revealed doctrines . Through the drama and the doctrine together the Spirit produces doxology – repentance and trust – and brings us into the unfolding story of God, no longer as spectators, but as disciples on pilgrimage to the everlasting city.”   ~ Michael Horton, Pilgrim Theology: Core Doctrines for Christian Disciples (Zondervan Academic, 2013)

If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.   (1 Timothy 4:6 ESV) He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.  (Titus 1:9 ESV) "Every pastor is called to be a theologian. This may come as a surprise to some pastors who see theology as an academic discipline taken during seminary rather than as an ongoing and central part of the pastoral calling. Nevertheless, the health of the church depends on its pastors functioning as faithful theologians—teaching, preaching, defending, and applying the great doctrines of the faith. Athanasius  "In the earliest eras of the church, and through the annals of Christian history, the central theologians of the church were its pastors. "The managerial revolution has left many pastors...

"In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the  sound doctrine which you have been following."  (1 Timothy 4:6 NASV) There is an ongoing concern in many evangelical churches that we need to move on from Christian doctrine to the more practical aspects of the  Christian life.  After all, Christianity is more relational and practical.  It's more about life and relationships than it is about the content of the teachings of the church.  This is a fair enough concern, since all biblical doctrine needs to be worked out in real life.   But the danger here is that we separate doctrine from faith and life, and so remove the very foundation (and motivation) for living faithfully to God in this world.  Those of us who are studying Romans together are seeing that the Apostle Paul lays out eleven chapters of doctrinal groundwork before he comes to th...

"God is ultimate reality. The revelation that his nature is Trinitarian brings us the knowledge that personal relationships are ultimate reality, and are blissful. The revelation of his character brings us the knowledge of how we may go about establishing our relationship with God and with one another more perfectly, by loving God with all our heart and loving our neighbor as ourselves, by giving ourselves in personal communication to one another, by absolute fairness and faithfulness in our dealings with each other, and by being mindful of the order and priority which God has created, so that our relationships may flower with the bliss that God intends for us in our friendship with him and with one another." ~ Broughton Knox, The Everlasting God

"I am a Calvinist; I believe in election and predestination; but I would not dream of putting it under the heading of essential. I put it under the heading of non-essential… You are not saved by your precise understanding of how this great salvation comes to you. What you must be clear about is that you are lost and damned, hopeless and helpless, and that nothing can save you but the grace of God in Jesus Christ and only Him crucified, bearing the punishment of your sins, dying, rising again, ascending, sending the Spirit, regeneration. Those are the essentials… While I myself hold very definite and strong views on the subject, I will not separate from a man who cannot accept and believe the doctrines of election and predestination, and is Arminian, as long as he tells me that we are all saved by grace, and as long as the Calvinist agrees, as he must, that God calls all men everywhere to repentance. As long as both are prepared to agree about these things I say we must not break...

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.  (1 Corinthians 11:25-26 ESV) “So the Lord’s Supper was not just the idea of the apostles, not something conjured up by the Church, but it was a solemn command of the Lord. Why did He command them to keep it? Here is a most significant thing. I believe he gave this command in order to preserve the doctrine.  This, you see is an enactment of the doctrine, it is a kind of display of the truth, and our Lord wanted to preserve the truth throughout the centuries until the end of the Christian era. “What a wonderful thing this has been! This table with its bread and wine has often been a terrible condemnation of the pulpit. Men have entered pulpits and said that Jesus was only a man, that he was nothing more than...