Why Theology Matters

Did you know that you are a theologian? You may not be a pastor, professor, or scholar, but you are a theologian. The word “theology” refers to the study of God, his word, and what it teaches. If you have any opinions at all about God’s word or what it means, then you have a theology. You are a theologian. In fact, even atheism is a theological position. Therefore, even atheists are theologians.

There are many people who believe that theology doesn’t matter that much, or that it is strictly the business of pastors and professors. God’s word takes those options away from us when it says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” The first commandment tells us that we are to worship the one true God alone. It is obvious then that we must know who God is and what he has revealed to us, otherwise we would not know how, or which God, to worship. If we don’t know those things, we cannot obey the first commandment. The first commandment demands that we be good theologians. 

So the question is not whether we are theologians. The question is whether our theology is God honoring. God honoring theology is that which tells the truth about God as revealed in the Bible and points people to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Errant theology always undercuts the gospel in some way. That is why theology matters. 

Consider the example of Christ’s physical resurrection from the dead. There are many who claim that belief in Jesus’ real, bodily resurrection is not necessary, that we just need to “believe in Jesus”. But is that true? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17 “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”  In verse 20 of the same chapter, Paul goes on to call Christ “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (died).”

In other words if Jesus was not physically resurrected, then we might as well sleep in on Sunday mornings. The bodily resurrection is a theological issue. If you read 1 Corinthians 15 you will see that Jesus’ literal, physical resurrection is central to the gospel, which is a theological announcement. A gospel without a physical resurrection, is a different gospel.  Paul writes in Galatians 1:8-9, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” 

Correct theology is not simply a matter for stuffy, bookish types who like to live inside their own heads. It is not simply a concern for ivory tower scholars. It is vital to the life of the Christian Church. That is why Jesus said in the great commission, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

According to Jesus, making disciples requires teaching content. That content is called theology.  What that means is that being a disciple of Jesus, or making disciples of Jesus, must include knowing what he taught. All Christians are disciples and all disciples are called to be good theologians. 

Of course none of this means that everyone has to be an expert. Different people have different gifts and interests, and that’s okay. What it does mean is that each of us is called to understand the word of God as well as we can in our unique situations. When we make the effort, we are rewarded with deeper knowledge of our Lord, greater assurance of his love and care for us, and firmer confidence as we seek to be effective ambassadors to a world that desperately needs the most important bit of theology we have: The Gospel.