As Christians, we are all called to be good theologians. You may not realize but you yourself are a theologian the moment you start seeking and desiring God. What is theology then?

Theology, as complex as it sounds, just means “the study of the nature of God and religious belief”. The study of theology is not limited to Christians but also other belief systems. Even within the church, every Christian holds different theological views; no two people hold the same views. This is because everyone has a different personal experience with God. No two lives in this world are the same so no one will have the exact theological views as someone else.

However, from a Christian’s perspective, what makes a good theologian?

Good Christian theology must be rooted in Scriptures. A question I always ask myself is am I constantly reshaping my theology to align with Scriptures or am I constantly reshaping Scriptures to align with my theology?

The former is what the Bible commands (Romans 2:2) while the latter may become heretical and is clearly unbiblical.

Let’s take it one step further. Here is a verse from the Bible:

If you worship me, it will all be yours – Luke 4:7 (NIV)

It sounds amazing doesn’t it? Hold on a sec, something feels wrong… What context is this in?

Let’s look at the whole verse

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” – Luke 4:5-7

Wow! What do you see? Notice how dangerous it is to take Scripture out of context? What is this called?

Cherry-picking

Never do that. However, how do we know if we are cherry-picking?

1. Pray about it. Consult God first for wisdom and discernment as He grants it generously (James 1:5)
2. If you are aware that your theology is satisfying some verses and conflict others, you are cherry-picking. Good theology will not conflict Scripture at all.
3. If you are unsure, consult your brothers and sisters in Christ or your pastor.

Proper theology is vital in our everyday lives. Bad theology will lead someone astray or even to a point where they loose their salvation. Therefore, brothers and sisters, read your bibles in context and constantly renew your theology to align with Scriptures. There will always be some flaw in our theology but as long as we believe in Him, He his grace is sufficient.

God Bless!