14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

1 PETER 3:14-17

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[b] may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 

THE FUNDAMENTALS / DOCTRINE OF THE WORD

There’s power in the fundamentals.

“I am convinced that there is an urgent need in the church today for much greater understanding of Christian doctrine, or systematic theology. Not only pastors and teachers need to understand theology in greater depth - the whole church does as well. One day by God’s grace we may have churches full of Christians who can discuss, apply, and live the doctrinal teaching of the Bible as readily as they can discuss the details of their own jobs or hobbies - or the fortunes of their favorite sports team or television program.

Wayne Grudem

14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…

1 PETER 3:14-15

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…

1 PETER 3:14-15

“Relationship with God, as with any person, soon requires a contribution from us, which will largely consist of study.”

Dallas Willard

“[Christian] Mystics without study are only spiritual romantics who want relationship without effort.”

Calvin Miller

“If you do not listen [study] theology, that will not mean you have no ideas about God, rather it will mean you have a lot of wrong ones.” 

C.S. Lewis

WHAT, WHO, WHY, AND HOW OF THEOLOGY

THEO = god or deity

OLOGY = a subject of study

Theology: the study of the nature of God

Systematic [biblical] Theology: any study that answers the question, “What does the whole Bible teach us today?” about any given topic.

Doctrine: what the whole Bible teaches us today about some particular topic.

“Practical problems have theological answers. So the question is not whether or not you’re going to be a theologian, but what kind of theologian you’re going to be.”

Michael Lawrence

1. Understanding theology is apart of the Great Commission

Jesus said to them, “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 lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

MATTHEW 28:18-20

1. Understanding theology helps us overcome wrong ideas

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

EPHESIANS 4:13

“The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still.”

A.W. Tozer

1. Understanding strengthens our relationship with God

“I do not believe that God intended the study of theology to be dry and boring. Theology is the study of God and all His works! Theology is meant to be lived, and prayed, and sung! All of the great doctrinal writings of the Bible (such as Paul’s epistle to the Romans) are full of praise to God and personal application to life… theology when studied rightly will lead to growth in our Christian lives, and to worship.” 

Wayne Grudem

1. Prayerfully

1. Humbly

“Those who study systematic theology will learn many things about the teachings of Scripture that are perhaps not known or not know well by other Christians in their churches or by relatives who are older in the Lord than they are. They may also find that they understand things about Scripture that some of their church officers do not understand, and that even their pastor has perhaps forgotten or never learned well. In all of these situations, it would be very easy to adopt an attitude of pride or superiority toward others who have not made such a study. But how ugly it would be if anyone were to use this knowledge of God’s Word simply to win arguments or to put down a fellow Christian in conversation, or to make another believer fell insignificant in the Lord’s work.”

Wayne Grudem

1. Communally 

1. Wholly

1. Joyfully

DOCTRINE OF THE WORD.

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[b] may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

HEBREWS 4:12

"The Bible is God's voice speaking to us, just as truly as if we heard it audibly."

John Wycliffe

"The Word of God is like a lion. You don't have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and it will defend itself."

Charles Spurgeon

“Our prayer as we study meditatively is always that God would meet with us and speak specifically to us, for ultimately the Word of God is God speaking.”

Dallas Willard

"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less...