The Purpose of Discussing Theology

Some of my closest friends deny the need to discuss theology. They feel that it bears no fruit, only causes division and gives a bad testimony to outsiders. Is this contention true and useful? I do not believe so. In fact, in my view, the discussion of the Bible is extremely edifying and Biblical. However, many today approach the practice with very bad attitudes and thus the outcome of such endeavors is always disastrous. We need to learn with the help of the Holy Spirit how we must approach a delicate thing such as this, for if we handle theology inappropriately we will cause divisions in the church and ultimately prove ourselves to be hypocrites.

The first thing I would like to share is a principle I learned as a young Christian. When I was first saved I was converted through the ministry of Calvinists; therefore I assumed that I was one, not knowing the avid hostility that there certainly is toward that belief. I sought to discuss the issue of Reformed theology with friends without knowing much about it; and as you can imagine the outcome was not in my favor. However, there was a deeper issue in my life, rooted in immaturity, other than simply not knowing my side of the argument. That problem was I had not allowed the doctrines of grace to be deeply rooted in my practical Christian life before I thought I could go and reform America. Put simply, I was speaking with my mouth what had not become real in my heart. I strongly believe that a person should not debate or discuss theology until he has allowed it to affect his life and practice. Debating viewpoints is not the summum bonum of theology, but love is (see 1 Timothy 1). Therefore, our primary goal in knowing and studying theology must always be to spurn us on to love God and neighbor before it becomes intellectual ammunition.

Now that we have our priorities straight we can move on to the actual topic. Is discussing theology useless? Is it profitable? It is my contention that it is not only profitable, but necessary. This is an outgrowth of a high view of the scriptures and God's truth.

If we are conservative evangelicals, we believe that the scriptures are inerrant and are God-breathed. As God-breathed we believe that the 66 books of the Christian Bible are absolute truth. Unlike the postmodern world we live in, we believe that truth can be known. The question becomes, then, to what lengths are we going to strive to know truth, and what is the value that we put on defending and spreading the truth. This, in fact, is the very basis of debating and hashing over theology: The defense and propagation of truth.

Some believe that debates look bad to unbelievers. This is simply false, however; for the opposite is true. Rightly done, debates proclaim to the world our concern for God's truth. When two Christians come together, it should shout to the world "We believe that truth can be known, and we care enough about knowing that truth to come together and seek it out." So brothers, let this be the overriding principle when we talk over our views. We must not be a bad testimony to those who oppose us by showing disrespect for the word by insults and careless and empty rhetoric.

In closing, we live in a day and age that is so relational that objective truth is downplayed. Do you, Christian, have a love for the truth and a longing for it just like you have a love for others? For my friends, we have the very truth of God in the canonical scriptures! Let us have a high view of God's word and exemplify our reverence for it when the time comes to defend it against opponents.