Subject: must be theologians? |
Bible Note: If you are a theologian, EDB, I apologize to you personally, and I regret having made that statement about theologians. I have not heard any theologians to say that they are the only ones who know. The statement then, may be untrue. I am not sure what “patently” means. Truth is I am not sure what theologians really do or say. They just give me the impression that by dint of study they think they know. Yet they confuse me with admissions that there is so much they do not know. I only meant to answer that one does not have to be a theologian to know the only true God. I wondered why that questioner asked that question. Does one expect to get to know God by devoting most of one’s life to studying the word of God? I do not know. They tell us there are some things we do not understand and that they know more (understand better?) because they have spent many years studying. My problem is this: How can we judge whether what they are telling us in true? They invent words such as “Trinity” which are not even in the Bible. Then they tell us it is a difficult concept and they have been studying it for many years and they will explain it to us. We listen and we don’t understand and we say, “That is totally confusing to me”. They then accuse of not believing or of limiting our faith to our level of understanding. In attempting to make things simple, theologians make things more difficult for some of us. I do not study the word of God, but I search the word of God for information and instruction, and I think I have an understanding of my God. I am afraid that such a statement will be shot down, but I take comfort in the fact that I know that I know him personally and that I am allowed to say so. For this cause I suffer also these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed (2 Timothy 1:12). I know that I know him, and I hide behind the fact that I am allowed to say that, even to uxult in it. Doubtless, boasting is not usually a good thing. “But Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight”, saith the LORD. I would not be a theologian because I am not sure we ought to be studying the word of God. That statement will shock many and it will probably be shot at too, but I have not seen such an instruction in the Bible. I know, as I have said, that I should search the word (John 5:39; Acts 17:11, etc.) but I do not know that I should study it. Those who study it tend to argue over words, and their debates seldom serve to elucidate anything. When they run out of bible words such as sanctification they invent words such as Trinity and eschatology and transsubstantiation, or they go to Greek and Hebrew words, and they do not seem to help us. I hope no theologian tells you here that you should “study to show yourself approved”. We should know the word of God, and also we should know God. But “of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. Is this a call for ignorance? No. You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about him. That is good. May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. |