Systematic Theology – Preface

Here some things I’m learning this week.  I’ve cracked the book open and took some time to read the preface.  I’ve also started listening to audio teachings of Grudem – recordings from his Sunday service and study of the book Systematic Theology.

It really does seem true that the more I learn, the more I realize I how much I don’t know.  It’s made me realize that I’ve been a Christian for a very long time (since high school) but only now do I hungerto understand the real teaching of the Bible.  I admit that I have not faithful read the Bible ’til about a year ago.  As I’m reading the preface, it’s great to know God didn’t intend for Theology to be “dry and boring.”  And it should not result in the student having more questions and uncertainty than when he started.  I’m hopeful that to some degree I may be “able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also confute those who contract it” as Grudem refers to Titus 1:9.  It can and should be applicable to life.  Grudem says this, “theology when studied rightly will lead to growth in our Christian lives, to workship.”  And that’s my desire.

Grudem says something that I’ve heard, but I guess never really listened or thought about very much.  The uniqueness of the Bible is that it’s God’s words.  It’s what sets it apart from all other religious books.  Though it’s words written by man, it was all inspired by God.  In fact I learned this week that the very first words were literally written by God on stone tablets  and then given to Moses – the Ten Commandments.  From then on, God inspired man – prophets (in the Old Testament) to write His book, starting with Moses.  From there other prophets and in the New Testament, the apostles of Jesus.

But there are disputes over doctrine even within the Christian community.  There are the conservatives and the liberals.  I’m learning the liberal viewpoint doesn’t quite believe that Scripture is the absolute truth – it’s not completely God’s very own words inspired in man or that it not completely inerrant.  But it seems this is the limited area where evangelical Christian has disputes – “the nature of the Bible and its authority.”  Then I also learned the term “Covenant theologians”, which seems to oppose the “Dispensational theologians” point of view.  Both word I had to look up.  My impression is that “Covenant” refers to evangelical Christians (God’s promise to His people idea) and “Dispensational” refers to the Catholicism, which is described in the dictionary as “a relaxation of law in a particular case granted by a competent superior or the superior’s delegate in laws that the superior has the power to make and enforce.”  But its important for Christians to remember that we have “limited understanding and limited certainty in many disputed areas.”  So we should “express tolerance and a willingness to minister with those who hold differing viewpoints.”

Grudem references Eph. 5:27 and Eph. 4:13 that gives hope that these Jesus is at work perfecting His church and that one day this differing viewpoints will one day be united as man faithfully continues to understand Scripture.