What kind of theology

I lived more than twenty years of the Christian life believing that my performance made me acceptable to God in some way. Through a long painful process, God stripped away the legalism and brought me into an understanding of his wonderful love and grace. I once thought that I knew what the Christian life was supposed to look like. Now, some of the Godliest men I know have long hair, wear leather even to church , and skip church to hang out with outlaw motorcycle gangs. I still have much to learn about Grace, as well as what God desires of His children after recieving eternal life.

Thank you for your response. As you may have surmised I am a messianic jew love TORAH, the law is a mirror that reveals our lowly status before a Holy G-d, looking in the mirror each morning we are shaved by grace. Have a delightful day filled with the joy of the Lord Shalom, Mishpacha family.

Wow, a messianic jew and a free-gracer, you truly are a rare breed. I believe in a healthy dose of both. I think right behavior can help shape our right actions. But, I have found the more action I partake in, it has helped reshape my theology. At first, I was all about right behavior until I began serving people on the mission field. Theology is a manner of ordering thought when discussing things that pertain to God.

This is a very good list but not comprehensive although I doubt that was the purpose. The descriptions do reveal, somewhat, a bit of bias less by attack and more by slight. It is probably true that Western thought has a tendency to be more reductive but Christianity is hardly the only religion which has divisions.

The Apostle Paul seemed to suggest that these differences helped prove who was right. Good points all. I know the types of theology above are not comprehensive, and are also based on Greek philosophical ideas for the arrangement of knowledge. I am not certain this is the best way to arrange theology.

It would seem that right action is actually preceded by right being, and being right must be preceded by being made right. The actions of a being that is not right is not right action. If I read the recorded written words of Jesus correctly the reason God had to send a Savior was based on this very idea. If man were capable of right action on his own then Christ died for nothing but that all have sinned and are godless seems to put the right action beyond our ability in our natural state or fallen state.

Right belief cannot be the cure either for even the demons believe but are not any better off by it. All of this leads us back to something so deep and life changing that is can only stem from the Voice of God which alone can declare us free and clean. True points. The scripture is self-organised. It is understanding the essence of OT and NT that should be the guiding principle. It is this surrendering that is commonly regarded as faith and works.

It is not an issue of believing or doing right, which has been the general thinking of many. This suggests that theology might have a way of making the imperfect thinking of man to perverse the truth through categorization of thought regarding the gospel. Now theology is restricted to western Christians in particular. Whereas the work of salvation is open to all, worldwide.

So it can be seen that theology has already given rise to sectionalism. It is in a similar way it might cause a variety of opinion regarding same biblical message. Christian would not be a good name for it because it involves a lot of the story of the jews.

I call it the passion paradigm. It basis is Jesus and the passion week. The passion week sets the formation of all parts of the theology and jesus is the worker. The Passion week is a paradigm for 15 stories if including the passion week as one of the stories. A week is called shabuwa. Pretty easy term to find in Hebrew. The foundation to this theology is set on this scripture. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,. The redemption, revelation and reconciliation story is tied up in 15 stories.

By default, I defer to systematic theology. The former is about principles; the latter, application. I need both. Because I use hermeneutics in my studies, I find biblical theology more rewarding for my understanding of Scripture. When looking at discoveries made in systematic theology I still need hermeneutics to correctly exegete the passage and understand if the conclusions they made are correct.

Knowing the theology of a particular book will reveal this. This is off topic but concerning hermeneutics I recommend green Osbournes hermeneutical spiral.

I studied the main highways and streets and became familiar with how they connected and intersected; I learned the neighborhoods and the easiest ways in and out.

After that, I found the addresses of stores and attractions that were of special interest to me; then I marked the addresses of all the kids that were in my youth group I was brought in as youth pastor , my favorite restaurants, particularly those that delivered.

Then, over the first few weeks, I drove to as many of those places as I could, using the map routes that I had laid out in my mind, watching closely for businesses and other landmarks to help me familiarize my routes. After a few weeks, I had kids who wondered how I navigated the entire area like I had lived there all my life.

This is analogous to the study of theology: I really need to learn what the Bible, in its entirety, teaches about the themes that run through it from Genesis to Revelation. I believe that most error comes from people reading and interpreting a verse or passage divorced from the total context of Scripture. While that might not satisfy my mind in clear and confidant certainty of the understanding of my passage, it will most likely keep me from falling into error.

Thank you for putting a name to this method. By incorporating cultural background resources and original languages, led by the Holy Spirit, my study is so rich.

Your method sounds thorough and could streamline my efforts. I mean, it requires a decision not to use them. Hey, Clarice! In the app, you can use any translation with study notes. Hope this helps! I like systematic theology because when you study a particular characteristic of God; e. Seeing this throughout enhances the specific trait of God in your studies. The process I felt led to use when the Lord would give me something to study, e.

Sounds like a systematic approach. Then I would ask the Lord for specific direction to an event in Scripture that He wanted me to use to develop a theme He wanted to highlight. I could also show where God used that meaning in other settings expanding its meaning for us.

At times, after many hours of research, I would go before the Lord and ask Him how I was to present the theme, and He would turn me to another approach entirely. There is a need for clarification here.

Your bucket illustration is amazingly good by the way. Your established thought buckets are in place first — said another way: You first have a system of thinking in terms of categories to place bible verses into. The bible verse fits into their established systematic theology. A Biblical Theologian will not first have a systematic bucket to put the text in but ask first: What did this text mean when it was written, what was within the culture that made this concept important to the writer in that day; what was the writers style or personal experience in the issue, with the recipients etc.

These things are not systematic theology categories and may not even speak to a specific Systematic bucket. A biblical Theologian thinks of the text and its context first and maybe come up with other things to talk about than the pre-established buckets. Biblical Themes are not Systematic categories. You have to remember that Grudem is a very conservative Bible First systematic theologian so for him to do Systematics as a Conservative Evangelical, he must use the text to fill the systematics buckets but he has his buckets established first, and sees the text speaking to them — arguing for his Systematic positions.

Even God might not so easily fit within our systematic constructs. I see not one scripture reference to systemising scripture. However, here is scripture to support interpretation through biblical revolation. Thank you so much for this! I prefer the biblical-theological study. When I study systematically, I most times have the tendency to not find my way back to the beginning, sort speak. In biblical-theological studying, my thoughts seem to stay gathered in one place.

Once I start, I prefer to conclude that thought. The breakdown here was just what I needed for a more in-depth understanding. The Biblical theology was very on point for me! Seems to me, that Systematic Theology is somewhat of the product of Biblical Theology. Put it this way, if you did not have Biblical Theology, can you have Systematic Theology. Biblical Theology is essential to establish a Biblical understanding of God and the creation, i.

Systematic theology seems more practical and is under girded with Biblical Theology. Teaching and making general statements about God must be based on Biblical Theology. Biblical Theology is hard work, but well worth it. We say God is holy.

We can believe that this is true. I think as believers, we do both without realizing it. I think if we intentionally set out to practice one or the other at specific times, it will enrich our understanding and make us better equipped to teach, preach and disciple. Now that I do, I confess I see value in both and have done both. Sometimes I have to take a birds eye view of the Bible so that I keep in mind the overall purpose of God. And then there are times when I need to zoom in and dissect the Word to sharpen and enhance my understanding.

So I believe both are necessary. Likewise, should we think of the necessity and mutuality of the four types of theology? Grace College and Theological Seminary explores all four types of theology under the instruction of expert faculty mentors. Alumnus of Grace College, earning a B. Earned an M. James Church in Paris, Ontario.

Previously, he taught for 11 years as Associate Professor of Theology at Redeemer University College in Ontario, Canada also serving as department chair. Mark Bowald. Dedicated to teaching, training, and transforming the whole person for local church and global ministry. Answers from a Theology School. Biblical Theology Biblical theology is the focus on the specific ways that the discreet and unique authorial voices in Scripture reflect on the larger questions of theology and the relationships of actions and activities between God and human creatures.