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Johnathon Postell
Rawlings School of Divinity, Liberty University
THEO 104-B28: Introduction to Theology
Dr. Jeffery Scott
January 25, 2021
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When I think about theology, my first thoughts are often about debating doctrine.
Well, at least that is definitely what I used to think. My first experiences with the
understanding of theology, was to have arguments with other believers about our opinions of
scripture. I always thought that if I studied God well enough then I could prove my points and
positions better to others. It was all about Arminianism versus Calvinism. The truth is, I never
developed enough understanding about either to really have a concrete opinion. Eventually I
quickly realized how fruitless, vain and prideful I was when discussing theology. However,
now I really think about theology as what it means to know God. I think about my
relationship with God and what it means to become more acquainted with him. The longing
to know God more, I believe is what initially fuels desire to study Him. How do I grow in my
knowledge of God if I don’t study his word? How do I grow in faith and how do I become
like him, if I don’t know him? At the end of the day, my desire is to grow in intimacy with my
creator. In John chapter 17, Jesus says to know him is eternal life and I believe this is where
theology begins.
In 2011 I attended a 12-week program at my church that included a theology class. The class
was mostly about doctrine and statements of belief. The instructor or for this class talked a lot
about knowing what you believe about God and understanding why you believe it. It was a
really good class and it really begin my journey into theology. In the class I gained more of
an understanding regarding topics like God’s grace, God ‘s sovereignty, salvation,
sanctification, charismatic gifts and so many more. Out of the various topics covered I was
very Intrigued by the topic of God’s grace. This led me to dive deep into studying about the
grace of God and understanding what it means for the believer. Another topic that was
discussed at length in the class was the topic of Cessationism versus continuationism. Quite
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honestly, I never fully understood why this debate existed and I still do not. In its simplicity, I
believe that God still moves by the same spirit today that he did in the very beginning when
the Spirit of God moved over the waters.
In this course I hope to experience that same spirit. As the Scripture says in John 16, “the
Holy Spirit leads us into truth”, I believe he will through this class as well. My hope is that I
grow in deeper love for God ‘s word and grow in greater understanding. I want my heart to
be open to every word of scripture and that it would cut me like a scalpel. It is often easy to
pick a part the Bible and take only what I like or the parts that feel more relatable to me. My
hope is that as I dive into this theology course, I will be able to relate the Bible more as a
whole. I don’t want to pick a part God ‘s word and only take the parts that feel good to me.
This truly only happens where there is a lack of understanding of theology. I want my mind
and heart to expand and increase in capacity for God ‘s word. I believe that all of God’s word
is good and there’s purpose to every part of it. I believe this class can help me understand that
purpose. Lastly, I hope that my love for Jesus grows and my intimate relationship with him.
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