i i i In order for one to understand Christianity from a theological perspective, and be
theologically informed, one must understand what theology means at its root.
Theology is the study of God in an effort to understand who He is with regard to what
is written in the Bible. The purpose is to provide Christians with an understanding of
God’s creation and His redemptive work for humanity. Both systematic theology and
biblical theology is rooted in the analysis of scripture, in an attempt to understand the
why and how of doctrinal development. Historical theology focuses on the
development and unfolding of theology throughout church history. It examines the
formation of cardinal doctrine about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, salvation, the church
and other doctrines to include how they have evolved over time (Enns, 439).
i i i i i i i i i i God charges Christians to “rightly handle the Word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15, ESV) by
effectively interpreting scripture. “Scripture is a symphony, replete with repeated
themes and variations.” (Wilson 2020, 14). Therefore, scripture must be studied and
accurately understood. In doing so, one can clearly impart God’s word accurately and
completely. The student author believes that it is critical for Christians to be
theologically informed, because foundationally, all Christians need to know and
understand who God is, his attributes, character and who He is to humanity.
Additionally, Christians need to know Jesus. As a minister, the student author needs
to understand the biblical context of theology because of God’s redemptive message.
The Gospel is the Salvific message of Jesus Christ and the belief in His death, burial
and resurrection. This is what Christianity is all about. If believers do not believe then
their faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:11-17). God’s community exists to proclaim the
Salvific message of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:3-4; 2 Tim
2:25) to those who were chosen for salvation before the foundation of the world
(Ephesians 1:4). Today many professed Christians do not know what “Christian”
means. Further, also many assert that some scripture conflicts with other scripture,
so there are errors in scripture. Yet, if they studied scripture, then they would
understand how to take scripture literally, apply metaphors or understand parables.
Studying scripture and being theologically informed enhances ones ability to be
“attentive to the genre of any biblical text in order to grasp its meaning.” (McLaughlin
2020, 98).
i i i i i i i i i i A Christian lifestyle requires ethical behavior built on morality that was
established by God (McQuilkin and Copan 2017, 162). As a leader in a church, a
theologically informed Christian needs to administer the operations of the church in
an ethical manner. Character and sound doctrinal knowledge are critical, but it is not
enough. The church leader cannot be effective without commitment to action in doing
God’s work. Christians must know how God expects Christians to worship Him and
Him alone or honor the sacredness of His name (McQuilkin and Copan 2017, 201) for
example. Christians should know how to live their day-to-day lives. This includes what
is expected to do His work, as such; one must know and understand what the Bible
says on the topic.
Word Count: 518
Bibliography
Enns, P. (2014)
The Mood Handbook of Theology.
Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers
McQuilkin, Robert, and Paul Copan. 2017.
An Introduction to Biblical Ethics: Walking
in the Way of Wisdom.
Downer’s Grove, IL
McLaughlin, Rebecca. 2019
. Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the
World’s Largest Religion
. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway.
Wilson, Todd and Hiestand, Gerald, eds. 2016
. Becoming A Pastor Theologian: New
Possibilities for Church Leadership
. Illinois: IVP Academic.
