Why Should We Care About Theology?

Someone once told me, “I really do not care about knowing about God… I really just want to know God.” This is not the last time I’ve heard that juxtaposition. Certainly we shouldn’t downplay the importance of having a personal relationship with the Lord. But does this mean Christians don’t have a place for knowing about God; should Christians care about theology?

We should say first, there are many people who will say “Lord, Lord” who will not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:21–23). Some think that by casting out demons or prophesying or doing mighty works—or having a perfectly sophisticated and intricate theology—they will enter the kingdom of heaven. This is not so. God is not an object for vain speculation. God is not pleased with those who speak eloquently with their mouths, but whose hearts are far from him (Matt 15:8–9; Is 29:13). This is a necessary caution. Theology is never to be learned apart from a heart warmed to God.

I should also qualify what I mean by theology. I mean neither being able to recite dates, names and places nor having read a library’s worth of books—although neither of those things hurts. I mean, intentionally, humbly, and carefully thinking about God. I have met plenty of folks with a deep understanding of the power and ways of the God of Scripture who have not been to seminary. By theology, I mean knowledge of his ways, his will, his work. I mean searching the Scriptures day upon day to come to a coherent understanding of God.

All this being said, right theology—the study (logos) of God (theos)—is an important duty for every person in general, and every Christian in particular. Here is why:

Theology is inevitable. I do not know how someone could go about life without forming presuppositions about the person and nature of God. The reality is that we all do this. Every time we pray, every time we read the Bible, every time we go to church, we are making assumptions about who God is. The reality is, we are all theologians. The question is not “Do I have a theology?”, but rather, “Where are we getting theology from?” and, “Is it any good?”.

Theology is God’s gift. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” God provides for our obedience in his revealed word. There are of course secret things not revealed in his word. Whatever is in his word, however,—including his attributes, his actions, his names, and his nature, aka, the “stuff” of theology—are revealed in order that we might obey him. In other words, someone whose view of God is not deeply informed by God himself through Scripture is incapable of obeying him as he wants to be obeyed. God’s desire is that we would have joy in obeying him, and, therefore, he graciously gives us theology.

Theology is necessary for obedience and pleasing the Lord. Paul prays for the Colossians that they would have the “knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,” but for what purpose? That they might “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,” (Col 1:9–10). There is such a thing as knowing God (or at least, knowing about God) without pleasing God. Yet, there is no such thing as living a life pleasing to God without knowing God (and knowing some things about God). Paul’s prayer for the Colossians is that they might grow in the knowledge of God so they might please him. If you would please God, you must grow in your knowledge of him.

Theology is necessary for loving God. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut 6:4–5). This is the greatest commandment in the Law (Matt 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). This is all-inclusive; we ought to love God with every fabric of our being. Part of that is the explicit statement: “with all your mind.” I struggle to understand how someone could possibly love God with all their mind without caring—just a little, at least—about good, right, proper theology.

Rejecting theology seems foolish. It is a foolish thing to reject the wisdom of our forebears (Prov 1:8–9, 3:1, 6:23, 13:1, 15:5, 32, 19:20). To know theology is to listen to a conversation that has been happening for thousands of years. Theologians number among the cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1). Certainly some have had their excesses over the years, but to say they have mostly wasted their lives thinking, talking, and writing about theology is problematic. There have been thousands of years of thousands of people who have thought long and hard about God, many of them devoting their whole life to the task. Not listening to what they’ve gleaned would be foolish and insensible. Someone’s distaste for theology might have many sources and good reasons, but to say we have nothing to learn from this conversation smacks of folly at its best and a dangerous pride at its worst.

We cannot know God without knowing about God. Remember the statement above that privileged knowing God himself over knowing about God? It is certainly true that someone can know a lot about God without knowing him. This being said, I do not think someone can know God without knowing about him. How deep would your relationship with your spouse be if you did not know their likes and dislikes, their dreams and ambitions, their background and family, their hobbies? The answer is: not very. So it is with God; if we would know him, we must know some things about him.

Theology increases our capacity to “be filled with all the fulness of God.” Paul prays for the Ephesians that they “may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge…” (Eph 3:18–19). This is a stunning prayer; Paul wants the Ephesians to have strength to comprehend the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Paul’s prayer is that God would make them theologians whose reward far outstrips their competency. For what purpose? That they, “may be filled with all the fullness of God.” The more knowledge someone has of God, the more God can show them the love of Christ that surpasses that very knowledge. The larger the cup, the more the fountain will overflow it. Would you be filled with all the fullness of God that surpasses knowledge? May God give you theology.