What Flavor Is Your Theology?
How would you describe your theology? That is, if you’ve even ever thought about that question. Have you ever considered how you would label your theology?
The correct answer, of course is “biblical.” If you are a Christian, hopefully you would say that your theology is “biblical.” You’d say to me: “Come on, Matt, we don’t need labels, we simply need to figure out what the Bible says and do it.” (At least that’s what you SHOULD say…) However, have you ever stopped to think about what that means? How do you KNOW that your theology is biblical?
Christian Theology comes in many different flavors it seems. Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Reformed, Armenian, Open, Liberal, Emergent, Charismatic, Anabaptist, Adventist, Congregational, Pietist, Puritan, this list could take up several pages. Where do you fit? Have you given it any thought? All of the above (and all the rest, many of which are utterly contradictory) consider themselves to be “biblical.” At least biblical in the sense that we all mean it when we say it: most true to what the bible would teach us to be.
How do you know that your theology is biblical? Which school of theology would you say you ascribe to? Why? By the way, you probably do fit into one. There’s very little escaping it. I submit that in order to correctly understand scripture, you NEED to go with one (or several, rather.) Understanding scripture is such a HUGE and COMPLEX pursuit that we need guidance.
Guidance from The Holy Spirit (first and foremost), guidance from each other (a close second), and guidance from field experts (in theology, the original languages, linguistics, hermeneutics, exegetics, literature, history, archaeology, paleontology, philosophy, and others) in order to get at exactly WHAT the Bible says. We would do well to stand on the shoulders of people who have gone before and done hard work for us.
Whose shoulders do you stand on? Why?
The fact that the list of flavors of interpretation could take up several pages is disconcerting and telling. I think we all interpret Scripture based on the peer pressure of our community of faith because we want to belong. Holy Spirit? We all claim the Holy Spirit and yet have so many divisions. At this stage in life, I depend on the Holy Spirit to help me with gifts of self-control and loving people. I’m becoming very weary and skeptical of all the other claims.