Theology Proper

Theology isn't a pleasant field of thought these days. It's too narrow, too impractical, too stuffy. Oh, sure some of those PhD types might go there, but for the everyday types, it has little use. Of course, that's the perception. It's not the truth.

Theology is generically defined as the study of religion, but that's not quite accurate. From its roots, theology is most accurately the study of (logos) God (theos). To differentiate between the generic and the actual, they call it "Theology Proper", the analysis of the divine. And, as it turns out, every single human is a theologian. Every one of us has a view of what God is like. For the atheist, God is like nothing at all because He doesn't exist. For the polytheist, God is like a lot of different beings with different characteristics and functions. For the monotheist, God is a singular being, but from there His nature diverges. But no one has no opinion on the nature of God.

So, look, here's what I'm going to do for you. I'm going to give you a little hint that ought to aid you on your theological journey. I'm going to give you a basic rule of thumb that should guide you in your study of the nature of God and its natural consequent, the nature of religion. Here it is. Ready? Theology proper ought to begin with ... wait for it ... the nature of God. Yes, I know, revolutionary, but there it is.

Now, of course, that just sounds mindless. Of course a study of the nature of God ought to start with the nature of God. I mean, what else would it start with? Oddly enough, while the study of mathematics starts with mathematics and the study of history starts with history and the study of animals starts with animals, in almost no case does the study of God begin with God. I know, I know, you'll dispute that, but think about it.

In a psalm of Asaph he writes of the problem of sin. "You give your mouth free rein for evil and your tongue frames deceit" he says (among other things) (Psa 50:19-20). He concludes, "You thought that I was one like yourself" (Psa 50:21). Elsewhere we have to be reminded that "He is not a Man" (1 Sam 15:29). I mean, think about it! Isn't that obvious? You'd think so, but apparently it's not the case. And, if we're honest, each of us has the tendency to assign human characteristics to the Almighty. Maybe it's the ever-popular beard and white hair or, more likely, our own sense of what's right and wrong. Today's "God" is largely in favor of whatever we're in favor of and if you disagree, you just don't know God. What the Bible says is not particularly relevant. Because, well, we think He is just like us, and we measure Him starting with us.

So I say again, theology proper needs to start with God. We have, for instance, God's creation that declares His glory and handiwork (Psa 19:1). We have natural revelation seen in creation and in what He has revealed about Himself there (Rom 1:19-20). Beyond that, we have His written Word in which God explains Himself. Now, many Christians at this point are nodding and saying, "Yes, we're good with that." As it turns out, there are descriptions of the nature of God in the pages of Scripture that we're not good with. When it says, for instance, that Jesus spoke in parables so they wouldn't understand (Matt 13:10-11) or that God "has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them" (John 12:40), you're going to see some push back from Christians. Because that's not right ... at least not from a human perspective. The repeated biblical descriptions of a God who judges sin with eternal torment is not acceptable from a human perspective, and even people who call themselves Christians balk at it. When Paul explains that God "has mercy on whomever He wills and He hardens whomever He wills", the expected response is a complaint -- "Why does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?" (Rom 9:18-19). The correct response to this complaint from a theology that begins with God is "Who are you, O Man, to answer back to God?" (Rom 9:20).

You see, by nature -- sin nature -- we tend to start our theology with us. God is like us. God agrees with what we find good. God opposes what we oppose. He is a man, just like us. And that would be a theology improper. If you want a proper view of God and His nature, start with God and His nature. Start with what He tells us about Himself. Start with what can be seen in creation. Do not start with the nature of Man. Because God is not a man. And the only right way to understand God is by looking at God instead of Man. Judging God by Man's standards is not proper theology. Oh, and, by the way, if you still believe that theology is too impractical and too stuffy, you need to question exactly how important your god is to you. For those who love God, a study of the nature of God is a lifetime endeavor.