Bad Theology

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rchapman

Puritan Board Freshman
Everyone, I have been a member of the Puritanboard for sometime now. I hardly ever post any comments because I have a lot to learn( a small fish in a big and deep pond). I do, however, read the various discussions as time and circumstances permit. I have learned to respect a great many of you after reading your posts on various subjects and observing how you handle yourselfs, especially when discussions get heated. My deeps respect to you and praise to the Holy Spirit in His working in your lives. Now with that said, I would like to ask a question that may only take a brief response or, possibly, a length one. Here it is, do you think that anything good come out of bad theology? I would use some the smileys if I knew how to make them work(computers are certainly not my strong point). Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Bob Chapman
 
Bob,
Thanks you for your kind words.

I am sure God uses even bad theology to accomplish his will. God is perfect, men are not. When men speak, it is tainted with sin; even though these men are in Christ.

Two things come to mind here. One, all believers are called to study and two, not all men are on the same level academically. It is the job of the learned to dismantle error in the ranks. bad theology typically comes from poor education of the scriptures.

I once asked my pastor why this is: His reply, for some reason, God has saw fit to leave it this way, this side of Heaven.



[Edited on 6-13-2004 by Scott Bushey]
 
As Scott said, for some reason, God obviously saw it fit to have it that way on this side, since He is sovereign, yet bad theology still exists. (For because God works all things for His glory, if no good could come of bad theology then all Christians would be Calvinists!)

It was actually this realization that first led me to question to universal, perpetual truth of John Piper's quota, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." If God were [i:8318bde226]always[/i:8318bde226] most glorified in His children when they were most satisfied in Him right at the moment, then He would have caused all Christians to see His glory as expressed in the doctrines of grace. However, He has not, from which I have to conclude that on this side of life, God is sometimes most glorified in some of us when we are much less satisfied in Him than we could be, such as before we saw His glroy in TULIP. I think that the only time Piper's quota will fully apply is after the end of the world, when we are all in Heaven.

In Christ,
 
Bob:
What do you call bad theology. I call my theology bad theology. I'm still getting there.

There are some who are a long way down the road, and still hold to bad theology. Why? There are some just getting started, and who hold a good theology? And why is that? You know, when we critique some famous theologian, or person of the church, it is usually someone who has studied a lot in some area. But yet we sometimes think his theology is bad. That doesn't necessarily mean that we think our own theology is so good, and should be copied by everyone. Maybe I do that, but I am one of the least on this Board.

I think what makes for good theology is what is set out at the beginning: to submit to the Word. It doesn't matter where we are, we have to start there. And we all have to step out of our bad theology all day long, all life long. Whatever we have accumulated in the past, each day has to begin with subjecting myself to the Word.

At first I'm getting rid of just about everything; but as I grow, I retain some of the stuff I've gained, and continue to throw out whatever isn't according to the calling I've been called to.

Where ever I am along that line, if I am submitting to Scripture, I have a good theology. And all this comes out of a bad theology at first. Sometimes we're better off that way, because we have an experiential comparison between the old man and the new man. But sometimes we're not. The old theology sometimes won't let go, and gets dragged along, sometimes mistaken for orthodoxy.

God can make good come out of evil. If we are His, then He can use our very person for His glory.
 
1 Cor. 11:19

"For there must also be factions among you that those who are approved may be recognized among you."

Heresies in the church have always forced the defenders of the faith to study out the truth of God's Word. Bad theology is a goad, a thorn in the side like the Philistines, "so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the Lord, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not" (Judges 2:22).
 
I remember as a very new Christian, seeing that the speaker the coming Lord's Day was going to speak on the Letter of Jude. So I thought I'd read through the letter so as to be prepared.

Well, when I read it through, I couldn't work out why these false teachers has 'gone the way of Cain', nor what Balaam's error was (v11). 'Never mind', I thought; 'The preacher will explain it all.' Suffice it to say, he didn't. I don't remember what rubbish he talked, but I left the church as ignorant as I went in.

The upshot of it was that I began to study the Bible seriously for myself for the first time, so as to find out what these things meant. Had the preacher explained the two references, my curiosity might have been satisfied, so in a strange way, under God, his bad preaching was blessed to me.

Blessings to all,
Steve
 
Thank all of you for your responses. It is very insightful and each one of you contribute to the whole of understanding. Please, if there is any further comments. bring them on. Bob Chapman
 
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