When we consider the task of theological study and education, it is sometimes helpful to ask very basic questions. For example, “Is it possible to know God, and if so, why is it possible?” Or, “Does theology relate to other types of knowledge, and if so, how?” These are fundamental questions, the answers to which will determine the total possible outcome of our theological examination.
Another crucial question that we must ask is this: what is the foundation of theology? By asking this question, we are assuming (safely, I think) that theology is a unified body of knowledge about a person, namely God. But upon what is this knowledge based? What is source document or documents that we look to in order to gather data or assess our conclusions? I believe there is a single foundation to all theology.
The Bible is the sole, authoritative source for all of our knowledge about God. Simply put, there is no other trustworthy source of information about the character and person of God. All theology (all true theology, at least) stems and blossoms from the Word of God. Not philosophy, nor natural theology, nor rationalism, nor sages, nor mystics can supplement—much less match!—the Word of God. That being said, we also depend on the Holy Spirit and on Jesus Christ, apart from whom we cannot apprehend such knowledge, but all of their revelation to us comes through the Bible as a means. Even the true information we have from creation (Rom. 1:20) does not inform our relational theology unless we are first informed by the Bible.
Not only is the Bible the sole source of this knowledge, but reading the Bible is fundamental to all development of theology—there are no exceptions to this rule. Any student of theology who is not deeply involved in reading and meditating upon the Word of God is bound to develop erroneous ideas about who God is. At the very least (deeply understating the facts), Scripture acts like lines on the road that guide us in the direction of more accurate knowledge of God—or if we are really headed the wrong direction, Scripture is like guardrails that hinder further progress in a dangerous direction.
In light of all this, what do we do with other theological resources? How do we view those who wish to teach us, or books that are popular or highly recommended? Though the Bible is the sole source of theological knowledge, that does not mean we can never learn from others. In fact, humility demands that we learn from those whom God has placed over us (cf. 1 Peter 5:5). It can be very helpful to read the theological writings of those who have gone before us and we should seek to ‘stand on the shoulders’ of these giants. Nevertheless, these men and books can never take the place of the Bible. The Bible remains the ultimate standard of all theological teaching—every preacher, teacher, parent, scholar, or author must be judged on the basis of the Word of God. Even the apostles were excited to see that people searched the Scriptures to find out if they were speaking the truth (Acts 17:11). This is an expectation that every godly teacher should have!
The Bible is the norm that norms all other norms, as someone famous once said. It is the sole foundation for all our knowledge about the eternal, immortal King. Any student who seeks to study theology but who neglects the Word will surely end in error. Guard yourselves, then, in the priority that you place on God’s precious Word. Make sure that studying His Word is central to all of your theological efforts!
--Dean of Admissions
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