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Hi there, my name is Victoria, and I am currently in Bible college and one of my current classes is Christian Theology and I am really confused. I am reading a book called Evangelical Theology written by Karl Barth, and I am just overall confused, what is theology? What is the point to theology?
Theology currently does not make any sense to me, is there any way that someone would be able to explain theology to me in a way that would make sense to me and help me understand what is going on. I have to read a bunch of the book, and tomorrow I have a quiz on a different theology book from the same class. I just do not know what to do as theology is seeming to make no sense to me. Thanks!
Theology is defined as the study of the things of GOD. Theology can be doctrine (a teaching to apply to our lives) like the topic of Soteriology (The study of salvation), or it can be on the existence of something (like the tabernacle or temple) or someone like the study of the nature of GOD (in how He is spirit, and or how He is triune, i.e. GOD is a Trinity. God is three persons [i.e. The Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost], and yet God is also one God.). All of the study on the things of God in your Bible is called: Theology. "Theo" means God. The "logy" is a particular field of study.
Please take no offense, but I am against Bible schools for several reasons according to the Bible. Please consider my following points by way of prayer before you dismiss what I am about to say.
#1. God's Word talks about how His Word is free.
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." (Isaiah 55:1).
True men of God will not charge you as a part of teaching His Word. Collections of money was only needed so as to further the gospel and giving is totally voluntary out of one's heart (See 2 Corinthians 9:7). Bible colleges are trying to imitate the world (secular colleges) and this is wrong. They are placing you into debt and that is not a loving thing to do to your neighbor (Yet, Jesus says it is more blessed to give than to receive). In the Bible, the early church met in each others homes and they studied the Word of God together. There was no need to get any fancy degrees on paper, etc.; And they certainly did not charge each other large amounts of money to gain any teachings from God's Word.
True men of God will not charge you as a part of teaching His Word. Collections of money was only needed so as to further the gospel and giving is totally voluntary out of one's heart (See 2 Corinthians 9:7). Bible colleges are trying to imitate the world (secular colleges) and this is wrong. They are placing you into debt and that is not a loving thing to do to your neighbor (Yet, Jesus says it is more blessed to give than to receive). In the Bible, the early church met in each others homes and they studied the Word of God together. There was no need to get any fancy degrees on paper, etc.; And they certainly did not charge each other large amounts of money to gain any teachings from God's Word.
#2. We can be taught God's Word by the Holy Ghost and not men.
1 John 2:27 says, "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."
#3. Study to show yourself approved unto God.
2 Timothy 2:15 says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." We are to study to show ourselves approved unto God. Letting others do all the study for you and then force feeding you is a violation of this verse. You need to study the Bible on your own by the leading of the Spirit and prayer and not in the wisdom of men.
#4. Bible schools will indoctrinate you to a certain false way of thinking.
They think you will not be able to just read your Bible in the English and believe it. They think that the only way you can understand your Bible is by doing a study in the original languages. While original language studies can be helpful sometimes, they should not conflict with a normal reading of the Bible in English and they should not be the primary way we read, study, and understand the Bible because these languages are no longer in existence. Doing keyword studies can be helpful, but they have their place and time when we run into a word within a verse that we are not sure about. We should not attempt to re-write God's Word in what it says already in the English. No scholar in the past thousand years has actually grown up in Bible times to know what that language says. God inspired men to preserve His words in our language that we have today. Jesus said, "Beware of the scribes." The scribes are those who TRAN-scribed the Law or the Scriptures. The scribe of our day is the scholar. So we are to beware of the scholars. For they seek to change God's Word or make you not trust the Word of God in what it plainly says in your own language.
#5. Some Christians have stopped believing in God because of Bible college.
Read this article here:
Can faith survive Bible college? - Premier Christianity
Can faith survive Bible college? - Premier Christianity
#6. Most who go to Bible college do so as means to become a Pastor of their own church organization.
However, the popular church organizations today are an unbiblical form of fellowship. Actually, it really is not fellowship because many go to a church and never connect with anyone there.
See these Christian Forum's threads here:
CF Thread - Pastor King.
CF Thread - God's Order in the Body of Christ.
CF Thread - Pastor King.
CF Thread - God's Order in the Body of Christ.
#7. Does the Bible teach that you are to go to a college and get a degree and then get a big building whereby you are to have rule over others who sit in it?
I would pray to GOD about these things and seek out the truth before you continue to attend something that the Bible speaks against.
Anyways, I hope this helps and may God bless you today.
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