Firstly I think it’s necessary for all believers to be more deeply rooted in the things we actually believe. Paul said; “…for I know whom I have believed…” (2 Tim 1:12). I think we should be able to say the same thing!
A second reason is that all growth in our walk with God starts by acquiring new knowledge. However, just knowledge is of course not sufficient if we want to develop our spiritual life. The actual forming that needs to take place only happens when we make room for his Word to work within us. That is what discipleship is all about. Jesus said: “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).
I know of course that many people may react to the word “theology”, thinking it implies something very theoretical and therefore something the average believer can do without. There is some truth to that if we specifically mean “academic theology”. But in past generations a “Theologian” was someone who both had knowledge of God’s word and lived a life in accordance with that teaching. To me that sounds pretty much like what one could expect from any sincere disciple of Christ. So maybe we all are supposed to be “Theologians”?
Theology simply means “knowledge concerning God”. In my opinion any good theology must be based on Scripture. I believe that God has communicated to all mankind and that the very peak of that was when God himself became a man in Jesus of Nazareth. He is the eternal Word that became flesh. But it’s also a fact that Jesus himself used the whole OT (the Scriptures they had then) to reveal things concerning himself (Luke 24:26,27).
So even today, the words of the Bible work as God’s medium for communicating his revelation to us here and now. The Bible has some completely unique features. Again and again it assures us that it is “alive, quick and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12). Its words are of course a text that we read, but at the same time they also bring us into live contact with God.
God created the whole universe by his Word and he works in you and me through that same word, which is Jesus. God’s purpose with discipleship is clear; we shall become like the master, in other words be formed into the image of Jesus.
You have probably noticed that the Bible is not ordered according to the different topics and themes it contains? So in order to discover what it teaches about this or that, we must do some research and then try to arrange our findings.
If we then take a step further and try to correlate a certain topic with the other themes we find in the Bible we can find out where and how it fits into the bigger picture. The aim of systemizing the Bible’s content like this is to make it more clear and accessible for everyone.
It’s like doing a puzzle. First you pour out all the pieces, then you organize them according to colour or something else and finally you try to put them all together. The better you succeed in doing this, the more you will see the bigger picture grow and become understandable. This is the aim of good systematic theology.
So my intention with the podcast is first of all that it should be a teaching for all believers. With a few exceptions all teaching will be given as a Bible study. My plan is to simply take my time and in small portions systematically work my way through all the major themes within theology.
Paul used a similar approach during the two years he taught in the hall of Tyrannous at Ephesus. On a later occasion he met with the Church leaders and reminded them “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). I hope you will enjoy making this journey together with me and that it will be beneficial for your spiritual development as well as enabling you to be a witness for the Lord. To him belongs all the Glory!
Johnny Foglander 