Why Theology Can be Dangerous

 Theology is a lovely thing. In his famous work, The Golden Chain, William Perkins writes, 

"Theology is the science of living blessedly forever. Blessed life consists in the knowledge of God."

Studying God so deeply that you acquire intimate knowledge of Him only leads to blessedness. However, theology can be dangerous. As the apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3,

"...we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God."

Although intimate knowledge of God leads to blessedness, intellectual knowledge of God merely puffs oneself up. The key difference between the two is love. What good is knowledge of God if it is not a loving knowledge of God? Without love we are a clanging cymbal (1 Cor 13:1) and no better off than demons who also have knowledge of God (James 2:19)

Idolatry of Theology

When there is no love of God in your theology your theology tends to become your God. Being solidly reformed, I often encounter people who are hostile to my theology. There was a time when this hostility was offensive to me because my theology was my idol. I felt as if I was being attacked and maybe I was in some instances. I realized what was going on when it felt as if people did not like my identity. I realized reformed theology had become my idol.

No theological belief is immune to becoming an idol. You see it more commonly in the eschatological sphere of theology. If you have ever had a conversation about pre-tribulation or post-tribulation rapture or the pre-millennial, post-millennial, or amillennial reign of Christ, you have likely spoken with someone who makes their eschatology part of their identity.

This is not to say you shouldn't identify with a certain theology. Labels help us commune as likeminded believers who will spur us along. But when your theology becomes the focal point of your Christian identity instead of being a child of God, you have grossed into idolatry and must repent.

A New Gnosticism

In the early days of the Church during the first century, a heresy called gnosticism arose to challenge orthodox belief. The Gnostics believed a lot of strange things but one particular belief they had was that you must be enlightened by a "secret knowledge" in order to obtain salvation.

If you are familiar with reformed circles, you may be familiar with the "cage stage". Essentially, it is a stage you come to when you first start learning reformed theology where you are excited and want to tell everyone around you about this knew found knowledge you have but because you probably immature in this knowledge and will likely not articulate it well, it is better for you to be locked in a cage as to not hurt anyone with what you would say and harm their relationship with the Lord. Some have described this feeling with a sense that they have been lied to or the fullness of the Gospel has been withheld from them and are sort of angry. This feeling almost becomes a sense that you have gained a "secrete knowledge" that others must have to truly understand the Gospel and be saved.

Turning theology into a new form of gnosticism is incredibly easy and dangerous to fall into. Not only does this lead to turning your theology into an idol for you to worship but when you turn your theology into an idol it leads to treating your theology into a form of gnosticism in a vicious cycle.

The Greatest of These is Love

Love it the only thing to prevent and end the cycle of theological gnosticism and idolatry. I really enjoy how Paul uses a clanging cymbal in his illustration of religious life without love. As a drummer, I fully understand how irritating the cymbal can be. Pauls nails it on the head when he writes this.

If we have theology but we do not possess love for God we have something noisy and distracting. If we have theology and we do possess love for God, it begins to blend into the rest of our lives seamlessly like a beautiful harmony from which blessedness flow.

Seeking knowledge of God for knowledge's sake is fruitless. Seek knowledge of God for the sake of loving Him. Right theology leads to right doxology.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!