The Study of Theology is Coming to St. John

One of the positive traits that St. John is known for is that we are a teaching church. For our Sunday school this fall we will be venturing into the exciting waters of theology. This is an audacious move given how rarely churches incorporate theology proper in Sunday school curriculums.   There are mainly two reasons why Churches avoid direct teaching on theology:

1. It is controversial – there are too many points of view
2. It is not necessary – all there is to know about God can be found in the Bible.

I am glad that these reasons are not strong enough to keep us from undertaking the beautiful Christian discipline of theological studies.  My excitement about theological study can be summed up in Arthur W. Pink’s point when he says, “An unknown God can neither be trusted, served, nor worshipped.” Real theology seeks to draw us closer to God. After all the word theology is a compound of “theos” [God] and “logos” [Word or knowledge]. Therefore it is on God and His dealings with man and the rest of creation that our theological studies will be based.

I am encouraging as many members and friends of St. John as will be able to consider participating in our theology based Sunday School this fall. Studying theology and doctrine is not just for pastors and seminary students but every child of God. It was J.C. Hahne who said: “He who does not know God as Sovereign, Almighty, Immutable, Omniscient, Righteous, Just, etc… will in no means be capable of trusting, serving and worshiping Him.”