Q & A Friday :: Can Theology become Idolatry?
Can we become so obsessed with making our theology work or pursue the “correct” theology with such fervor that it subtly becomes the thing we worship and not the Creator behind it?
This is indeed a danger. Our sinful hearts can even use good things like the study of theology as an altar for the personal worship of self. This is tragic. The pursuit of and growth in the knowledge of God is not bad, in fact it is commanded (Matt. 22.37; 2 Pet. 3.18). However, it is true that knowledge in general and theological knowledge in particular may puff up believers (1 Cor. 8.1). So there is a command to learn and a caution toward the growth of pride.
Since all Christians are to be theologians (Matt. 22.37…”all your mind…”) how are we to combat the propensity toward pride?
In this vein the command to young theologian Timothy is applicable to us all:
1 Timothy 4:16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching;
Yes we are to study the Bible, learn theology, grow in grace…but we are not supposed to stop there, we are actually supposed to apply the theology to our lives. We understand from James that exposure to truth is not enough we actually need to have personal application as well (Jam. 1.22). Theology without application is hypocrisy. To learn and understand theology without the application of theology is, according to James, sin (Jam. 4.17).
The tendency for theological idolatry is particularly ripe in the Reformed soil. For it is here that we have a grand heritage of theological giants who have been valiant for truth throughout many centuries. We love to read, quote, and identify with them. But if we cannot find biblical support for the agreement with the theologian then we ought not quote the man or exalt the man as if he is an authority in and of himself. It is the identification and correlation with the biblical truth that gives such quotes or books any weight. In and of ourselves we are without any authority. A good rule of thumb is to comb our theological reading with fastidious discernment lest we embrace and elevate our own magisterium without the pointy hats.
It is also helpful, I believe, to point out that the negligence of theological study is an auxiliary towards self-exalting idolatry. To think that we do not need to pursue greater understanding of theological truth is to declare ourselves glorified while we yet sin. To forgo the pursuit of theological growth is to declare our own independence and lack of need for illumination and transformation from the Holy Spirit which was dispatched from heaven for the purpose of growing us into the image of Jesus. Ignoring our responsibilities to pursue theological truth is to ignore the Holy Spirit, disregard and undermine the purchasing power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to declare sovereignty over the will of God, who wills that we grow in true knowledge (2 Pet. 3.18).
So what do we do? It is simple but hard. We are to pursue God with relentless zeal and to likewise we are to pursue Christ likeness with the same fervor.
I too struggle with the friction addressed by the question. God gave me great encouragement one day as a new seminary grad came into my life. As I met with this man his heart would just pour out for the Savior, his eyes would water, and his compassion towards others was so evident. As recently as yesterday I thought of this blessed scene and was so thankful for God in his goodness to stir hearts by stirring minds.
“Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching”
Last year I posted another article that may prove helpful in this vein… “Excitement and Alarm with today’s Reformed Camp”
–Fridays are Q&A Fridays here at IrishCalvinist.com so if you have a question fire it in to…
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- Q & A Friday :: How do you determine who can teach at the church?
- The Nashville Conference on The Church and Theology
20 Responses to “Q & A Friday :: Can Theology become Idolatry?”
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In answer to the question – Yes. One need look little further than the Pharisees of Christ’s time.
Charles Bridges said in the preface to his commentary on Proverbs, “The true man of God will honor practical inculcation [citing Eph. 4:20-24] no less than doctrinal teaching.” So, while doctrine and theology is certainly and unquestionably important and critical to one’s walk with God, let alone their view of who God is and who He is in our lives, still it was the Lord who said that the greatest commandment for our life is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind; and love our neighbor as ourself. Without love, you have nothing. (I Cor. 13)
Thanks for a great post!
Grasped Secure in the Grip of His Sovereign Grace,
Tom
Doctrine Matters
Amen, Good word! orthodoxy is not enough, we need orthopraxy, knowing and study God’s Word and truth for truth sake falls short. It should transform our life, faith and practice..
[...] Taken from here [...]
But can’t bible passages be interpreted in more than one way?
Erik,
Good work man. I liked the reverse to the original question. I had never thought about the lack of theology being a way to idolize one’s self. It is good to keep all of this in mind for those of us who have analytical minds. Thanks for the question.
erik…great thoughts…been thinking a lot of this lately making sure I am not “18 inches from heaven” Meaning having all the knowledge in my mind but none 18 inches down in my heart.
Jimmy
MacArthur has said it best, when interpreting the Bible, if you and I differ on an interpretation of a verse, passage, chapter, etc. I can be right you can be wrong, or vise versa, but we both can’t be right, or we can both be wrong.
One interpretation, many applications.
[...] Eric Raymond answers the question, “Can theology become idolatry?” [...]
So how do you determine whether your interpretation of the bible is the correct one?
Jimmy,
You will find different answers to your questions from different schools of thought. I think my view on this would differ from most people who interact on this blog, but I think it is worth checking out. I have given my view on previous posts here so I won’t bog down this blog, but if you would like to check it out, just click on my name and read “Journey.” The leading factor in all of this is, “what is commendable by God.” All things are permissable but not everything is beneficial. We really need to be willing to do a thorough self-examination and look for what God considers beneficial. I think this applies to everything, not just food, drink, etc. It includes our view of scripture and how we view God’s authority and instruction. If something is permissable for you, don’t be satisfied. Do your homework, pray, and really seek what God considers beneficial.
Jimmy
The correct interpretation comes from much study, reliance on the Spirit and a lot of prayer.
This doesnt’ mean that we won’t have differing opinions on the interpretations of the Bible, but you must seek the truth through the lense of the Almighty God who wrote Scripture. Sometimes it is hard labor, sometimes it is not. But, our job is to seek the truth through prayer and have confidence that God will reveal in His time.
Seth and Javaguy:
Are you saying that there is more than one correct interpretation of a passage?
No…there is one correct interpretation that God intended. But, we as men sometimes “muddy the waters”
There is sometimes more than one application though.
Such as the prodigal son…it will have more meaning as one becomes a father than it previously did when one was just a sibling…
make sense?
thoughts? Questions?
So why should someone believe your interpretation is better than, say, a Baptist’s or a Methodist’s?
Jimmy,
I would have to agree with Seth. It isn’t so much the interpretation as it is the application. What may be sin for one, may not be sin to another. This is demonstrated through the things that each individual person finds to be consuming to them. In other words, we all have things which are, or could become “idols” to us in that they take our focus away from God. Instead of seeking God, we end up seeking alcohol, or gambling, or TV, or etc. Anything that would war with God for our time and attention and focus becomes an idol to us and something we need to address individually. What may be an idol for some is not necessarily an idol for others, thus the differing applications of scripture to our own lives. At the same time, there are truths which God imparts to us which are universal and should never be interpreted differently than the way Christ presents it to us. How do we know what the proper interpretation is? Prayer, study, prayer, healthy discussion with other believers, prayer. God is the ultimate authority and he is faithful to guide us. Any misinterpretation of the Bible comes from outward influences in our lives. These influences can range from tradition in the church to misdirected leaders, to selfish ambitions, to any number of things. It is only when we are able to put all else aside and truly seek God that we are able to focus on what God is saying to us through scripture. Unfortunately, it is all to easy to put our sinful selves and desires into the equation and we are left with an answer which is slanted.
In a side note, I think it is of utmost importance to curb our inclination to prove this or that belief wrong and focus instead on what is right. It is way too easy to get caught in the trap of believing you are right simply because you can prove opposing views wrong.
javaguy…well said
Jimmy
On your question on why someone should feel my interpretation is “better” than someone else’s you need to go to study for yourself and pray for the revelation of the Spirit on those situations that we disagree on. But, don’t ever take anyone’s “word for it” always search out on your own as the Berean’s did with paul and the apostles (Acts 17:11)
But find a “Paul” in your life that is faithful to the Word of God and is faithful in study…but still go to God and search on your own.
My dad was a pastor and he always told not only the congregation but told me as well, “don’t take my word for it, search and study yourselves and challenge my interpretations when necessary.”
Soli Deo Gloria! Sola Scriptura
Well, if the Apostles meant a particular passage in a certain way, shouldn’t their interpretation govern?
In the same token, wouldn’t those who learned from the Apostles themselves know what is meant by the Scriptures?
Jimmy,
I think I understand your questions. First let me preface since I don’t know you or where you’re coming from. We would believe the Bible is an accurate record of what God has says about all things necessary for us to understand. It is inspired by him and written down through the apostles and other authors to communicate His truth to us. Please read 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
I agree with you that the interpretation intended when the scriptures were written should govern. And so it is the faithful Christian’s job to seek to best understand what God has said. For each passage, there is clearly an interpretation intended by God. So whether it be the guy writing it down when God gave it to him or us reading it today, we would be well advised to avoid making up our own idea of what He said (2 Peter 1:19-21).
With respect to your questions of interpretaion, let’s take an example. Remember that much of the New Testament consists of letters. Even in our uninspired correspondance, how would you feel if someone who had no idea who you were or why you were writing, picked up a letter written by you, read some part of the middle of it, and promptly came to the conclusion that it didn’t make any sense and could be interpreted in many ways? Would you give him the time of day? No. Even your letter deserves more careful consideration before receiving that kind of verdict. How much more does God’s Word?
This is not to say that understanding God’s Word is easy. Much study, prayer, godly counsel, and the insight of the Holy Spirit are all needed to understand the intention of the scriptures. To be honest, in some places there is legitimate disagreement. But not near so many places as you would think, and even in these cases the viable options are usually few.
As my pastor says, “The Bible is not a riddle book.” God has spoken to us, not to confuse us, but to reveal himself to us for our good and His glory. A good teacher speaks clearly to his pupils. God has spoken to us clearly and the areas where we don’t get it are a result of our slowness and not God’s inability to express himself. Any confusion we have should lead us to study harder and pray more instead of throwing up our hands and saying there are many interpretations.
I’m sure you’re tired of reading (If you still are.) In short, there are many interpretations, but only one that is God’s. We should work hard to understand what he meant and apply it because we know it is true!
Jimmy,
Yes the words of the apostles and their disciples can shed valuable light on interpretation. However, this can be very problematic as well. We can see how this can happen. We have all sent an email to somebody at some point that was misunderstood. The disciples of the apostles would have certainly misunderstood the teachings that they received at times. This is made easy by the tendency of mankind to desire to make ourselves look good not only in what we do but about what is believed to be truth. In short, this has certainly happened throughout Christian history and continues to happen today. This is why any religious institution that determines interpretation by a line of history is going to end up in error…it all comes back to the fact that mankind is desperately wicked apart from Christ. This is why Matt and Seth have continued to draw your attention back to letting Scripture interpret Scripture to determine what is meant in one passage. If you want to know what a verse means, read it in the context of the whole book and of the whole Bible. This won’t be easy because the Bible is long, but it is the only way to truly find the answer.
[...] Please take the time to read Eric’s answer to the question Can Our Theology Become Idolatry? [...]
[...] In light of what I wrote this morning, I thought that this post from the Irish Calvinist (yes, that’s really what he calls himself; perhaps if I break from this joint venture and start blogging solo I could be called, ‘The Jewish Calvinist’?) was fitting. In it he talks about the danger of making the study of theology an idol. [...]