Speaking honestly and openly seems both necessary and precarious. So then, how are we to share our stronger thoughts and feelings? Is venting legitimate, constructive, healthy, and faithful? In short, is it ok to “vent?” Scripture offers a nuanced response. It gives permission, admonishes caution, and provides direction. It gives permission for honest expression, caution to avoid harm, and direction to express your heart to God. The resulting outcome is something close to “venting” but yet something qualitatively different. It retains its unfiltered nature but does not go unchecked. Let’s dig a little deeper into these categories.

Permission for Honest Expression
As it relates to the honest, open, and even raw, expression of our life experience, Scripture provides ample permission. This permission is most clearly seen in the psalms, which embody many facets of our inner emotional life. The psalmists pour out their hearts with every flavor of emotion in view. Their honest and open expressions take the form of these common phrases: “my heart cries out,” “I lift my complaint to you,” “How long O Lord?” and “I groan all day long.” For example, Psalm 55 feels like something close to venting as it unleashes a commentary of personal devastation and tragedy. It captures the psalmist’s intense emotional experience.

Psalm 129 is also a good example of this type of expression. Not only does it seem to give us permission to do something like venting, but similar to the other psalms mentioned, it prescribes it. Within the very first verse, and at the beginning of the psalmist’s lament, the psalm adds the phrase, “let Israel say.” In adding these words, the psalmist implores his fellow Jews to speak of their troubles and trials. They are invited to express and give voice to their traumas and disappointments. The psalmist does just this by naming his hurt and tribulation: “They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,” and the “plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long.”

These psalms give permission and freedom to express our emotions, explore our pain, and acknowledge the impact of our tribulations and trauma.

Caution to Avoid Harm
Though the Scriptures provide us with permission to participate in something close to venting, it also offers plenty of cautions related to the use of our words, especially in conversation with others. This caution reminds us to align our words with God’s kingdom purposes of building others up and encouraging their hearts and minds.

• James 3 reminds us of the dangers of excessive words and the power of an untamed tongue.
• Proverbs 10:19 cautions us “When words are many, transgression is not lacking.”
• Proverbs 13:3 encourages us to hedge the impulse to speak as it highlights that “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”
• And finally, Ephesians 4:29 admonishes us to “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

The Scriptures permit and provide space for expression and honest sharing, at the same time as it fences and limits this permissive space regarding the contents of our speech and the nature of our words.

Direction of Our Words
Finally, the most important aspect to healthy Christian expression of our inner life, and what truly separates it from common venting, is the direction of our cathartic conversations. Venting, as we commonly use it, is speaking to others without considering the Lord. This was the prophet’s critique levied against Israel in Hosea 7:14: “They do not cry out to me [the LORD] from the heart, but they wail upon their bed.” But a posture of faith gives our words direction and our expressions a destination. These unplugged conversations are radically changed as they take on a Christ-centric quality.

We observe this in the psalmists’ laments, painful commentary, and desperate cries. These expressions are always toward God. The covenantal God and submission to him are always in view. This Jesus-directed, Christ-centered, kingdom-purposed quality transforms words and emotional outbursts into something like venting but also something entirely different.

Three Questions to Ask Yourself
Here are three questions to keep in mind as you take up God’s invitation to speak openly and process thoughtfully.

1. Do you speak with God in view? Our permission to participate in something close to venting is based on the assumption that the God of Scripture is present in our minds and hearts. Do you speak words with God in view? Do you recognize that you live and breathe and have your being in his universe, within his kingdom, and in light of his principles of life and righteousness? God needs to be invited in as you consider your words.
2. Are your words productive? Do your words go somewhere good? Do they eventually find their way to a redemptive outcome or do they get stuck and begin to spiral and repeat? Is it part of a progression toward love, mercy, and understanding? While our emotions and thoughts often take the long and circuitous route, we want our words to eventually make it to someplace that is productive to our Christian formation and sanctification.
3. Are your words beneficial to others? Does your honest and raw expression foster one-anothering, interdependence, and community? Or does it harm, destroy or cause others to doubt? Is your expression an opportunity for others to listen, help, and share a burden or does it contaminate and toxify the atmosphere? Done well, this thing that is close to venting opens the door to community and bearing one another’s burdens.

Scripture does not present a sanitized version of humanity. It recognizes what it means to be human in a fallen world and offers biblical guardrails of caution and direction. These enable us to be truly human and true image-bearers even when we feel strongly about what is going on in our lives.

If Jesus, the sinless and perfect son of God, limited Himself to speaking nothing during his incarnation except the truth He received from His father, how much more should those who have been called into His ministry speak only on the authority of divine Scripture?

- John MacArthur

Heavy-handed, cult-like leaders abound in churches today. These types of leaders are in all sorts of churches—both small and large. Micromanagers of the flock and power-tripping elder boards are not confined to corporate mega-churches. Pastoral authority has been abused and has overreached its God-given boundaries. But this top-down leadership, CEO mentality, bullying, and intimidating are not Jesus' style of leadership. I believe much of the problem is rooted in a misunderstanding of the nature and limits of pastoral authority.

Pastors and elders need a functional understanding of spiritual authority. A lack of clarity will make both leading and following in the church more difficult. Authority is a precious gift from God intended for our stability and direction. 

God's authority is ultimate.
The pastor's authority is delegated and limited by the Word of God

The pastor who understands his authority is a blessing to the church because he operates within the boundaries of God's written word, he increases his people's confidence in the Scripture, and he honors the conscience and competence of spirit-filled people.

So, what are the nature and limits of pastoral authority? There's not a single verse that explains everything, but by compilation and consolidation of the Bible's teaching on authority, we can derive several principles that will help us define pastoral authority as the following:

A Delegated Authority

1 Peter 5:2 refers to the church as "the flock of God." Jesus is called the head of the church (Eph 5:23) and the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). The church belongs to Christ. She is His unique possession. This alone should remind the pastor that he does not bear authority in the church. Why? Because Christ, and Christ alone, demands that right.

The pastor holds an office similar to a steward. In ancient times, a steward was responsible for managing the estate of his lord, specifically when the lord was absent. The steward would delegate tasks to the other servants in the household, manage the lord’s financial accounts, and oversee the success of the lord’s estate.

This is the authority of the pastor—it is at its core delegated. While the Lord readies to return, the pastor is commissioned to faithfully steward the house of God that it might be found ready at His coming.

Limited by Scripture

It is important to understand that no pastor has authority outside of the Word of God. We can keep biblical, pastoral authority in check through the sound teaching and parameters set forth in the Word of God.

The preacher is called to interpret and proclaim Scripture with sympathy, compassion, and humility. But he also is charged to present biblical truth with authority, commanding God's people to hear, believe, and obey God's Word. The pastor must always be aware that what he proclaims is confined to the Word of God and not a preference-laced, selfish agenda.

The pastor is to serve God's people with the Word of God, and to restrain his preferences and opinions

Christ-like in its Demeanor

In the Great Commission, Jesus said, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth" (Matt 28:18). John 3:36 tells us that under His authority, the one who believes the Son has eternal life. In Matthew 8:27 we see that "even the winds and sea obey him." Undeniably, these verses testify to the unparalleled authority of Christ.

Yet what is so beautiful about Christ is that His matchless authority and His immeasurable compassion always go together. So with our limited, delegated, biblically defined authority, how much more do we need the compassion of our master? Our Lord possessed all authority, and He came to serve and to lay His life down as a ransom for many (Matt 20:28). That kind of sacrifice reminds us that we are not CEOs.

Pastors are slaves, laying their lives down for the people of God—just like Jesus did

Biblical authority is not just marked by correctness, but by Christ-likeness. Luke 12:37 humbles me each time I read it: "Blessed are those slaves whom their master finds alert when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve and have them take their place at the table, and will come and wait on them." Jesus embodies servitude, and it should shock us to think how we so often demand authority, respect, and obedience. 

A Plurality

Eldership in the New Testament is always found in a plural form (1 Tim 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5). Even the writings of Solomon in the Proverbs demonstrates the wisdom of leading in a plural system: “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory” (Prov 11:14).

Elders are accountable to one another in church polity. This kind of plurality is rooted in the wisdom of God and acts as a guard against individual oversteps of authority. Where one man can go wrong, three might correct him.

Honoring to the Freedom of the Christian

Baptists in the old days called this the “soul competency” or the “freedom of conscience.” The idea is to trust the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit to illuminate, convict, and transform His people. John writes in John 17 that "God will sanctify his people."

God is at work in the people whom He regenerates

That does not excuse human responsibility, but it should empower us not to micromanage people's sanctification. If leaders are bossy, opinionated, and heavy-handed, so too will be their people. If you keep your preferences in their appropriate containers, your people will learn to do that as well.

Honoring the Priesthood of all Believers

The pastor is not the mediator between God and man. Because of their position, sometimes pastors think that they are in a place that is different than the people to whom they minister. That is not a biblical understanding of our position before Christ. There is only one head of the church, Jesus Christ.

Pastor, you are a church member before you are a pastor

The true picture in the New Testament is not that of a congregation under the authority of the preacher, but of both preacher and congregation under the authority of God's written Word.

Consistently Exemplary

1 Peter 5 and 1 Timothy 3 remind us that there are requirements to meet before you can be in leadership. Authoritarianism does not fit with a man who is to be gentle, blameless, and concerned for others. The pastor who leads as Christ has mandated models a consistent illustration of a life under the subjugation of the Word of God.

Concerned with Obedience to God, Not the Pastor

Don't be easily offended when someone doesn't take your advice; you're not a medieval monarch. John Owen wrote, "The authority of the pastor is in respect to their office only. If those who suppose themselves in office do teach and enjoin things that belong not onto their office, there is no obedience due unto them by virtue of this command." 

Owen is communicating here that the pastor’s authority is ministerial; it is not in every area of life.

When a pastor departs from Scripture and
wanders into opinion, there is neither obedience nor submission due unto him

Guarding Against Abuses

None of us are perfect. But how you handle the times you overstep defines your progress in managing your pastoral authority in a way that honors God. Pastors, you can apologize; you can admit you are wrong. A pastor is not exempt from admitting his failures and repenting, he is to lead in it. 

Among the followers of Jesus, leadership is not a synonym for lordship. Our calling is to be servants, not bosses; slaves, not masters. Proper pastoral authority is shown not in power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reason. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.

Moses was the first to speak about God like this. He was searching for a way to say that God is solid, that He wouldn’t collapse under pressure, that He would always remain the same, that He is stable and reliable—and so Moses called God his rock. He writes in Deuteronomy, “Ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock!” (32:3-4)

The word rock is the word used for the face of a mountain. Mountains don’t move. They are strength itself. There is no fear of collapse. They will always hold you up. And Moses said, That’s my God. He will hold us up. He will never break under the pressure. He won’t move.

David read Moses and said, That’s the perfect word for my relationship with God.

We often assume that every psalm-writer refers to God as my rock, but if you actually study the psalter, this is David’s personal name for God. No other person in the Psalter uses “Rock” as a title for God. Why?

Because David learned what it meant for God to be his rock

Here is what it meant to David for God to be his rock:

God’s faithfulness is powerful.

David writes in Psalm 18:2, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Then David proceeds to illustrate this truth. He says that the whole earth shakes when God wants to intervene for His people. What David details in this psalm is the might of God in creation and in the exodus. David says to the Lord, I know you are that faithful. You are powerfully faithful.

Sometimes we talk about God’s faithfulness in imprecise terms. What we too often mean when we speak of God’s faithfulness is that He’s nice. The problem is that niceness doesn’t help anybody. The faithfulness of God has power. It is backed with omnipotence. It is backed with the reality that if a situation demands it, God will move heaven and earth. He will in no way restrict Himself. If His promises are in jeopardy, God will act. God’s faithfulness has substance to it.

God’s faithfulness is exclusive.

David writes, “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God” (Psalm 18:31). The faithfulness of God is exclusive. After David was delivered from his enemies, he realized that the only way he could explain his deliverance was that the one and only God had been faithful to him. God’s faithfulness is like no other.

In the same way, the faithfulness of God is the only thing that can explain your redeemed life. You must be convinced of this. We can too often use faithful to describe anything and everything—people are faithful at work, people are faithful at home, even pets are faithful. Everything is faithful.

But we must be convinced that the faithfulness of God is entirely other. There can be no comparison. It is altogether separate. It is the only explanation for why we are where we are now.

So what is our response? We respond with David: “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation” (Psalm 18:46). We worship Him for who He is.

The faithfulness of God is central in life.

David writes in Psalm 61, “From the ends of the earth, I call to you and my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Who is this rock? David writes in the next verse, “You are my refuge and strength.”

The rock is God Himself. David learned that when you’re in trouble, no matter where you are—even if you are at the ends of the earth—no matter what is going on—even if your heart is faint—you always run to one person, God. Because He is faithful. This is the only way you will have resolution. David is pleading with us to take it from him, because he learned this lesson. You don’t run to money, to friends, to a book, to positive thinking—you run to God’s faithfulness. That should be the first thing that enters your mind when you are in trouble.

God is faithful even when you are alone. 

David learned this lesson well. He wrote, “For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock” (Psalm 27:5). Just several verses later David writes, “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up” (27:10).

David reminds us that he understands what it means to be alone. However, even at the height of such abandonment—when his own family left him, David saw that God never did. God never fails. He is still faithful no matter the circumstances. That’s what makes Him our unchanging rock. Even when you feel most isolated, God is still there with us.

The mountain won’t crumble, even when everything else seems like it has.

God is faithful when we are not at peace. 

Within this, David begins by saying he will not be greatly shaken (v. 1) and then later says he will not be shaken (v. 6). Why the change? In sum, as David continues to meditate upon God he realizes that he not only will not be greatly shaken, he will not be shaken at all. That is because of who God is.

Because God is so unmovably loyal, we can be at rest

Far too often our hearts are restless, and we cannot silence our worries and fears. They just echo and ricochet around our minds.

David could resonate. And David says, You know what I’ve learned? The only thing that will calm your soul is the faithfulness of God. He is your rock. Think about Him.

And this is what David writes in Psalm 62: “Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (62:8).

God will always listen to us when we pray. That will never change. This is the only way we can ever have peace in our souls.

God is faithful in every situation. 

In Psalm 31, David writes, “Be to me a rock of strength” (31:2).

David’s prayer is simple, Be to me who you are, God

In this psalm David looks back upon his life, and he reflects upon all that he has been through in his time on this earth. He talks about his enemies, and then he writes, “For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; My strength has failed because of my iniquity” (31:10).

David learned that sometimes problems are the result of others, but sometimes we have problems because of ourselves. David says, Whether it’s personal or interpersonal, internal or external, here’s how you pray: God, be who you are to me. Be my rock. Hold me fast. Be strong for me.

God is faithful even when He is silent. 

David writes, “To you, Oh Lord, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me. For if you are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit” (28:1). David knows. He knows there are times in life when God seems absent, when He feels hidden. David learned to call upon God even in His silence. Why? Because God never changes. Even when He doesn’t seem to be there, He is still the rock.

God empowers. 

David writes, "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle" (Psalm 144). God is David’s rock in that He empowers him. The reality that God is rock is not always defensive, but it can empower people as well. In this psalm, David is trusting God as his rock relative not only to his general faithfulness, but for his faithfulness to David in the promises of the Davidic covenant. While none of us are Davidic kings eligible for the promises of the Davidic covenant, we can still learn about the faithfulness of God. It doesn’t just protect us; it empowers us. When we have an overwhelming task ahead of us, God’s faithfulness is sufficient to get us through.

God's faithfulness is the standard for our faithfulness. 

We are all familiar with Psalm 19. At the end of this psalm about general and special revelation—about the transforming power of God’s word—David concludes: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (19:14).

Why does David interject that God is his rock and redeemer? In context, David wants to live a life that is faithful to God. That life revolves around God’s Word. In David’s final statement, he expresses his desire that his faithfulness to Scripture be as faithful as God is to him.

Sometimes when we say faithfulness, we don’t really mean faithfulness. We say we want to be faithful but all we mean is that we want to try. We have no standard for what faithfulness really entails. When David spoke of faithfulness, he meant this: The way God was faithful to me, that’s what I want to show back to Him. That’s the level of faithfulness we need toward God.

God’s faithfulness is our standard

God's faithfulness goes beyond the grave.

The last words of David are found in 2 Samuel 23. What does David say on his deathbed? He says, “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me” (23:3). We have seen that David spent his entire life calling the Lord his rock. God has proven this through various events in his life. So on his deathbed, David continues to call Him his rock. Why? Because he knows the faithfulness of the Lord will continue beyond death.

That is why David continues, “Truly is not my house so with God?” (23:5) David’s life ends without the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. He faced two coups and had yet to see the fulfillment of all the promises made to him, and he still writes, “For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered in all things, and secured” (23:5). David says, I know God hasn’t fulfilled His promises yet, but I know He will. He has kept His promises and will keep His promises to me to the end.

Those who are on their deathbeds can know that God is faithful, not just until the final breath, but even after it. That is the faithfulness of our rock. It is eternal.

But, we ought to pause for one compelling reason: narratives contain theology.

In the Scriptures, history is the basis for theology. When we read, we need not only to look for the facts of what happens, but also for the reasons why. What is God doing in narratives as He moves people and maneuvers situations? This approach to reading narrative passages provides a glimpse into the theology that is developing and the character of God that is being displayed.

Let’s examine the familiar passage of Exodus 1-2 and see what rich theological truths can be gleaned.

A THEOLOGY OF A DELIVERER

The book of Exodus has an epic beginning. In the first verses, the list of names of descendants and offspring are quoted from Genesis 46, where God expounds how He has kept the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. This covenant includes three major promises: land, seed, and blessing. This hook in Exodus 1 highlights the promise of seed—a promise that traces back as far as Genesis 3:15, where God promises that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. By opening Exodus with these verses, God is saying, “I’m continuing my plan for Israel. I’m moving forward with Genesis 3:15.”

Israel was not crying out to anyone. They were not praying to God

In light of this context, we should not miss the details of Exodus 2 and the story of Moses’ birth. Each component of this narrative has been crafted to highlight God’s selection of Moses as the deliverer He will use at this time to save His people. This narrative is a masterpiece.

Let me give three examples of this. 

First, this passage says that “the woman conceived and bore a son” (Ex 2:2). This phraseology is used in association with Genesis 3:15—that the woman would conceive and give birth to a seed, the Messiah. Consistently throughout the Old Testament, this phrase signals a pattern—a woman unable to conceive gives birth to a child who assumes a significant role in the plan of God. We see this language in the birth of Isaac (Gen 21:2), Samuel (1 Sam 2:21), and ultimately the virgin birth of the Messiah (Isa 7:14). By this use of language, the birth of Moses designates him as one of the host of deliverers; this line of deliverers would culminate in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The words of Exodus 2 are not incidental but intentional. 

Second, when the mother of Moses places him into a basket, the word choice should also be noticed. The Hebrew word for basket is not “basket.” The word used means “ark,” as in Noah’s Ark. To be sure, Moses’ mother did not float a boat down the river. However, God describes this basket as an ark to illustrate that Moses follows the footsteps of Noah. Just as God used Noah to save humanity, so Moses will be instrumental in God’s plan of salvation. 

Third, Moses’ mother hides him “among the reeds” (Ex 2:3). This word, “reeds”—only used twice in the book of Exodus—is the same word used for the “Red Sea.” The repetition brings to remembrance that Israel would cross the Red Sea. The implication is clear: what happens to Moses will happen to all of Israel. This word choice connects Moses’ deliverance by passing over the Nile with Israel’s dry crossing through the Red Sea. The deliverance for Moses becomes the deliverance for his people.

Thus, the birth of Moses is not merely biographical. Rather, it declares God’s agenda of deliverance and sets a precedent for how He raises up those who will deliver His people. The birth of Moses designates him as a deliverer, aligns his deliverance with that of his people, and puts him in a line of deliverers, one day to culminate in the Messiah. 

With that knowledge, think forward to the New Testament and consider the birth of Christ. Jesus’ birth parallels the birth of Moses. Both involve kings who want to kill all the baby boys (Ex 1:22; Matt 2:16). Both babies were delivered by God from these dire circumstances (Ex 2:1-10; Matt 2:15-17). In fact, Matthew even links the deliverance of Jesus with the Exodus (Matt 2:15; cf. Hos 11:1). Just as God raised up Moses to be a deliverer, He uses identical circumstances to announce Jesus as the ultimate deliverer, the final Moses prophesied of old. With the details and theology of Exodus 2 in view, the message of Christ’s birth becomes unmistakably clear. Exodus 1-2 provides a theology of how God establishes His deliverer. 

A THEOLOGY OF SALVATION

We can learn another lesson from these chapters. 

Exodus 1-2 not only introduces a theology of deliverer, but a theology of salvation. Salvation is a critical issue in the book and is introduced in these opening chapters. As God continues to shape the life of Moses as a deliverer, He sends Moses into the wilderness. It is in the wilderness that Moses met Jethro’s daughters and delivered them (Ex 2:19). The text technically states that Moses “saved” (ישׁע) them, this being the first time this word is used in Exodus. The flow of the narrative shows that God raised up Moses to be a deliverer unto salvation. 

At this point, we can make an important observation concerning the nature of salvation. At the end of Exodus 2, God has raised up a deliverer and is ready to initiate His work of salvation. In this moment, Israel is under tremendous strain: “They cried out and their cry rose up to God” (Exodus 2:23). The precise wording is important. Scripture often records how people “cried out to the Lord.” But in this passage, it simply says, “they cried out.” The text is clear. Israel was not crying out to anyone. They were not praying to God.

God took notice of Israel, not, however, because the people prayed to Him. Rather, God heard their groaning and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob solely because of His commitment to His people. 

Exodus 2:23-25 reminds that God alone initiates salvation. None of us asked for salvation; He gave it to us when we, like the Israelites, were not even asking. This is the intervening love God has for His chosen people.

We should say, “Thank God,” that He decided to save us when we did not even know to cry out to Him. That is the salvation theology established in the book of Exodus. God initiates deliverance as He raises up a deliverer. Having done so in these chapters with Moses, He will use the rest of this book to reveal a mighty salvation. 

In part 2 of this series, we will look at the rest of the book of Exodus. 

However, we live in a time of “Mere Christianity,” where believers want to know the bare minimum required to believe in order to be saved. Easy believism is all most professing Christians seek. They think Christianity is saying a prayer and taking an armchair easily into heaven. However, Christianity is anything but that. Rather, it is a life of conflict—conflict with sin, conflict with the world, and conflict to submit our frail minds and bodies to a true knowledge of God. And this is at the heart of what Thomas Watson meant when he wrote, “Taking Heaven by Storm.”

The mentality of the Puritans is a far cry from the mentality of modern evangelicalism. The mantra of evangelicalism in today’s world is “no creed but the Bible.”  This approach has all but delivered a death knell in Systematic Theology. The long-term impact of this cannot be overstated.

WHAT IS A THEOLOGIAN?

When I say theologian, what comes to mind?

It likely conjures images of elite educators and the hallowed halls of academia. It’s a name often attributed to learned men of letters—those who spend their years in libraries, publishing grand tomes on doctrinal fine points. Within the church, there is a tendency to see theologians as separate and elevated—the privileged of the Body of Christ. The theologians are the upper-class who publish articles, write books, teach in seminaries, and frequent the lecture circuit.

But while many of these activities are common to those who travel in theological circles, none of these define a Christian as a theologian.

Instead, the distinguishing characteristic of a theologian is that he knows God.  Never content, he steadily pursues a deeper knowledge of Him and His Word. Despite how the term theologian is often used, it is not a profession; it is a way of life—one that should be common to every individual who claims to believe in Christ.

In John’s gospel, the Lord Himself said, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Knowing God is not an optional endeavor; it’s a mandate for the church. If Christ has called you to repentance and faith, He has called you to be a theologian.

This is not a calling you fulfill merely by sitting in a pew each week. True theologians are not content to be spoon fed their doctrine—they earnestly seek out the rich sustenance of God’s Word. They understand the practical value of their theology—how it touches each aspect of their daily lives.

Every believer needs a “big picture” grasp of the doctrinal teaching of Scripture.  Sadly, many Christians assume that Systematic Theology is inherently at odds with the Bible, while in fact, it is the most Biblical discipline in theology. Systematic Theology is the harmony and synthetization of what the entire Bible says about any individual issue.  Steeped in exegetical and historical theology, Systematic Theology requires a comprehensive grasp of the full-scope of the Bible in order to be done faithfully and completely. 

THE NEED FOR A RESURGENCE IN SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

We live in a unique time. Our resources are abundant, yet Christian theological education has never been lower.  A recent study done by Ligonier Ministries found that 78% of those polled believed that Jesus was the highest created being.  As this study illustrates well, many are self-deceived into believing themselves to be Christians when they do not understand what Christianity teaches, even about Jesus Himself.

At the root of this problem is an indifference toward theological education. There was a time when the church father Athanasius, defending the deity of Jesus Christ, stood contra mundum—against the world. He stood alone because of controversy and fierce debate.

Today those who concern themselves with precision in central Christian doctrine have found themselves yet again as outliers. They are the oddity of the church. Those who care for proper biblical interpretation stand, once again, contra mundum; but this time, not as a result of controversy, but apathy.

Despite how the term theologian is often used, it is not a profession; it is a way of life—one that should be common to every individual who claims to believe in Christ

Apathy is strangling the church. Most no longer care about the precision of doctrine. And that apathy starts at the top. It starts with the pastors, elders, and deacons, who have decided that it is not eternally necessary to grasp the full counsel of God.

Here is the charge to you: Biblical training is not a discipline resigned for full-time vocational ministers, but a task for which each man, before God, will be held accountable.

John Gerstner said, “If a theologian is a person who knows God, then by reverse reasoning a person who is not a theologian does not know God. There is no shame in a layman’s being told that he does not know carpentry, or plumbing, or medicine, or law, or teaching, or the ways of a housewife; but there surely is the greatest of shame in a layman’s being told that he does not know God. Furthermore, there is more than shame; there is a very great danger.”

All men are accountable to God, for their knowledge of Him, and service unto Him. The Christian should spend his life chasing God through His Word.

However, none of us has been called to go this journey alone. God has given His people the Body of Christ to sharpen and train one another. It would be foolish—even dangerous—to assume any isolated individual could become a sound theologian. Left to his own devices, the individual would struggle to develop biblical hermeneutics, orthodox theology, and practical doctrine that would lead to spiritual growth and personal holiness.

BECOMING A THEOLOGIAN

But how do people begin to grasp the big picture of the Bible? What sets the guard rails for their theology and their personal interpretation of the text? How do people grow in their theology?

1. Adopt a historical doctrinal statement

If you were to examine the trend in Evangelicalism over the past 50 years, you would find an increasing number of “home spun” doctrinal statements. This was ultimately a byproduct of the Evangelical Bible Conference movement, but it was also very pragmatic. It was less deterring to new members to have a smaller, “down-to-earth” doctrinal statement. It also, as a result, meant less was necessary for people to affirm to become members of the local church. And years later, we have found ourselves with the skimpiest skeletons of doctrinal statements in the history of the church. For example, the 1689 London Baptist Confession contains thirty-two chapters.  Most doctrinal statements today are squeezed onto a hidden page somewhere on the church’s website. 

And the impact this self-made doctrine has had is nearly insurmountable. Shallow, watered-down doctrine is the result, which has in turn produced shallow, weak-kneed Christians. Consider the pride involved in creating your own doctrinal statement (and as a result ignoring thousands of years of God’s work in the church); it reeks of arrogance. Even the great Prince of Preachers himself, Charles Spurgeon, did not have the audacity to create his own doctrinal statement. Rather, he reprinted the London Baptist Confession for every member of His local church. And here is what Spurgeon said:

“This ancient document is the most excellent epitome of the things most surely believed among us. It is not issued as an authoritative rule or code of faith, whereby you may be fettered, but as a means of edification in righteousness. It is an excellent, though not inspired, expression of the teaching of those Holy Scriptures by which all confessions are to be measured.”

And this is what a solid doctrinal statement does for the church. It establishes a hedge of protection to provide the believer room to grow in God’s Word within the bounds of historic Christianity. It keeps the believer from wandering off the beaten path of sound doctrine. Any good confession (or statement of faith) is merely a mini-systematic theology for the congregation.

2. Recognize and critically examine your personal presuppositions

It is vitally important that you know what your presuppositions are so you can test them against the Scriptures. If you do not acknowledge and test them against God’s Word, you will have made yourself the supreme judge of truth. When creeds, confessions, or tradition, or your Sunday school teacher, pastor, or even your own thoughts go awry, you need to know in order to test them.

If they do not line up with Scripture, you reject them. This is where the believer must discipline himself before he can adequately evaluate deeper theological topics.

The Reformers practiced this with the catholic teachings on indulgences, the worship of Mary, and synergistic salvation.  The Baptists did this when they examined their reformed roots and realized that infant baptism was not found in the Bible (nor the teaching of the first 300 years of the early church).

3. Be diligent in reading the Bible

The word diligent is too soft.  You must be painstakingly hardworking in your reading of Scripture. American culture does not prize hard work the way it once did; sadly, this poor work ethic has trickled into the pews of the church. People rarely labor in the vineyard of God’s Word the way they once did.

The Bible is the deep well from which all knowledge of God is drawn. It is a treasure-trove; do not let it lay neglected.  If you can read, you must make reading the Bible your daily duty. If you do not have a firm grasp on the Bible, you cannot overturn error in yourself or others.

4. Be thoughtful in your reading

You should not read with an unthoughtful mind, a cursory understanding, or out of thoughtless ritual. You must read with deep contemplation. Take notes.  Notice the small details you come across.

We are commanded by Christ to search the Scriptures. Searching is not something you can do passively or nonchalantly; it is an endeavor. It is work. Do not be a passive listener to sermons, or a lazy reader of commentaries. If you find clarity when reading, take note of it; commit it to memory and further study so it will be cemented within your convictions.

5. Use books to help you grow

Paul wrote, “bring me the books” (2 Tim 4:13) as he was sitting in a prison. He needed books to help him grow in his knowledge.  If Paul needed them, so do we. There are many excellent books you should purchase; and as a byproduct, you are making an investment in your own soul and spiritual growth.

6. Improve your conversations with other believers

Don’t be content with silly, surface level relationships.  Instead, probe one another concerning spiritual matters. Have theologically rich and informed conversations.  Discuss what you are learning about God. 

When you develop more meaningful relationships, you promote an atmosphere where you and other believers can grow. If those that have knowledge would begin to communicate it in humility; and if in areas of ignorance we would be intent learners, we would promote an atmosphere of mutual edification and spiritual growth.

7. Do not seek knowledge for the praise of men

Men often seek knowledge for the applause of others or for the upper hand in a debate; but this is not the way of a believer. Rather, we ought to strive in growing in our knowledge of God for the satisfaction of our very souls. If you seek knowledge for the wrong reasons, it will only puff up (1 Corinthians 8:1).

8. Be in prayer about your pursuit

Be on your knees as you read the Bible. Beseech God that he would direct you and bless you as you strive to know Him better. James tells us, “If any man lacks wisdom, let Him ask God, who gives generously” (James 1:5). For it is the Lord who gives wisdom: Yes, out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6). Work hard to be aware of your own blindness and ignorance, for this pushes you to seek God for help and prevents you from following your self-sculpted ingenuity into error.

9. Practice what you learn

The art of practice will help you to learn more. The Psalmist warmly encourages believers to do this: “I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts” (Psalm 119:100).

Spurgeon once said, “I heard one man say, a little while ago, that he did not believe there was a true Christian living, because he had found out so many hypocrites. I reminded him that there could be no hypocrites if there were no genuine ones. No one would think of passing a bad sovereign if there were no sterling coin. So the fact of there being some hypocrites proves that there are some genuine characters.”

To those who do not consider themselves to be the privileged intellectual elites of the Body of Christ, remember the aim of the Christian life: knowing and treasuring God.  Your duty is to be a theologian—to spend your life plumbing the depths of God’s character and Word.  Commit your life to this worthy endeavor.

In part 1 of this series, God established a theology of salvation in Exodus 1-2 by raising up a deliverer and initiating deliverance. In the following chapters, we observe God’s revelation of this salvation. The details of the text present rich theology ingrained into these familiar passages. 

PHARAOH ATTEMPTS TO STEAL GOD’S GLORY

Exodus 5 opens with Pharaoh’s insolent speech. The king of Egypt questions the supremacy of God: “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?” (Ex 5:2). He also asserts himself in the place of God when he declares, “Thus says Pharaoh,” (Ex 5:10) an intentional mockery of “Thus says the Lord.” Pharaoh believes God is nothing, insults His words, and claims to be divine. 

In his audacity, Pharaoh commands, “let the labor be heavier on the men” (Ex 5:9). The word for “let the labor be heavier” is the word “glory.” Pharaoh is essentially saying, “Let me demonstrate my glory by placing Israel under hard labor.” With these arrogant words, Pharaoh is both stealing God’s glory and disputing His authority. 

Pharaoh repeats this offense when he hardens his heart. The word used for “harden” is the same word “glorify” (כבד). The use of this word exhibits the attempts of Pharaoh to harbor his own glory rather than attribute glory to God. God has once again been challenged by Pharaoh, as he arrogantly asserts that he deserves all glory. 

GOD REVEALS HIS POWER

In response to this affront, God reveals Himself more fully. With plagues He devastates Egypt, the world’s first superpower. 

These plagues unveil His glory and supremacy in the following ways: 

1. The plagues display God as Creator.

Why are there ten plagues? The number “ten” points back to the creation account in Genesis. When God creates the world, He speaks ten times (Genesis 1:3–30). Another set of “ten” in Exodus confirms this association. The ten commandments are called in Hebrew literally the ten “words,” or ten “speakings.” This again refers to the ten times God spoke in creation. The ten plagues parallel this logic. They show in sum that God is Creator; He is absolutely supreme.

2. The plagues establish the lordship of God over the world.

The plagues can be arranged in sets of three. Each set of three plagues emphasizes an aspect of creation. There is water, land, and sky. 

God turns the Nile to blood: He owns the water. 

God sends hail and fire upon the earth: He owns the land. 

God turns the light to darkness: He owns the sky. 

The final plague is against Pharaoh himself: He owns all rulers.

With these acts, God shows that every component of creation belongs to Him alone.

3. These plagues prove God’s commitment to His people. 

Why does God attack the Nile? It should not be forgotten that Pharaoh commanded the Egyptians to cast their baby boys into the Nile. Thus, God targets the Nile specifically. Why does He take the firstborn children? Remember that Egypt took the baby boys from God’s people. Why did God swarm the water with frogs? Frogs were the mascot of midwives in Egypt.

The message of God is unmistakable: He will repay every attack against Himself and His people. The plagues demonstrate the loyalty of God to His people.

4. The plagues demonstrate the dominance of God over the supernatural. 

God turns the water of the Nile into blood because the Nile god, Hapi, is dead. He attacks the Egyptian pantheon. The pinnacle of this attack is against Pharaoh, who believes himself to be a god. The tenth plague exposes that Pharaoh is not a god; his son is not a god; God has power to destroy them all.

These plagues are an overwhelming presentation of God’s incomparable might. 

In the end, Pharaoh says, “Go, serve your God” (Ex 12:31). The demand of God from the start was clear, “Let my people go so that they may serve me.” Throughout the plagues, Pharaoh refused to utter these words. For if Pharaoh permitted Israel to “serve God,” he would be forced to acknowledge that God is the one with authority, and not himself. Thus, for Pharaoh to say, “serve your God” is a statement of complete surrender. 

Pharaoh says precisely what God wants him to. Pharaoh acknowledges that he has no power, authority, or control over God’s people. He acknowledges Yahweh to be the true master—the One who contains all authority and power. Pharaoh may have begun with an arrogant challenge, but in the end, God shows He has no equal. 

GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN

This display of God’s supremacy, this deliverance, is the linchpin in redemptive history. To highlight the importance of these events, God institutes a celebration—Passover—so that Israel will know (and make known) that this narrative is central to His redemptive plan. This celebration is part of their work as a kingdom of priests (Exod 19:5-6) — to proclaim the one true God and His plan to the world. 

Moses instructs Israel to remember the celebration after they enter the Promised Land (Ex 13:5-14). These subsequent generations are commanded to say “…the Lord brought us out of Egypt” (Ex 13:14). These later generations, who may not have personally experienced the Exodus, are not saying that the Lord delivered their ancestors, but us.

Even though these mighty works of God were now years in the past, Israel must remember them as if they had happened to them personally. This is a reminder that they would not experience their present reality if God had not acted in the past. The Israelites were instructed to proactively acknowledge that while this deliverance may have been to their fathers and grandfathers, it had direct bearing upon them. That is the importance of the salvific work of God. 

THE NEED FOR A MEDIATOR

Does Exodus complete God’s deliverance? One might think so given the significance of this event. However, there is a lingering problem: the sin of Israel. Throughout the book, they refused to believe God (Exod 4:1), scorned their redemption (Exod 14:12), and disobeyed the instructions of God (Exod 16). This culminates in the golden calf incident, where Israel breaks every commandment given to them. With mighty power God may have delivered Israel, but that deliverance will end in the destruction of Israel because of the people’s remaining sin. 

The Israelites need something more. 

The moment at Sinai introduces the need for a mediator to come before God, the final point in God’s revelation of His deliverance. God tests Moses to see if he will stand for the nation, or if he will simply let God destroy Israel (Exod 32:11). Moses stands to intercede (Exod 32:12-14), and thus inaugurates the role of a mediator for God’s people. A mediator is necessary for final deliverance.

However, Moses is not the ultimate mediator. He cannot substitute his life for his people (Exod 32:32-33). Nevertheless, God will provide this ultimate mediator, for He is the God full of grace and truth, forgiving sin yet refusing to leave the guilty unpunished (Exod 34:6-8). The character of God drives His plan of redemption. 

THE ULTIMATE DELIVERANCE 

God promises Moses, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform miracles” (Ex 34:10). The same language was used of God’s earlier deliverance of His people from Egypt. In this statement, God promises to do it again. There will be a second Exodus. This salvation will be final. It will fulfill both how God will triumph over this world for His people and how He will deal with their sin through a mediator.

The book of Exodus has established the glorious nature of salvation and looks forward to its fulfillment. It anticipates Jesus Christ—the One full of grace and truth (John 1:14)—to deal with their sin and lead His people home to an eternal kingdom. 

I once had someone ask me, “Why bother study Deuteronomy when all you really need to know is that you must love God with all your heart?” I replied, “Do you know where in Scripture that is found?” “No,” was the reply.

Deuteronomy.

We may think that Deuteronomy is a book of obscure rules. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Deuteronomy is a sermon given by Moses on his last day on earth on one of the most critical issues—what it means to love God.

As believers, we cannot afford to take for granted the definition of “loving God.” Too often we allow the world or our feelings to define what it means to love someone, including God. In the end, however, we need to ensure we love God in the way He has dictated. And Deuteronomy is the book that defines what it means to love God.

FOUNDATIONAL LESSONS ABOUT LOVE

In its opening chapters, Deuteronomy puts forward foundational truths about loving God. In narrating Israel’s history, Moses lists important truths concerning their relationship with God. For example, a generation of Israelites died in the wilderness because they did not believe God (Deut 1:32). Faith is foundational for Israel (cf. Gen 15:6). No one can love God without first believing Him.

Love is not merely a good feeling; instead, love for God is prioritizing Him and ensuring that His desire is always accomplished.

In this opening discussion, Moses also presents one of the greatest threats to obedience and love. The first step toward waywardness is forgetting God (Deut 4:9). Forgetting is not the same as suppressing a memory or truth. Forgetting simply means to not remember. In essence, all you need to do to forget is to do nothing. Failing to stay vigilant and to prioritize God is the early stages of hating Him. The people of God must guard themselves against such apathy.

But Moses tells of the antidote to this danger. He commands that Israel “…make them [God’s statutes] known to your sons and your grandsons” (Deut 4:9b). We fight forgetfulness by teaching. As we continually labor to make Him known, we remember who He is and what He has told us. By doing so, we defend against apathy and waywardness.

TRUE LOVE FOR GOD

In chapter 6, Moses writes, “Now this is the commandment.” (Deut 6:1). Note that commandment is singular. Moses will later discuss commandments and statutes (Deut 12:1), but here he addresses a single command. What Moses is about to discuss is thecommandment at the heart of the law, the very core of what God desires. And it is this: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut 6:4–5).

These verses shatter our perceptions about law and love. Some think the law requires simple, rote obedience. However, that is not what Moses says. At the core of the law is love for the one true God. In these verses, Moses summarizes the definition of love: love is not merely a good feeling; instead, love for God is prioritizing Him and ensuring that His desire is always accomplished. That is how God defines love. That is even how He defines obedience. Jesus Himself said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). Loving God and prioritizing His desires are inseparable.

Moses develops this idea further in Deut 6-11. Loving God means to hate what He hates (Deut 7). After all, embracing what God hates is an act of hatred to Him; it is spiritual adultery (cf. Deut 7:1-4). Loving God means to abandon pride and self-reliance (Deut 8). We cannot prize God when we prize ourselves in our hearts (cf. Deut 8:17). Loving God also means to reject self-righteousness. We cannot delight in God when we believe we are entitled to what He has given us (cf. Deut 9:4).

Moses concludes that God ultimately requires a love that fears God and keeps His commandments (Deut 10:12-13). This is the exact language found in Eccl 12:13. When writing about what one must ultimately learn about the purpose of life, Solomon drew from Deuteronomy.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND LOVING GOD

Moses has preached about the nature of love for God. He now illustrates it. What does it look like to prioritize God in every aspect of life, from the inside out? Moses will discuss this in Deut 12-26. These chapters are not filled with random laws; these laws expound upon the Ten Commandments. Deuteronomy 12-26 shows how to live out these commands, and thereby honor God. While believers today are not under Israel’s law (Rom 6:14), we have much to learn from it.

1. Have no other gods before Him (Deut 12)

We must not misunderstand God. He is only One, and He alone deserves our fear, service, and undivided worship. For Israel, this means worship will be held in one place to show the world there is only one God. Worship must deliberately and clearly reflect the exclusive nature of God. He alone is in His own category.

2. Do not make for yourself an idol (Deut 13)

We cannot put anything on the same level as God, and we cannot bring Him down to us. Distorting His nature by making Him creaturely when He is the Creator brings death (Deut 13). God’s people should never be tempted to compromise God’s exclusive exaltedness.

3. Do not take the Lord’s name in vain (Deut 14)

We were created to uphold the character of God. God has revealed who He is in Scripture, and our lives must consistently reflect that. That includes the most dramatic (how they handle a loved one’s death) and the most mundane (the foods that they eat on a daily basis) moments of life.

4. Honor the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy (Deut 14-16)

This command reminds us that not only does God own all of time, but He controls the very purpose of time. That means He controls the purpose of our lives. For Israel, God owned not only the Sabbath, but also their holidays, which pointed to theological truths (Deut 16). Because He owned their time, He also owned their money and ordained its usage (cf. Deut 14:22-29). The people of God are to ensure that all their time is redeemed to witness to God and His plan.

5. Honor your father and mother (Deut 16-18)

We are designed to honor God on a horizontal level. We need to respect and submit to all human authorities because they act with God-given authority.

6. Do not murder (Deut 19-21)

In positive terms, we preserve life because our God is the God of life. For Israel, they were to preserve life, even in dire situations, to uphold this attribute of God.

7. Do not commit adultery (Deut 22-23)

We uphold purity because our God is holy and pure.

8. Do not steal (Deut 23-24)

God is sovereign and owns all things. Yet He has chosen to give certain things to certain people. That must be respected. This includes fair business practices and paying people on time (cf. Deut 24:15).

9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor (Deut 24-25)

This law fights against the perversion of justice. This is seen in individual responsibility and accountability to the law (Deut 24:16), in carefully upholding due process (Deut 25:1-3), and in ensuring that one does not show partiality (Deut 24:17-22).

10. Do not covet (Deut 25-26)

This demands not only a recognition of the sovereignty of God, but also a submission to it. We do not strive in our hearts for more than what He, in His infinite wisdom, has given us.

LOVE FULFILLED

Love for God is more than a mere feeling. It is when we ensure His desires are realized in every aspect of life, whether that be our time, money, worship, holiness, business, or treatment of others. Moses has illustrated that all of these areas can and must be an act of devotion to our God.

Moses though does not merely tell Israel what love for God looks like. He also shows how this will play out and be fulfilled in the breadth of God’s plan. Moses explains that in and of themselves, Israel can never truly love God (Deut 29:4). However, God will one day circumcise their heart so they can love Him wholeheartedly (Deut 30:6). Key to this is God raising up a prophet like Moses (Deut 34:10).

Thus, Deuteronomy anticipates a time when One, like Moses, will ascend a mountain in order to give a new law. Unlike the words of Moses, which concentrated on curse, this One’s first words are “Blessed” (Matt 5:3). He is the bringer of the New Covenant, which makes hearts new (cf. Jer 31:31; Lk 22:20).

Deuteronomy then points to the future, a future which fulfills the love defined in Deuteronomy,  a future fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy is not just an antiquated book. On Moses’ last day he gives an epic sermon—one that stretches out over the entire plan of God from past to future, one that touches the very foundation of our lives as believers. May we delve into the depths of this book to learn how to love God well.

THE TRINITY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

This begins at the beginning. In Genesis, we have God making the world, the Spirit hovering over the water, and God speaking to create. In this, we can observe God the Father and the Spirit, as well as even the Son as the Word which God speaks (cf. Ps 33:6; Jhn 1:1-2).

We again see the plurality of the Godhead at creation when God says, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26). Note not only the plurality, but also the parallelism. God made man—“male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). The plurality of the godhead becomes the basis for plurality within humankind, male and female. In fact, this is confirmed in Genesis 11. The next time God says “let us” do something, it’s at the Tower of Babel where language is confused. The triune-ness of God is associated with and the basis for relationships, communication, and all that happens therein.

The Trinity holds the plan and truths of God together

Later in Genesis, God delivers messages to Hagar and Abraham via the angel of the Lord. We come to understand this figure as God because He speaks as God in each of these situations (Genesis 16, 18). At the same time, however, He is distinct from God (the Father) for He is sent by God to speak. This tension of being distinct from God, yet God, is part of the foundation for the Trinity. The Trinity is involved in the formation of the people of God.

The Trinity is not only involved in Genesis, but also in the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings. Exodus 14 records how God looks down from heaven through the angel of the Lord in the pillar of cloud (Exod 14:24). However, that angel is already identified as God Himself (Exod 13:21). How can God look through God? The Trinity explains this. The triune God is involved in the Exodus deliverance. Likewise, in Numbers 11, God (in heaven) pours out His Spirit on the leaders of Israel. At the same time, the pillar of cloud is still leading them through the wilderness. God (the Father) in heaven pours out the Holy Spirit upon His people, all while the Son is right in front of them in the pillar of cloud. That’s the Trinity. The Trinity is also involved in the wilderness wanderings. A similar logic occurs in the conquest (Josh 5:14) and even in the period of the kings of Israel (2 Sam 24:15-17). The Trinity indeed drives the plan of God forward.

The Trinity not only drives Israel’s history, but also prophecy. The book of Isaiah illustrates this. Isaiah declares, “I saw the Lord sitting upon the throne, high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1). Later, Isaiah uses the same language to indicate that the One he saw on the throne is ultimately the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13). Consistently, the Suffering Servant is God Himself. However, in the context of Isaiah 53, God smites this Servant, who is God. How can God be smiting God? He can’t, unless you have the Trinity. The Trinity drives the atonement.

THE TRINITY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

This moves us to the New Testament, and to be sure, the Trinity holds together the events and theology of this testament. In the Gospels, Jesus pleases the Father (Jhn 4:34) as He is driven by the Spirit (Matt 4:1). God the Father and the Spirit uniquely testify to the Son (cf. Matt 3:16-17; Heb 2:4). The life of Christ falls apart without the Trinity. The triune God also drives the mission of the church. In Acts, the church receives the Spirit (Acts 2:2-4) to proclaim the Son (Acts 2:22) who sits at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:34-36). The very witness and mission of the church demands the Trinity.

For this reason, the Trinity grounds the doctrines of the church. It grounds atonement as already mentioned. It grounds our conversion and regeneration as the Spirit transforms our hearts (Tit 3:5) causing us to trust in Christ (Acts 16:31) and turn to God the Father (1 Thess 1:9). It grounds our sanctification as we are made more like Christ (Rom 8:29) by the internal work of the Spirit (2 Cor 3:18) for the glory of God the Father (Eph 1:14). It grounds our doctrine of prayer, for we pray to God (Matt 6:9) through the Son (Jhn 14:14) as the Spirit intercedes for us (Rom 8:26). It grounds our worship as we know there is one God (1 Cor 12:6; Deut 6:4) and yet we give glory to God the Father (Eph 1:14), honor the Son (2 Cor 4:4-6), and submit to the Spirit who speaks the very word of God (Heb 3:7-11). Christian life and belief are inextricably linked to the Trinity.

The triune Godhead is revealed in eschatology as well. Without the Trinity, you can’t have the Day of the Lord in 2 Thessalonians 2. That judgment comes when the Holy Spirit, the restrainer, is removed, and God the Father sends a deluding influence so that they will not believe the Son. Likewise, the very courtroom scene of heaven, which inaugurates the end of history (Rev 4-5), showcases how the Father honors the Son as the King whose ministry is anointed by the Spirit (Rev 1:4; 5:6-8). In the end, the triune God will rule the New Heavens and Earth and receive worship (Rev 22:3; cf. 1:4). All of this shows that these members are all co-equal and thereby one, for there is only one God (cf. Deut 6:4). At the same time, they are distinct persons. The end of history unveils the full glory of the triune Godhead. The Trinity is as important at the end as it was in the beginning.

Hence, this doctrine is engrained in the storyline of the Bible from the first book to the last. The entire narrative has been constructed by God to reflect the Trinity, and without the Trinity, it would fall apart. After all, if God is one person, then Christ cannot honor His Father in the Gospels, for both cannot be at the same time. If God is one person, then the Father cannot honor the Son empowered by the Spirit in Revelation. Furthermore, if the Son is not God, such an act in Revelation would be blasphemy. On top of this, without the Trinity, the cross does not work. Who does Christ satisfy in His death if there is only one person in the Trinity? Who receives His atoning work? Even more, if Christ is not God, how does His death satisfy the wrath of God and give us the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21)?

The Trinity holds the plan and truths of God together.

THE TRINITY AS A FOUNDATION FOR RELATIONSHIP AND COMMUNICATION

It’s even more fundamental than this—as we have seen, without the Trinity, we have no grounds for communication. If God is just one person, with whom would He talk? Where would He ever have the idea of relationship and communication? Without the Trinity, we would have no Christianity because God would never reveal Himself. In fact, without the Trinity, we would not exist. Why would God create us in the first place? There is no basis for “another person” to begin with!

However, communication exists because the Godhead has perfect communication: multiple persons all saying one thing, for they are one. As each person of the Godhead works in our lives in the New Covenant, we commune then with God in His perfect communion within Himself. We have the deepest fellowship with Him (1 Jhn 1:3-4). That is the beauty of the Trinity’s involvement in God’s plan and our lives.

WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND

With that, we can understand the following about the Trinity:

The Trinity is serious. Christianity stands or falls on this doctrine, and we need to take it seriously.

The Trinity is sensible. The Trinity is not only something that makes sense, but it makes sense of everything. Without the Trinity, God’s plan, theological doctrines, and aspects of our lives would fall apart.

The Trinity is sublime. The doctrine of the Trinity allows us to commune with God most deeply. It is a privilege to be caught up in the life of the godhead in the most intimate fashion. It is nothing short of sublime.

First, let us establish the argument for sola scriptura, and then we will examine its implications upon the way we understand and interpret the Bible. 

THE ARGUMENT FOR SOLA SCRIPTURA

How does Christ build His church? He builds His church through His Word (Eph 4:11-14; 2 Tim 4:1-2). So to have a ministry that pleases God, we must be all about His Word.

We could sum it up this way: Scripture is the beginning, middle, and end of ministry.

Beginning

Scripture is foundational for the church (Eph 2:20). The book of Acts establishes the church’s origins (Acts 2) and its mission (Acts 1:8). The epistles articulate its role (Eph 1-3) and operations (1 Tim 4:13; Tit 2:1-15). Thus, you can’t even begin to define the Church without the Bible.

In the American church today, we have largely left the standard of Scripture and pursued distractions. The resulting chaos illustrates how central the Word of God is—without it, we are confused, dysfunctional, and purposeless. You can’t even have church or ministry apart from the authority of Scripture.

Middle

The Word of God drives the ministry of the Church. As our Lord prayed, sanctification revolves around Scripture (John 17:17). However, people may wonder, “There are so many ways I can become a better and nicer person. Why do I need the Scriptures?” But God is not just interested in making you a better and nicer person. He wants to make you like Christ. He doesn’t want you just to change so you please the world, but that you would please Him.

We don’t want to get out from the authority of Scripture, but rather, we want further under it.

We can see this from the very beginning. In Genesis 1, we note that we are created in the image of God. However, because of Adam and the fall, we observe that image is tarnished (cf. Gen 5:3). But there is hope because of the last Adam. Daniel 7 teaches that there will be one like a son of man, the true son of Adam. He is like a son of man in that He is a man, but He is only like a son of man in that He is more. He is God.

For this very reason, Jesus is called the Son of Man in the Gospels.  In Romans 5, He parallels Adam. In Colossians 1:15, Paul proclaims He is the image of God. And in Romans 8:29, we were predestined to be conformed to His image.

At this point, Scripture ultimately reveals that the image of God in Genesis 1 is the image of Christ in Romans 8. When God made us in His image, He always meant for us to be like Christ. That is our destiny.

There are plenty of human manipulations that can make you nicer. But there is no human manipulation on the planet that can transform you to fulfill your destiny. That belongs to the Word alone.

End

The Word of God is not only the beginning and middle of the Church, but also its end. As the support of the truth, it is up to us to preserve and uphold the truth for the next generation (1 Tim 3:15). That is our role in the plan of God. Championing Scripture is mission critical for the Church.

So Scripture is the beginning, middle, and end of the Church. For that reason, we hold to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Sola Scriptura means Scripture alone is authoritative for faith and practice. Scripture alone determines the effectiveness of ministry.

DO YOUR HERMENEUTICS HOLD TO SOLA SCRIPTURA?

Our commitment to Sola Scriptura leads to a commitment to hermeneutics—to how we study the Bible. Hermeneutics matters because it determines whether we, in practice, hold to Sola Scriptura.

Here are three questions to help you determine if your hermeneutics hold to Sola Scriptura.

Do I have a hermeneutic of surrender?

The Word of God is His communication to us (cf. 2 Tim 3:16). God has made it clear and accessible via human language (Josh 23:14; Deut 30:11-14; Rom 10:5-10). He has also made it authoritative. We as readers do not have the right to argue with it or change it. It cannot be broken (John 10:35). Rather, we are empowered (Eph 1:17; Jer 31:33) and accountable (2 Pet 3:16) to understand and live out the Scriptures (Jas 1:22).

With that, we don’t have interpretative options when it comes to the Word. The Bible is not some platform from which we can pontificate our own theology and advice. Its assertions are not that which we can shrug off. It doesn’t have to live up to our reason or sensibilities. Rather, we need to learn to stop struggling against the text, and simply to surrender. Its statements become our statements, its reasons our reasons, its categories our categories, and its implications and applications our own worldview and life. Anything else adds to or subtracts from Scripture. Anything else compromises Sola Scriptura.

So, as we read Scripture, we need to make sure we are entirely surrendered to it. Have I learned what the author has said for the reason he said it and with the range of applications he has ordained? Do I have Scripture’s intent alone?

These are critical questions in making sure our hermeneutic upholds our conviction ofSola Scriptura.

Am I trying to use hermeneutical fine print?

We know what fine print is. It allows someone to say one thing and, with a loophole, to entirely undermine it. That’s exactly what some have done with the Word of God.

The excuse is pretty standard. They may claim to have a high view of Scripture, but at the same time, quip that we can never know what it truly means. And because we do not know what it means, we cannot be held accountable to an errant view. At that point, people have subverted the authority of the Word through hermeneutical fine print.

Scripture, to be sure, has tough passages and doctrines (2 Pet 3:16). Knowing what it means requires hard work (cf. 2 Tim 2:15). Nevertheless, such difficulties in Scripture do not provide an excuse or fine print to hold to any view one desires. Let’s be clear. The moment you do that, you no longer have God’s Word, but your own.

The moment you have added your word to the Word of God, you’ve abandoned Sola Scriptura.

We need to ask ourselves the hard question of whether we have used ambiguous hermeneutics to side-step a hermeneutic of surrender. Have we used supposed ambiguity to cover the fact that we really don’t want to say what Scripture ordains (or even believe that Scripture has said something on an issue)? Have we used a supposed lack of clarity to justify our theological creativity? Those are the questions of the hermeneutical fine print.

We don’t want to get out from the authority of Scripture, but rather, we want further under it. Complexities in Scripture shouldn’t be our excuse to think what we want. Instead, they should drive us to more rigorous study so that we can know what it says and teach us to live out the proper applications. That will mean tremendous patience with ourselves and others as we work through these issues (cf. Eph 4:15; 2 Tim 4:2). Nevertheless, we still need to work through them. That is the demand of Sola Scriptura on hermeneutics. It wipes out the hermeneutical fine print.

Have I done the hard work?

We know the Scripture is rich and deep (Ps 119:18). Verbal plenary inspiration demonstrates that every word is inspired—God’s very own communication (2 Tim 3:16). The biblical writers exhibit this as they show how individual phrases (Rom 4:3-12) and words (Gal 3:16) of Scripture bring forth its sublime truth. The clarity of the Word leads to its precision and profundity. All of it, down to the word, is useful, powerful, and binding.

In light of this, the question is whether we have done the hard work. Have I really studied a passage and understood the background, context, point, structure, theology, and applications of a text down to the detail of each individual word? Can I put all of this together so that I know precisely all the author has willed in this passage?

Doing that takes hard work, but this is the very nature of Scripture and what it demands (cf. 2 Tim 2:15). The reason that sermons, Bible studies, Sunday school lessons, or devotions lack depth is often because we haven’t spent the time and effort to dig beneath the surface. The depth is there; we just need to apply ourselves to discover what God has said.

So we need to remember that Sola Scriptura is not merely the sola, but also the Scriptura. The doctrine not only reminds us of what is excluded, but all that is included as authoritative for life and practice—the totality of the Bible in its breadth and depth. Thus, we need to examine ourselves to see if we have done the required hard work. This mindset and work ethic truly upholds Sola Scriptura.

BECOMING PEOPLE OF CONVICTION

We do not want to be people who merely confess Sola Scriptura, but those who live it with conviction. When we are infiltrated with the conviction of Sola Scriptura, it inevitably will flow into our hermeneutics.

Every time we open our Bibles, we need to be ready to say only what Scripture says, to work hard to know all it says, and not to have excuses that would undermine any of its implications. Sola Scriptura leads to a hermeneutic of absolute surrender so that what we have in the end is the Scripture, and nothing but the Scripture.

At that point, people will not only hear us declare Sola Scriptura, but they will see it etched into our very lives.

With a new year, we yet again try to read through our entire Bible. We have plans, strategies, apps, blogs, and even groups that assist us in making the journey through the Scriptures. Yet, we struggle. Why is that? Of course, discipline plays a major part. However, we can often get bogged down because there are parts of the Bible that puzzle us. As people often say to me, “I just don’t understand what I’m reading.”

Now what do we mean by this? To be clear, we do understand some things. We know what happened in the stories, the names in a genealogy, the descriptions within a prophecy, the processes in the sacrificial system, or the regulations within the law. We understand what the text says. That’s not our dilemma. Our dilemma is that we’re not certain why it is there. Because of this, we start skimming (or even skipping) passages we can’t figure out and eventually, we stop reading our Bibles altogether.

So sometimes we become frustrated in our devotions because we know all Scripture is profitable (cf. 2 Tim 3:16) but can’t seem to easily identify how certain texts are profitable. In the end, we are wondering, “Is there really theology in every passage of the Bible and if so, how do we find it?” That’s the key question.

The Biblical Writers As Theologians

At this point, we could talk about a lot of practical methods and tips of gleaning theology from the text. Those are all helpful but we need to think through something far more fundamental, something that influences our entire thought process of reading Scripture: Who are the biblical writers?

In answering this question, we may often think of the prophets and apostles as farmers, fishermen, shepherds, poets, or historians. It is true that many of the biblical authors came from humble backgrounds. They also wrote accurate history. But here’s our problem. If we think of them only as shepherds or fisherman, then that slants the way we read them. If we see these authors as simple, then their stories, genealogies, and laws must also be just as simple. We won’t look any further because in our minds, this is who they are and so that’s all that they wrote. But the prophets and apostles are more than that. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they are not just farmers or shepherds; they are theologians.

Although this might be a different way to think about the biblical writers than we are used to, it isn’t that radical. After all, we constantly point out how the biblical authors loved God’s Word (Ps 119:97) and meditated on it deeply (Josh 1:8; Pss 1:2; 63:6; 1 Tim 4:13-15). That is often cited as a reason why we should read our own Bibles! If we know the biblical writers were such deep thinkers of Scripture, then why wouldn’t they be theologians? Their writings actually show they intentionally engaged the depths of God’s Word. Scholars observe that Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets constantly allude to other Scriptures such that on average, one in ten verses is an allusion to prior revelation. Accordingly, the prophets and apostles were constantly discussing and expounding upon Scripture. When the prophets and apostles wrote, they had a purpose to explain Scripture further, reveal its ramifications, fill in more detail, illustrate its power, or proclaim its bearing on life. With that, the biblical authors wrote as theologians and their writings are intentionally and thoroughly theological.

This reality should make us rethink how we read our Bibles. To be sure, the Bible has historical records and the like. But they are not only that. The biblical writers are not just historians who accurately recorded what took place. They are theologians who wrote theology not just in epistles or psalms but in those genealogies, stories, prophecies, and laws as well. Everything they wrote has theology. Thus, there is more to these texts than meets the eye. They do have a theological purpose and we need to look further because something deeper is there.

Connecting the Dots

So how do we do that? In sum: we need to be a better cross-referencer. We just observed that the biblical writers referred to previous revelation in order to expound upon it. Accordingly, those earlier texts serve as a sort of interpretative anchor point. They establish the concepts and ideas that are being developed in the passage we are reading. By examining those cross-references, we can confidently know the theology that is discussed in the text. After all, we didn’t make this up. We are following exactly what the author wanted us to think. We have in mind the context he wanted us to have.

How does an author point us to other passages? He often uses distinct words or phrases that will trigger us to think of other passages. Even in the modern day, we play games that do something similar. We try to identify a word based upon associated words or supply the final words of a familiar phrase. If I said, “For God so loved…,” most of us would be able to say, “the world.” In the same way, the biblical writers put unique phrases in their writings to clue us in to go back to an earlier passage.

That gives us a strategy. In essence, there is inspired cross referencing in the Bible and we just need to connect the dots. We need to see how one passage is connected with another via similar wording and from that, we can see how every word and phrase contextually in one passage builds on the theology established by the other. That enable us to bridge text to theology.

Theology in Food and Genealogies?

Connecting the dots really helps us to see that theology is in every text, even in those that we were puzzled about. For example, in 1 Kings 4:20-23, we see a list of the foods that Solomon’s household ate. What devotional idea could ever come from that? However, if you cross reference some of those animals, you realize that they only occur in Deut 14:5. In context, Deuteronomy 14 lists the foods Israel could enjoy in the land God was about to give to them. However, such enjoyment is related to a greater reality. God intentionally words Deuteronomy 14 to make us associate it with Genesis 2 and the Garden of Eden. He declares to Israel that they can eat from any clean animal (Deut 14:9) just like He told Adam that he could eat from any tree of the Garden (Gen 2:16). God’s blessing of food is indicative of His greater agenda to return the world back to Eden. So when Solomon experience such bounty, God is working out that very purpose. At times we may wonder if God is dealing with tragedies like famine or world hunger. What we read in 1 Kings demonstrates that paradise regained (Isa 49:10) is not a hyperbole and that God is able to overcome this fallen creation to make all things new. Solomon’s kingdom provides us precedent and confidence that there will be a day when hunger will be wiped out in this world (cf. Isa 49:10; Rev 7:16). God did this in part in history and so, in the end, He will do it in full through the One greater than Solomon (cf. Matt 12:42). A food list may not seem to have theology but it contains immense hope if we connect the dots properly.

Here’s another example. We might be puzzled at those genealogies throughout Scripture. How are they devotional? However, these genealogies connect back to Gen 3:15 which talks about how woman will give birth to a seed that crushes the serpent’s head. The genealogies tell the story of how God kept that promise of sustaining a line that culminates in the Messiah. That’s why the genealogies start with Adam and his wife (Gen 5:1), then narrow down to the line of David (Ruth 4:13-22) and then further winnow down to Jesus (Mattt 1:1-17). Genealogies reveal God’s enduring faithfulness (for generations!) and the proof that there is no one like Christ. Out of all mankind-every descendant of Adam and Eve-God has narrowed down the messianic line to One who is the culmination of that line and thereby the very focal point of nation, promise, and history: the Lord Jesus Christ. Genealogies, by design, demonstrate the exclusivity and supremacy of Christ.

Can I Really Do This?

At this point, you might think, “Is this something I can really do?” We might not currently know our Bible well enough to pick up on all the phrases the biblical writers used to refer to other passages. But we can grow. By continuing to read our Bibles, we will become more familiar with the Scripture so that when we stumble on a phrase which makes us say, “Didn’t I read this somewhere else?,” we can connect the dots that the biblical writers wanted us to. Don’t let impatience or perfectionism prevent you from growing. Instead, we need to be thankful for every new insight we learn. It is a blessing from the Lord. Let’s be excited at the prospect of discovery. That will not only help us be better at cross-referencing but also read our Bibles in general.

Even more, we are so blessed to have tools that can aid us in this endeavor. We have cross references in our Bibles, concordances, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, commentaries, study notes, pastors/teachers, and even online classes and lectures. All of those references reflect people who have already diligently connected the dots for us. With so many helps, it is easier than ever to do this for ourselves. We have no excuse. Ultimately, connecting the dots isn’t really about special ability or having the right tools but about effort and personal investment.

Reading the Bible Fully in a Year

That reminds us that as we read the Bible this year, we don’t just want to read it through, we want to read it well. When we come to a text where we wonder, “How is this useful?,” don’t just skim over it. That’ll only reinforce our wrong conception that the Bible isn’t that profitable. Rather, connect the dots. See how the biblical writers alluded to earlier revelation and how the passage we are reading contributes to that theology. The solution is not to skip over passages but to get deeper into them. That’s because the biblical writers are theologians and all that they wrote is theological. Doing this will make our quiet times more compelling. Figuring out cross references, context, and how all the details of a text build upon the theology of previous revelation is like solving a puzzle. It keeps our minds occupied with God’s Word. And as we figure things out, it makes us more curious to see what else there is to learn and how everything plays out. All of this will make us go back to read the Bible more, wrestle with the text more, and meditate on it more —the very things we want to do.

Doing this will also make our quiet times more profitable. As we start to learn how everything in the Bible is theological, we see the wisdom of God in how He wrote His Word. Even more, we see how every detail and facet of Scripture announce the complex majesty and beauty of the God of the Word. With that, our lives will never be the same again.

So may we this year not only read the Bible through but well. That kind of time in the Word is truly devotional.