Systematic Theology is your Friend

In Christ we have many friends: other believers, angels, creation, providence, &c. The Bible is also our friend in Christ, and in him its contents belong to us (Deut 29:29). This includes the words of Scripture, but it goes beyond them to their teachings and implications. All matters of revealed truth are friendly to those who follow the Lamb.

Systematic theology (like theology in general) gets a bad rap. Some call it man-made. It is intellectual, Western, or speculative. But the Bible tells us a lot, and systematic theology does us the service of organizing its contents and showcasing its treasures. While Biblical Theology plugs us into the live-nerve of the story of Scripture to encounter truth in its native habitat, its sister discipline, systematic theology, hands us fully-orbed doctrines. And they are wonderful.

Part of Adam’s job was to unlock the potential of creation. Our agricultural, medicinal, and technological achievements bring out the hidden treasures of God’s world. In the same way, systematic theology brings out the hidden treasures of God’s word. It mines the Bible, running its fingers along the subterranean veins of truth, plundering their circuits, and assembling the beautiful things they form. These structures help us think through who we are, what we’re doing, and what can and should be done in Christ. I’m sure we could all use a friend like that.