study this morning and I'll remind you that I did not start this competition of battle of the books and The what is it they call it in school mrs. Norman when the children bring stuff to show show and tell show and tell that's John started this little show-and-tell thing and I think I have the distinction this morning of being the one who has brought the largest book so far and now today I brought I think the most books and I brought all these books for no other reason. I have no intention of using any of this, all of this, but I brought them all simply to introduce the subject of theology. I want you to see these are just the books from just my library that touch, that are on the subject of theology. There is a world of production out there. of books that have been written all the way going back to the first century and up to the present day. And you can just see just as I say, just on this table and only from my very limited library. The subject of theology proper has not been a subject that I have personally been overly occupied with, the science of theology. And so the theology textbooks that are in my library are only those from which I have personally drawn benefit used over the years and you see how many there are of these going all the way back and now up to this present day and this is not a drop in the bucket of the textbooks that are out there. And so you have an idea, I hope, just by visually, by seeing these things, you have a visual of how large this subject is. of theology is. Now, when I set about to begin a study of theology, I want you to understand what we are not doing. I think I had said this to Brother John. I don't intend to study systematic theology at a seminary level or in the same way that you would study it academically in the seminary. But there is a difference, I mentioned this I believe last week, there is a difference between a theology class and a doctrines class. While theology, the study of theology will touch all of the major doctrines, it is not just a doctrines class, and in a very non-academic way of explaining the difference, a doctrines class in a church is just and only, you go through each doctrine, let's say baptism, or the deity of Christ, or each of the doctrines, and it will teach you only what that particular teacher believes is that doctrine. They teach the positive side, what is the doctrine. Where a study of theology would take up the same subject and deal a bit more expansively in that it will touch on some of the erroneous views of that doctrine. maybe a little of its history, but it'll take in a broader study than just to assert the doctrine and demonstrate it. So, study of theology is a bit broader and a little more extensive than a purely doctrines class. And I wanted for us to study theology and not just a system of doctrine. Because we went through the whole Baptist confession as we constituted the church and were able to study from that confession the major doctrines that we covered that realm. And of course our premise text is 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 15 very common very well-known study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing cutting straight is the literal translation cutting straight the word of truth. Study to show thyself proof. I had an opportunity this week, Teresa and I were in town and I ran into some folks that you would know if I call their name and I won't, but we had the opportunity to say to them, one of them comes from a congregation where Ignorance there is a great deal of ignorance was in the congregation that she came from She's no longer in it, but there was a great deal of lack of education lack of Instruction and ignorance and I had the opportunity to say to them to their face There is no premium on ignorance. There is nothing to be proud of about ignorance. Ignorance is never a commendable virtue for a Christian. And I know we had a generation of preachers in this country who have taught that they've even said to me, you know, we don't need all this study of theology and all these stupid schools. These fellows go off to these schools and they ain't got the power of God and we don't need, all we need is the power of God and we don't need all this study. Well, I want to tell you this Bible does not countenance ignorance. It has only and ever been portrayed in this Bible as a thing that is detestable and a thing that God is not approving of. Wisdom and knowledge are from the Lord and ignorance is not a thing to be proud of. And the study of theology is not for pride, it's not vain lifting up of men. It is to enlarge our understanding of our God so that we may serve Him better. We know Him better, we can serve Him better. Study to show thyself approved unto God. And that is what we want to do, is to study to show ourselves proved unto God. And today I want only to give you an introduction, as it were, to these things. I don't intend to go through any particular systematic theology book. I will draw some various things from different ones just for your benefit and for your blessing. But just introducing the subject of theology, systematic theology and studying it. I'll put before you first as an introduction the reason which I've already been dealing with in some measure for theology, but blessed Dag, dear John L. Dag says this in his introduction to the subject. He said the study of religious truth ought to be undertaken and prosecuted from a sense of duty and with a view to the improvement of the heart. When it's learned, it ought not to be laid on the shelf. We talk about shelf theologians and shelf Calvinists. Men have got all the right books, but it's doing them no good. He said, when it's learned, systematic theology, it ought not to be laid on the shelf as an object of speculation, but it should be deposited deep in the heart where its sanctifying power ought to be felt. To study theology for the purpose of gratifying curiosity or preparing for a profession is an abuse and profanation of what ought to be regarded as most holy. To learn things pertaining to God merely for the sake of amusement or secular advantage or to gratify the mere love of knowledge is to treat the Most High with contempt. When religious doctrine is regarded merely as an object of speculation, the mind is not content with the simple truth as it is in Jesus, but wanders after unprofitable questions and becomes entangled in difficulties from which it is unable to extricate itself. Hence arises the skepticism of many. truth which would sanctify and save the soul, they willfully reject because it will not gratify all their curiosity and solve all their perplexities. They act as the husband would who should reject the whole science of agriculture and refuse to cultivate his grounds because there are many mysteries in the growth of plants which he cannot explain. So theology, it's reason for study, is not in order to enlarge our minds only. It is not in order to entertain our delight in speculative exercises. It's not for any of the academic, just pure academia. The whole point of theology is to go to the heart, to work in the heart. So what are our sources then? Secondly, what will be our sources for knowledge? Well, that is a huge subject. Huge. If you go into the first chapter of almost any complete systematic theology text, the first subject they're going to take up is the subject of knowledge. just the subject of knowledge. I mean, the definition of knowledge, for example. I mean, what is knowledge, believe it or not? There are many different definitions. What about a priori information versus, I mean, there's whole chapters written on how man different views of how men acquire knowledge, how they receive knowledge, how it's perceptible. I don't intend to get into any of that, all that technical discussion of knowledge. We will accept the going understanding among ourselves of that subject and its definitions. There is, of course, natural revelation. The scripture tells us that the earth, the heavens declare the glory of God. There is natural revelation. There is revelation of God, knowledge of God, attainable from nature. Then of course there is special revelation. where God speaks by whatever means, whether it's from a voice out of a cloud, or whether it's from a display of his power, or whether it is in the heart of a prophet, God speaks directly and specially. So there's special revelation. There are all these different modes of attaining knowledge. But I want to give you this, that our singular source of knowledge for this study of systematic theology will be, and only will be, the Bible. Dag, again speaking well for us, says, what a precious gift is the Bible. Who would not prize it? Who will not bind it to his heart? We stand on the narrow isthmus, he says. This is an amazing statement. We stand on the narrow isthmus of life between two oceans. The boundless past and the boundless future. The records of eternity past are beyond our reach. but the Ancient of Days has opened them and has revealed to us in the Bible whatever it's necessary that we should know. The vanishing present is all important to us because on it depends our everlasting all, but who will instruct us how to use the swiftly passing moments as we ought? The only wise God has condescended to speak to us in the Bible. and to teach us how to order our steps in life's short way so as to ensure life eternal. The future world is just before us. For myself, he spoke, Dagg spoke, I realize that I'm standing on the shore of a boundless ocean with but an inch of crumbling sand remaining. I hear the streets of the dying infidel on my side. To his view, all is covered with impenetrable darkness. He too has come to the brink, and would gladly refuse to proceed, but he cannot. Perplexed, terrified, shuddering, he plunges in and sinks, he knows not whither. How precious, at that trying moment, is the book of God. How cheering this light from heaven! Before it I see the shades retiring. The Bible lifts its torch. Nay, not a female torch such as reason may raise to shine in the darkness and render it visible. The Bible sheds the light of the noonday sun on the vast prospect before me and enables me tranquil and joyful. to launch into eternity with the full assurance of hope. Mortals, hastening to the retribution of eternity, be wise. Receive the revelation from heaven presented to you in the Bible. Attend diligently to its instructions and reverence its authority as the word of the final judge before whom you will appear. Our source for knowledge in the study of systematic theology is the Bible. And finally, just by way of introduction, I would give you for your benefit a simple definition of systematic theology from two or three different theologians. Juan has defined systematic theology this way. He said, as the name imparts, and this is A. A. Hodge, as the name imparts, systematic theology has for its object the gathering all that the scriptures teach as to what we are to believe and do. and presenting all the elements of this teaching in a symmetrical system. Now this is where systematic theology differs from any other approach to doctrine or to teaching or to the study of the Bible. It is what Hodge has called presenting these elements in a symmetrical system. If you talk to people out there today, preachers especially, and you speak with them on any subject, what you see preeminently is that their words belie the fact. that they are speaking from just fragmented pieces of knowledge. They have never systematized in their mind their thoughts from the scriptures. Our God is a God of order. Our God is a God of systems. Why should his doctrine be any different? We as believers ought to have a systematized order of thinking about our doctrine. And you'd speak with someone like some of the folks I was sharing with you that I talked with yesterday. They'll throw out a verse over here. Then they'll throw out a verse over here. And the two are so disjointed and disconnected there's no relevance at all. But they haven't seen that. Because they've never sat down and worked out their doctrine in any form of structured system. And this is why so many people wind up in such terrible error. We ought to have our doctrine systematized, and A. A. Hodge refers to it as a systematic system. And then there is R. L. Dabney. R.L. Dabney defined systematic theology. He said, it is justly said that every science should begin by defining its terms. Agree? Every science should begin by defining its terms in order to shun verbal fallacies. The word theology has undergone peculiar mutations in the history of science. The Greeks often used it for their theories of theogamy and cosmogony. Aristotle uses it in a more general form as equivalent to any metaphysics. Dividing theoretical philosophy into physical, mathematical, theological, many of the early Christian fathers used it in a restricted sense of the doctrine of Christ's divinity, and that only. But now it has come to be used commonly to describe the whole science God's being and nature and the relation of the creature to God. Essentially it is the science of God. That's how Dabney defined it. J.P. Boyce, J.P. Boyce had this to say The word theology literally means a discourse concerning God. But in analogy with other words as geology, and chronology, and biology, it means the science which treats God. It naturally concerns itself with such questions as these. Is there a God? Can he be known? What is his nature and character? What are the relations he sustains to his universe? Particularly, what is his relation to intelligent beings possessed of spiritual natures? And above all, as important to us, what is his relation to men? In what ways has he made himself known? and especially in what aspect does he reveal himself to them as sinners. This is, properly speaking, theology. Theology is defined as a science. It is eminently worthy of that name. It lacks nothing that constitutes a science. It is concerned in the investigation of facts. It inquires into their existence, their relations to each other, their systematic arrangement, the laws which govern them, and the great principles which are the basis of this existence. As in other sciences, there is much that is absolutely known, but beyond this, that is a little questioned. Much that is still a matter of speculation, and much as to which there is a decided difference of opinion. The causes of doctrinal variation will be apparent. If men came to study biblical theology with minds entirely unprejudiced, capable of examining its truths with the same mental powers and with the same amount of study, all would agree as to the facts and doctrines, but this cannot be done. Mental capacities vary. All men have their prejudices. all have not equal time for study, and all use not the equal opportunities of time that they have. And thus a variety is certain to be seen even among those in biblical theology. So we will expect as we go through to find a lot of differences among men as to what the scriptures actually teach, even when we restrict our study to the Bible. But Hodge talks about the several departments of systematic theology, and we will certainly not get into them as separate departments. But just so that you know, the subject of systematic theology may have extensive study in numerous departments. He lists them, six of them. There is theology proper, which deals specifically with God, His existence, etc. attributes. There is anthropology, which is the study of man and his relation to that God. There is soteriology, which studies the man's salvation. and what is exactly involved in that. There is a department of Christian ethics embracing all the principles and rules and motives from the Bible for man's conduct. There is eschatology, which of course has to do with the science of last things, dealing with resurrection of the dead, the second coming of Christ. There is a science of ecclesiology. which is the study of the church, the government, the organizational factors within the church. All of these are areas we will touch on, but not that we will take up as a separate department. But just so you know, there are numerous, and some disagree with his list, and would form that list in another fashion. The fact is, and what you need to know, is that the subject of systematic theology is a huge, huge subject, and has multiple departments. And this huge stack of books here is a reflection for you of just a drop in the bucket of the extent to which this subject may be entertained. We do not intend anything like an exhaustive study of this subject. What I intend by it is primarily to bring systemization to our study of doctrine. Okay? Now, that is all just my way of introducing the study of systematic theology. Is there any questions about this? Just the introduction. That's as far as we'll get today. Tomorrow we will begin where theology does begin. We will begin with the subject of God, the doctrine of God. And again, I'm not going to get into all the epistemology and subject of epistemology, ontology. and knowledge and how the source of knowledge and how it comes to man and how it's assimilated and all of that. We're not going to get into all of that. We're going to just take this as a teaching, as an instructional type class and begin with the presupposition, and I am presuppositional. I'm beginning with the presupposition that the Bible is the uncontested and self-demonstrating source of all light and truth with regard to the study of God. It is the final and definitive source and that will not be challenged or rivaled in our study. Now there is academic context in which it may be taken up, but it won't be taken up here. Any questions? Theology comes to man. Knowledge comes to man. Probably reflects my own view of the subject, yeah. But knowledge comes to man. Well, special revelation certainly comes to man from outside of himself, and that is a presupposition. concerning any knowledge. It's a biblical presupposition that knowledge is not innate, that man doesn't create it. And that's a modern philosophy, that man creates knowledge. Man doesn't create it, nor is it in him of himself, but it is from the God who created him. And in that sense comes from outside of himself. And certainly special revelation comes from outside of himself. So when we read the text in 2 Timothy 2.15, study to show thyself approved, the given there is that the study, the study itself, light from that study must come from outside of himself to him. Any other questions or thoughts? We will find some of the areas of systematic theology will be, shall I say, well known, common, and we will go through them very quickly. And there will be hardly any thought, or I mean, sorry, I hope there will be thought, but there will be hardly any discussion of them, certainly no controversy. But then we'll get to other areas where we may get bogged down. Because even among us, there may be some very wide differing views on some subjects. And especially if some others come in, I do know some men who intend to visit in our class when they can. If they happen to be here at a time when some subjects are being discussed, there's likely to be some active discussion. And so be it. I've read to you from great theologians that there will be room for disagreement among those even who restrict themselves to the Bible as the source for knowledge. I think that I want you to know especially in this subject that we cannot approve of an attitude that we don't need to study. We don't need systematic theology. We don't need any study like this. We just need some sensation or some demonstration of God's power that is apart from His Word. No. We need the Word. And we need systematic study of it. No other questions or comments. All right, so be it. Let's pray together. Father, thank you again for the privilege to come together in this country and freedom and liberty and peace in this building and study your work without fear of our lives. As far as we know, we are under no danger And I thank you for that. And I pray that we would be faithful and not take these things for granted. But work while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work. Let us be faithful in these things. Bless us this week. Direct our steps for your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen. Alright, thank you.