Is Studying Theology Important?

When I was the youth president in my previous church, I was very performance & result oriented. There were 3 major zones under my supervision, from the teens zone to young working adult zone.


I was driven to make the youth ministry a success! How can I draw more crowd? What are the programs and attractions that can retain the young people? What are the musics that can boost up the excitement of the youth? What kind of sermon should I preach to motivate the crowd "for God" ?....etc, I constantly figuring out ways that will work. I brought my team to visit the mega-churches, observed their operation and ways of doing things. Then, we applied it into our youth ministry and added in many contemporary elements without questioning it thouroughly. As result, guess what? It did draw some crowd at the beginning, but it never last...


So, I would start questioning God & doubting myself. Why He did not bless our ministries as we were working so hard "for Him"? Am I the chosen one for the ministry? May be I was not holy enough to please God. What a wrong understanding & perceptions!!

In his book “Know the Truth” [Downers Grove, III: InterVasity, 1982, p11], Bruce Milne claims that ‘‘every Christian is a theologian.’’He mentioned that we all know something about God, yet we rarely think of what we know as ‘‘theology.” I agree with what he said, just that are we a good theologian or a bad one. 

A passion for ministry with an incorrect doctrinal beliefs will harm ourself and even others, it may lead us into disaster. As for my own case, the misunderstanding of God and His ways had affected my relationship with Him, and eventually discouraged my heart for the ministry. Like Saul in the NT, he was passionate in persecuting the church, as he thought that what he believed and did were right! But when God revealed to him the truth, this was what he said:

". .. in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead"    
                                                                                                  Phillippians 3:5-11


When God corrected the doctrinal belief of Saul, he become "Paul" who was the mover and shaker in the church history!


Theology is getting even more important nowadays because of the large number of alternatives and challenges abroad at the present time. For example, the leaven of pragmatism had spreaded widely and rooted deeply in churches. We are result-oriented, looking for ways which can push up the numbers, in both people & saving in bank account! We want the immediate result, ways which can give us the fastest return. That's where the prosperity gospel, gay churches and etc come into place.


The study of theology will help to sharpen our thought and empower us to discern and interpret this present time. As God reminded us that:


Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
                                                                                                             Roman 12:2


How can we able to test and approve God's good, pleasing and perfect will without studying, understanding and seeking HIM? Therefore, is studying theology important?