WHY IT IS NEEDED TODAY
The Assemblies have always flourished when the emphasis was upon Systematic Theology. On the other hand, if the Assemblies pull away from this discipline, the results are not shown to be good. We believe this is because G-d has designed Systematic Theology as His Way to direct man to His Eternal Truths.
Let us take a look at how we believe this has been set up.
MANS' THINKING
There were two thought systems in operation in the ancient world as well as today: belief and unbelief. We shall trace these two thought systems down through history right to our own day.
Mankind, whether in belief or unbelief, developed systems with which to think; to formulate his thoughts. Each system is in the world, and the different systems are each used to meet lifes' challenges.
Considering unbelief, let us look at the Greeks since the Greeks were the first to put together a system (kosmos) of organized thought, and with it, they set about to conquer the world, and did so, briefly, under Alexander the Great. There was another thought system also in operation in believers; the Jewish thought system, based on G-ds' Divine Revelation.
GRAECO-ROMAN
The Greek thought system always dealt with potentialities and not anything approaching what the Jewish thought system (and later the New Testament) developed. The Jewish thought system, based upon the Scriptures, revealed that G-d was Absolute and in Control. A Sovereign Being.
The Greek (and later Roman) systems always had a Humanistic base. Their emphasis was upon man "as the the center of the universe" and "the measure of all things". In turn, their system of worship was based on paganism (using man as the model: their gods and goddesses were exaggerated humanity) it reflected mankinds' pettiness and their Humanistic gods even quarreled among themselves! Their gods might not always be in control, and sometimes things were just "left to chance". This was because their Universe was basically a "universe of chance".[1]
The Graeco-(and later Roman) thought systems had no Sovereign Deity. Man always ended-up becoming "the measure of all things" in the unbelieving systems. For this reason they lacked the stable groundwork that the Jewish, and later Christian thought systems brought forth.
Jewish and later Christian thought systems were built upon a stronger Absolute: The Sovereign G-d of the Scriptures, and what those Scriptures said about Him.
STANDARD OR NO STANDARD
The Scriptures represent a Standard by which to guage everything. Pagan (Greco-Roman) thought systems showed mans' inability to have one Standard as an Absolute.[2] Their gods simply were not big enough to handle all the stresses and complex problems of the Empire, and so Rome fell.
At todays' universities, "there are no absolutes" is routinely offered as a "given" because of Humanistic-centered and many times virulent anti-G-d positions.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
We have seen how the Graeco-Roman (pagan) thought systems attempted to organize their thoughts into a unified whole; they all failed. All their gods and goddesses together could not hold the culture or its govenment together. Let us see how the advent of Christian thought and its formulations, using Scripture, developed into something the Graeco-Romans could neither imitate nor duplicate: Systematic Theology.
Organized Biblical Systematic Theology and thinking led in the early centuries of the Assemblies to The Creeds which gave ordered definitions of the difference between True and false doctrine.
TATIAN
But we are superior to Fate, and instead of wandering daimons (demons), we have learned to know one Lord who wanders not; and, as we do not follow the guidance of Fate, we reject its lawgivers. Tatian. Writings from the Ante-Nicene Fathers.
Tatian saw clearly the implications of following the G-d of Scripture verses "other systems" be they never so "popular" or "approved" by the "powers that be" of his day. He saw that the Graeco-Roman systems had a fundamentally different view of basic Causality.[3]
Our God did not begin to be in time: He alone is without beginning, and He Himself is the beginning of all things.
The Graeco-Roman systems were "time based". The Christian system told of how G-d was before time existed, and that is when He set up His Divine Decrees.[4]
These were concepts totally foreign to every pagan system. Their gods and goddesses were as those "casting dice" while the G-d of the Scriptures had already Decided before time began.
All of these things Tatian recognized as the answer to the confusion of Graeco-Roman systems. Tatian saw the necessity for a unified whole of thought and its fulfillment in Systematic Theology which he and the other early Christian Pastors and scholars helped develop through the centuries.
A RULE FOR ALL OF LIFE
True Systematic Theology develops and applies a Rule for all of life: Salvific, Ecclesistical, Governmental, Legal, and Familial are just a few of the areas that are covered. [5] All of life is brought under the Rule of G-ds' Previously Ordered Universe. This also fulfills what Yeshua Commanded:
Occupy until I come. Luke 19:13[6]
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PEOPLE OF G-D, MESSIANIC
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FOOTNOTES
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[4
Q. 7. What are the decrees of God?
A. The decrees of God are, His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. (Ephesians 1:11; Acts 4:27, 28; Psalm 31:1; Ephesians 2:10; Romans 9:22,23; 11:33.) From the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
What false teachers try to teach people (following the Graeco-Roman philosophy which they have learned) is that somehow G-d was not aware, or was potentially unable to control what was and is going on in His own Universe! This is usually the result, sadly, of an inferior Biblical education with regard to Systematic Theology as it has been taught in better schools.
Many times these so called "spiritual leaders" or "modern-day prophets" as they sometimes like to call themselves, do not possess the Gift of Pastor at all, but are most of the time "under orders" from another false teacher farther up the chain. Both may be incredibly ignorant of both the Creeds of the Church and Church history which they attempt to convince people just may be a virtue. This, of course, like their "theology", is in short supply.
With no emphasis on Systematic Theology, believers may not be aware they are using one system or the other. Being baby believers or untrained, they may not be able to discern true from false teaching in this area. They automatically leave themselves open to anyone who seems "assertive" and could be led asray by a false teacher.
[5
Ultimately, they will all prove insufficient compared to a thorough grounding in Systematic Theology.
[6
All this is just one more example of "speculative theology". Systematic Theology does not enter the realm of the speculative at all. Those who engage in speculation presume to "read Gods' Mind" which is the height of presumption if not blasphemous. (Isaiah 55:8)
In the Church, the enemy of Systematic Theology is speculative theology; and wherever you find it, it is illegitimate.
Schaeffer, Francis. How Shall We Then Live?. Video Series.
Tatian. Address of Tatian to the Greeks. From the Writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers.