Much of the weakness of today’s preaching can be traced back to the individual preacher’s failure to understand God’s truths as revealed in the whole of Scripture, and particularly how those truths fit together in a cohesive system of truths. He may preach an idea boldly from his given text, not realizing that he is in fact contradicting a truth clearly revealed in other areas of Scripture. He lacks the synthesis of biblical truths which is necessary to protect against misguided, faulty, or outright errant preaching.
Or perhaps his preaching isn’t outright wrong, but it’s foggy. He is not clear, not manifesting the truth (cf. 2 Cor. 5), and as a result his hearers aren’t built up in the truth. Perhaps more dangerous than outright error is the kind of preaching that fails to instruct its hearers in the truth. The preacher’s arguments are illogical, the structure is hard to follow, and no one is quite sure what he intends to communicate. This too results when the preacher does not understand fundamental biblical truths as they are taught throughout Scripture.
If we want to preach the Bible clearly and faithfully, we need robust systematic theology. Without it, we leave ourselves to the errors introduced above. A preacher’s effectiveness rises and falls with his comprehension of the key truths of Scripture and how they fit together. Every preacher needs systematic theology.
What is Systematic Theology?
The first order of business is to explain what I mean by systematic theology. Simply put, systematic theology is the practice of ordering biblical truths by subject or by theme. This is neither inherently good nor inherently bad. Systematic theology can be an asset or a barrier to right interpretation, depending on whether it represents the actual teachings of Scripture. For our purposes at this point, I want us to understand what systematic theology is. It is the systematic—often rational, often logical—ordering of biblical truths around certain headings to help us understand and remember them.
Unhealthy Systematic Theology
As mentioned above, it’s possible for systematic theology to be a barrier to the right interpretation of a given text. There is an unhealthy kind of system which stands above the text of Scripture and reinterprets it to fit a preconceived system. It de-emphasizes or distorts certain truths to fit them into an extrabiblical framework, or jettisons them altogether. Typically, certain biblical teachings are enlarged until they eclipse other teachings altogether. We think for example of heresies which emphasize Christ’s deity to the rejection of His humanity, or vice versa. It is rightly said that most heresies result when someone takes a particular biblical teaching to the extreme, at the expense of other essential teachings. This is unhealthy systematic theology, and it masks aspects of God’s truth rather than making them plain.
There’s another way to think about this which will strike closer to home for our readers. When I say “systematic theology,” you may think of large volumes put forward by theologians throughout church history. You may assume that you do not have a system of your own, and that this discussion only applies to brainy theologians who have over-philosophized the Bible. But we all need to look at our own lives to see if our preconceptions are distorting our interpretation of Scripture. Every person operates from a set of assumptions that seem rational, and every person interprets Scripture in light of these assumptions. We all need to check if these assumptions are blurring our interpretation of what God has actually said in His word.
This often happens without us realizing it. That’s why I’m calling these ideas assumptions. We assume ideas without considering whether they come from the Bible.
I think a brief illustration will help show what I mean. I wear glasses. And I work in a furniture shop. Between sawing, sanding, and finishing, my glasses are almost constantly covered with a film of sawdust and oils. It’s nearly impossible to keep them clean. In fact, my glasses are so often dirty that most of the time I don’t notice. I am accustomed to seeing the world through a light haze, and I can easily forget that my lenses are keeping me from seeing reality clearly.
It’s not until I clean my glasses that I realize how much the dust and grease are affecting my ability to see.
We often read Scripture this way. Like wearing smudgy glasses, we can’t see what is in front of us because dirt and grease are blurring our view. We are all guilty at times of missing what God wants to say to us through Scripture because our preconceptions—our systems—dim our view. We miss the main point because these assumptions are blurring our vision. We explain away the plain meaning because “it can’t mean that.” We exclude certain conclusions because they don’t fit with our presuppositions. Our system of thinking prevents us from getting the meaning of the passage right.
When that happens in sermon preparation, the final delivery also misses the mark. The preacher has missed the point of the passage because his assumptions blurred his view. Bad systematic theology diminishes the preacher’s faithfulness to the text, and therefore his effectiveness in the lives of his people.
Healthy Systematic Theology
While a system or a set of assumptions can keep us from seeing the Bible correctly, there is a kind of systematic theology which is essential to clear-sighted Bible study, a healthy kind of system which stands underneath the text and helps us understand it better. This kind does not blur our view. Rather, like a clean pair of glasses, it corrects our natural deficiencies so we can see things more clearly. This system is not imposed on Scripture, nor is it an exaggeration of certain truths at the expense of others, but is a balanced, thoughtful synthesis of the whole body of biblical revelation.
We sometimes think that any kind of system is a de-facto distortion of biblical truth. While it is true that extra-biblical systems can hinder our understanding, we need to be careful not to reject the system which Scripture itself gives us. We serve a rational God who does not contradict Himself. The Bible is not just a collection of disconnected doctrinal maxims or moral nuggets. It is unified because it comes from one source: God. It is good—and even necessary—for us to understand individual doctrines from Scripture, and to try to fit those together the way the Bible encourages us to. We ought to draw out the systematic aspects of Scripture, not content with extracting isolated ideas but comparing Scripture with Scripture, truth with truth, trying to understand the entire theological structure God has given us in His word.
Of course, we need to do this in a way that helps our understanding of the truth rather than hindering it. The difference between a healthy system and an unhealthy one is its relationship to the Bible. Unhealthy systems keep us from understanding the Bible correctly. They stand above the Bible, only accepting those ideas which are compatible with the system. But a healthy system is subordinate to the Bible, embracing only what the Bible itself teaches and then synthesizing those truths into a system. It is primarily concerned with fitting together the various aspects of the Bible in order to understand it as a whole, It is entirely subject to Scripture. A healthy systematic theology is a great aid to any preacher.
In either case, we can’t avoid systematizing, not if we are serious about understanding the Bible. Anytime we come to the Bible looking for answers to particular questions, we are doing a form of systematic theology. We can ask questions such as:
- What does the Bible say about Jesus’ person, mission, work, etc?
- What does the Bible say about the nature of God? His oneness? His trinity?
- What does the Bible say about righteousness, sin, and judgment?
- What does the Bible say about redemption? Why is it necessary, how is it accomplished, and how is it applied?
As we look for answers to any of these questions, we are doing systematic theology. And I believe that this form of systematic theology is helpful—and even essential—for those who want to understand the Bible correctly. Even more so for those who want to preach with faithfulness and power.
So this is not a question of whether or not any of us has a system. We all do. The question is, is our system biblical? Any system which stands above the text and inhibits our ability to understand the Bible clearly is an obstacle to the truth. But a system which is drawn from Scripture can be a great aid to our understanding of the truth. I would even argue that it is essential. Every preacher needs systematic theology.
When we come to Scripture with a good grasp of the central themes of Scripture, we are prepared to understand any given passage in its context. Systematic theology helps us get the right meaning of any text, because we can understand it within the whole scope of Scripture.
Developing a healthy system does not come easily. The Bible is clear that we cannot understand the Bible the way God intends us to understand it without God’s help. “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). And the Apostle Paul specifically prays for the Ephesian church that they would be given the “spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened.” That is to say, spiritual sight (including “knowledge” and “understanding”) are God-given. Otherwise, Paul would not need to pray for them.
We cannot clean our own lenses. We need God’s help to clean our smudgy lenses so we can see more clearly. More light. More light. More light. We should always be asking the Spirit to illuminate our minds so we can see and believe Scripture more clearly. Through a steady practice of reading the Bible with the Spirit’s help, we will begin to develop a healthier and more faithful system which is drawn out of Scripture rather than imposed upon it. Continual saturation in the word of God—all of it—is essential for us to get any particular portion right.
Principle Applied
Let’s tease this out with a biblical example. How does soteriology (the area of systematic theology dealing with the doctrines of salvation) help us understand Old Testament narratives? In 2 Kings 5 we read of Naaman, a great Syrian commander, an enemy of Israel, a Gentile, and a leper. At the advice of his slave girl—an Israelite captive—he went to Samaria to look for God’s prophet Elisha and to ask him to heal him of his leprosy. Elisha gave a simple test of faith: go wash in the Jordan river seven times. At first Naaman left “in a rage,” but his servants convinced him to heed Elisha’s instructions. After dipping seven times in the Jordan river, Naaman was healed.
Now comes the heart of the story. Naaman returns to Elisha and offers Elisha a gift. Elisha’s response is the key to understanding the gospel implications of the whole story. “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing” (v. 16). Elisha refused to receive any contribution from Naaman to pay for his healing. Even after Naaman urged him, he refused to take any payment for the healing.
If we are familiar with primary biblical themes, the gospel implications here are obvious. Naaman—an enemy of God’s people and outside the covenant—needed divine cleansing. He had no right to ask for God’s grace, no grounds to appeal for it, but he came asking in faith and he was miraculously healed. When he wanted to contribute something from his own resources to settle his accounts, Elisha refused. Naaman could not purchase God’s grace. Above all else, this is a story of God’s grace to undeserving sinners.
Though we think of Elisha as a thundering prophet, it’s obvious that he understood and valued God’s grace. He knew that God’s grace is given freely and is not earned. He would have agreed with the Apostle Paul that for God’s grace to be true grace, it must be given freely. If salvation comes “by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work” (Rom. 11:6). God gives grace freely. He cannot be compelled by human works (or by Naaman’s gifts). Elisha refused Naaman’s gift so Naaman would understand what grace is. It is not something that can be bought or bartered for. God already stands willing and ready to give it. All we need to do is ask.
That this is the main point is underscored by the rest of the story. After Naaman left, Elisha’s servant Gehazi, who coveted the gift which Naaman had offered Elisha, ran after Naaman to get some of his wealth for himself. He returns with two changes of garments and two talents of silver. But Elisha uncovers his sin and declares that as a result “the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever” (v. 27).
This seems like an overly harsh sentence. Leprosy was a contagious disease, so anyone who had it was isolated from normal society. Gehazi would suffer the rest of his life because he accepted these gifts. Why was his judgment this severe?
Elisha points us in the right direction with his rhetorical question in verse 26. “Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants?” In other words, now is not the time to receive payment! Elisha was teaching Naaman about God’s nature—and particularly God’s grace—and Gehazi distorted the message by accepting Naaman’s contribution. He implied that God’s grace could be procured by payment when Elisha’s central concern was to show that God’s grace comes to those who ask for it in faith. This account is here to teach us something about God—He is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Ps. 103:8).
There are a number of ways to preach this passage and miss the entire point. You could focus on the political conflict between the king of Syria and the king of Israel. Or do an exhaustive study of the number seven because Naaman dipped in the river seven times. Or give a simple synopsis of the progression of events. Any of these topics are in the text but they don’t help people understand what was going on and what we are to learn from it as New Testament Christians.
As you think about this example, realize how a broad, biblically-grounded understanding of the gospel helps us get the main point of this passage right. That is to say, every preacher needs systematic theology.
In the next article we will explore some of the particular reasons why every preacher needs systematic theology.