When you read the title of this article, “Reading Theology,” one of two responses likely came to mind: either “Wow! Yes! Theology!” or “Oh, no! Theology!” These two different responses are tied to what people associate with theology. If you associate theology with learning about God, understanding how He works salvation, and discovering how to live our lives following Him, you likely think of reading theology as an edifying thing. If you associate theology with difficult reading, verbal wrangling, and no profit, then you likely find reading theology a drag and not very beneficial. In reality, reading theology, though challenging at times, can be a blessed and encouraging experience for every child of God. Are you unsure if reading theology can be worthwhile for you? Consider the following three reasons to try.

First, reading theology can be rewarding because of why we should want to read it. We should read theology for what it is and what it does with the Spirit’s blessing. Theol­ogy, despite many technical and important discussions, is essentially studying and learning about God from what He has revealed about Himself to us. If God had not chosen to reveal Himself to us, we would never be able to study Him or know Him. But to our extreme enrichment, He has revealed Himself to us in creation (general revelation) and in the Bible (special revelation). General revelation only reveals so much to us of God, namely, “His eternal power and godhead” (Rom. 1:20). Further, even though God clearly and efficaciously reveals Himself in creation, because of the effects of sin, we will not rightly receive His revelation as “we hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18). Theologians have studied “natural theology” (God as revealed in general revelation) with caution and care, aware of the limitations of what God has chosen to reveal through nature and the effects of sin, and primarily focused on “supernatural theology,” the study of what He has revealed about Himself through special revelation.

The greatness of God more than justifies reading theology; indeed, counting anything else to be more worthy of study would be idolatry. But theology should also be read for what it does when it is blessed by the Spirit. The Spirit can enable us to know and understand God better. Our Lord Jesus said that knowing God is eternal life in John 17:3: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

For a child of God, there is no greater joy than knowing his Lord and Savior better and better. Nothing delights the hearts of a bride and a groom more than knowing one another and becoming increasingly familiar with each other; so believers, the bride of Christ, delight increasingly in their Bridegroom the more they know Him (Eph. 5:32).

If you are already a reader of theology, do you read it in order to know your Lord and Savior better? If you read theology for another reason than to get to know God more, you are not reading it as you should. Indeed, you are robbing yourself of the blessedness and encouragement that comes from knowing God and His glory better and better. If you have always thought of theology simply as a trial as something to be avoided — and something intellectual rather than truly spiritual, have you stopped to consider that you can personally get to know God better through reading theology? If you focus on studying Him, learning of Him, and knowing more about Him, you will find it a very strengthening and uplifting pursuit.

Second, reading theology can be blessed and encour­aging because of how you read it. As you begin to read theology, read in self-conscious dependence on God. Consider these three things to help you be self-consciously dependent on God in your theological reading.

• Read theology prayerfully. When we pray before we study the Word, we confess our weakness. We look to Him and Him alone to find our increase in under­standing. Pray particularly for the Holy Spirit to open your understanding, to draw you closer to God as you seek to learn, and that you will be encouraged to serve Him more faithfully in light of what the Spirit will teach you (Ps. 119:18, Isa. 6:8).
• Read theology with an open Bible. The test of theological truth is not whether those truths are in harmony with the order of creation or observations about the functioning of the world or our own reasoning, but whether they are based on what God Himself has said infallibly in His inspired Word.
• Read theology humbly. Hold your own conclusions tentatively. Seek further confirmation prayerfully from the Scriptures and consider what other godly men, dead and living, have taught on the matter (Prov. 22:8, Jer. 6:16, Prov. 11:14). A very helpful way to do this is to share what you have been learning with a pastor or a friend who likes to study theology as well.

Second, in addition to reading theology in dependence on God, read theology in a way that best fits your gifts, abilities, and interests. Every child of God should delight to learn of his Lord and Savior, but not every child of God is a strong reader. Even if a child of God is a strong reader, he may struggle to grasp the concepts of theology, which can appear to be disconnected from the tasks and details of daily life. So if you struggle to read theology, where should you start?

Try beginning by reading books that treat particular doctrines of interest to you simply and clearly. Do you want to learn more about predestination? Start with R.C. Sproul’s book Chosen by God. Do you desire to learn more about the person and work of Jesus Christ? Read Mark Jones’s Knowing Christ. Try getting an overview of all of theology at once, presented in a written conversation between a believer and an unbeliever with no real church background, in John Gerstner’s Theology in Dialogue.

Today you can “read” theology without reading in the traditional sense at all. Perhaps you are a more visual per­son and you prefer charts, diagrams, and pictures to words and paragraphs. If so, consider looking at Tim Challies’s Visual Theology. Do you get more out of listening than reading? There are many good Reformed and Presbyterian podcasts, sermons, lectures, audio books, and conferences you can listen to anywhere and anytime over the Internet.

Start reading theology according to your interests and gifts, but however you do it, start. It is a tremendous means for getting to know the Lord better. It will be a blessing and encouragement for the rest of your life, no matter what you are called to do, to know Him more and more.

Third, reading theology is a blessing and encour­agement because of the changes it makes in the lives of believers. Some people struggle with seeing a practical application of theology to everyday life. This is often due to thinking of theology wrongly. We would be believing the devil’s lie if we held that theology is not important for a Christian. On the contrary, theology is a very applicable science, if not the most applicable one. Other sciences only discover new information about their objects of study and make no real internal change in the researchers; theology is different. Theology, when done aright and blessed by the Spirit, changes the researcher. Theology changes the very way we think.

Consider the following examples. The more you learn about God’s sovereignty, the more comfort you have as you realize that all things are in His hand and all will work together for good (Rom. 8:28). The more one knows that God is eternal and unchangeable, the more he understands how impossible it is for a sinner who turns to Him to go lost (Mal. 3:6). The more one studies the glorious person and work of Christ in His natures and offices, the more he sees His beauty and adores Him for His greatness (Song 10:5, Eph. 3:8, Rom. 11:33-36). As we know God better, we find blessing and encouragement for all aspects of our lives.

So study theology. By it, with the Spirit’s blessing, you will know God more fully and more intimately. You will be enjoying life eternal (John 17:3). You will find direction for your life and future (Deut. 29:29). And you will have the delight of your heart (Ps. 37:4). You will be truly blessed and encouraged.