Personally, I have a struggle between displaying the love of Christ towards another and loving the truth that Jesus Christ taught us, aka "propositional truth". The nature of propositional truth is that it creates sharp lines between truth and error. And when those propositions are laid out as one proposition naturally begetting another proposition, we have something called "Systematic Theology"
Because Systematic Theology is a science, and not an art form, it must begin with similarities to the methodologies of science, called the "scientific method". For example, Sir Francis Bacon offered four steps for scientific work: Observe, hypotheses theory experiment.
Notice that both the scientific method and systematic theology begin with FACTS. Then other things progress from there. In the3 scientific world, facts are what is empirically observed, For the Christian, facts begin with the written words of the Bible, in their original languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.
Those who have been privileged to study those languages have an obligation to share the treasures given to them with others. It is a wonderful and fearsome responsibility,to be able to do that. It is not a matter of conceit, or lording over another, but a solemn obligation to pass on what we have been entrusted with.
If we love truth too much, we may become dogmatic and argumentative so that we can major on the minors, or else be antagonistic towards those who do not use sound principles of Bible study to determine their doctrine.
Sometimes though our love for truth can be seen as eclipsing our love for the people of God.. On the other hand, if we love people, not wanting to "hurt their feelings" too much without loving the truth, we can be seen as wishy-washy and therefore spineless when it comes to standing for the truth; and therein is the heart of my dilemma.
Some people who may be like me, trained in apologetics, etc. will see some weird statement by one well-meaning person, and automatically think "That is not a Biblical Doctrine!" while others will say, "No matter how weird his beliefs are, he has a right to be wrong; it is not my concern."
The rubber meets the road with this question, "Where does weirdness end, and heresy begin? Jude 3 tells us to "earnestly contend (that is agonize) for the truth." That is because since heretics ran rampant at the Galatians church, and in other places, such in the latter times mentioned in Revelation heresy will remain until the return of Jesus. Wherein is the balance?
The Bible is no more a system of theology, than nature is a system of chemistry or of mechanics. We find in nature the facts which the chemist or the mechanical philosopher has to examine, and from them to ascertain the laws by which they are determined. So the Bible contains the truths which the theologian has to collect, authenticate, arrange, and exhibit in their internal relation to each other. This constitutes the difference between biblical and systematic theology. The office of the former is to ascertain and state the facts of Scripture. The office of the latter is to take those facts, determine their relation to each other and to other cognate truths, as well as to vindicate them and show their harmony and consistency. This is not an easy task, or one of slight importance.
Necessity for System in Theology
It may naturally be asked, why not take the truths as God has seen fit to reveal them, and thus save ourselves the trouble of showing their relation and harmony?
The answer to this question is, in the first place, that it cannot be done. Such is the constitution of the human mind that it cannot help endeavoring to systematize and reconcile the facts which it admits to be true. In no department of knowledge have men been satisfied with the possession of a mass of undigested facts. And the students of the Bible can as little be expected to be thus satisfied. There is a necessity, therefore, for the construction of systems of theology. Of this the history of the Church affords abundant proof. In all ages and among all denominations, such systems have been produced...
Neither does He [God] teach us systematic theology, but He gives us in the Bible the truths which, properly understood and arranged, constitute the science of theology. As the facts of nature are all related and determined by physical laws, so the facts of the Bible are all related and determined by the nature of God and of his creatures.... although the Scriptures do not contain a system of theology as a whole, we have in the Epistles of the New Testament, portions of that system wrought out to our hands. These are our authority and guide.
Hodge, C. (1997). Systematic theology (Vol. 1, p 1- 3). (excerpts) Necessity for System in Theology
It may naturally be asked, why not take the truths as God has seen fit to reveal them, and thus save ourselves the trouble of showing their relation and harmony?
The answer to this question is, in the first place, that it cannot be done. Such is the constitution of the human mind that it cannot help endeavoring to systematize and reconcile the facts which it admits to be true. In no department of knowledge have men been satisfied with the possession of a mass of undigested facts. And the students of the Bible can as little be expected to be thus satisfied. There is a necessity, therefore, for the construction of systems of theology. Of this the history of the Church affords abundant proof. In all ages and among all denominations, such systems have been produced...
Neither does He [God] teach us systematic theology, but He gives us in the Bible the truths which, properly understood and arranged, constitute the science of theology. As the facts of nature are all related and determined by physical laws, so the facts of the Bible are all related and determined by the nature of God and of his creatures.... although the Scriptures do not contain a system of theology as a whole, we have in the Epistles of the New Testament, portions of that system wrought out to our hands. These are our authority and guide.
Because Systematic Theology is a science, and not an art form, it must begin with similarities to the methodologies of science, called the "scientific method". For example, Sir Francis Bacon offered four steps for scientific work: Observe, hypotheses theory experiment.
Notice that both the scientific method and systematic theology begin with FACTS. Then other things progress from there. In the3 scientific world, facts are what is empirically observed, For the Christian, facts begin with the written words of the Bible, in their original languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.
Those who have been privileged to study those languages have an obligation to share the treasures given to them with others. It is a wonderful and fearsome responsibility,to be able to do that. It is not a matter of conceit, or lording over another, but a solemn obligation to pass on what we have been entrusted with.
If we love truth too much, we may become dogmatic and argumentative so that we can major on the minors, or else be antagonistic towards those who do not use sound principles of Bible study to determine their doctrine.
Sometimes though our love for truth can be seen as eclipsing our love for the people of God.. On the other hand, if we love people, not wanting to "hurt their feelings" too much without loving the truth, we can be seen as wishy-washy and therefore spineless when it comes to standing for the truth; and therein is the heart of my dilemma.
Some people who may be like me, trained in apologetics, etc. will see some weird statement by one well-meaning person, and automatically think "That is not a Biblical Doctrine!" while others will say, "No matter how weird his beliefs are, he has a right to be wrong; it is not my concern."
The rubber meets the road with this question, "Where does weirdness end, and heresy begin? Jude 3 tells us to "earnestly contend (that is agonize) for the truth." That is because since heretics ran rampant at the Galatians church, and in other places, such in the latter times mentioned in Revelation heresy will remain until the return of Jesus. Wherein is the balance?