CONCLUSION

Perhaps the discussion has left the student bewildered and confused. If great men of God have disagreed and still do disagree on systems of theology (and it must be admitted that the two systems we have discussed are not the only systems of theology), the student may wonder how he or she could ever come to any definite conclusions concerning his own system of theology? Cannot and should not someone give the student at this point some guidelines to follow in developing a system of theology?

This chapter does not promise to solve all the reader's dilemma, but perhaps it can give some guidance on the subject. The author suggests the student be mindful of the following principles as he wrestles with the development of a system of theology.

1. In the initial stages of your Christian life, do not make the concern for the development of a system of theology the matter of primary importance.

How skilled man is at putting first things last and last things first. When some become Christians (and maybe even before), they seem to desire a quick and easy handle on understanding the Bible and its overall message, especially its prophetic system. Instead of reading the Bible to gain an overall impression and understanding of its message, men want to plunge into its meatiest subjects. Instead of reading the Bible to learn its vast and illuminating content, they often begin to read books about the Bible which shape them and could even prejudice them towards the true message of the Bible.

A good rule for the new Christian to follow is this: The first few years of my Christian experience I will make the Bible my primary object of reading and study. True, this principle should be true throughout all of one's Christian experience. Human writings should never take the place of Scripture in our lives as our authority or as our focus of study. But especially in the early stages of our walk with Christ, we need the strong and powerful and continual input of the Word of God apart from human writings.

Therefore, in those initial years of your Christian life, learn the content of the Bible. Learn the content of each book of the Bible. Learn the great stories of the Bible. Learn the great themes of the Bible. Get acquainted with the great characters of the Bible. Come to know the content and location of the great sections of the Bible. Learn the great verses of the Bible. Use a Bible with a minimum of notes in it. Remember there are many good Bibles available which are full of men's notes and divisions, but which promote a system of theology. These will be helpful later in understanding the systems, but at this point of development, a non-system Bible would be best.

2. In the developing stages of the Christian life, read key books that deal with the systems of Christian theology.

The mistake so often made by Christians is to read books covering just one side of an issue. This is true concerning the major and minor doctrines of Christianity, as well as the systems of Christianity. Obviously, if we read only one side of an issue, we will probably emerge with that viewpoint as our conviction.

Speaking of systems of theology, it must be admitted that more books have existed and still do exist presenting the dispensational viewpoint. Also, some might argue that the dispensational writers have been easier to read than the covenantal authors. But if one is persistent, he can find books from both viewpoints (as well as books presenting other systems of theology). Further, if one continues his persistence, he can read these books and come to an understanding of both views.

3. Check carefully the definitions given by each system.

As each system unfolds its convictions, definitions will be found at various levels of the discussion. For instance, the major definition one should pursue when studying the dispensational system is the word "dispensation," while the major definition to discover when studying Covenant theology would be the meaning of the word "covenant." Obviously, the definition one should desire to find is not a Webster's definition, but a Biblical one. Is that system being faithful to the Biblical definition of the word? Other definitions are found throughout the systems, even the definitions given for the major divisions. Are these Biblical concepts and are they used with Biblical definitions?

4. Check the hermeneutics of each system.

This question is not approached by the simplistic notion that one system basically is literal (dispensationalism), while the other one is figurative (Covenant theology). In reality both systems handle some sections figuratively, whether they will admit it or not.

For example, dispensationalists often see the rapture of the church in the early verses of Revelation 4. But all that passage says is that John was caught up into heaven. It does not say the church was caught up into heaven. It does not say that this is the rapture of the church. To get a rapture of the church from this passage, one must take John as a figure of the church. That is, one must take the passage figuratively and not literally.

This example is not given to argue for one system above another, but only to point out that it is a simplistic notion to argue for one system above the other because one is supposedly literal in its interpretations while the other is figurative. What are we talking about, then, when we say one must check the hermeneutics of each system?

Check the grammar and syntax of key passages and of the interpretations of those passages used by each of the systems. Check the literal or figurative claims of the interpretation of a passage against the question of whether Scripture allows a figurative interpretation or not. Check the contextual considerations of each key passage of a system to see if an interpretation is consistent with its immediate and remote context. Check the analogical principle of interpretation to see if an interpretation is consistent or not with the rest of the teaching of Scripture.

Perhaps the student might feel inadequate for such labors, but it is not as difficult as it may sound. Such pursuits only take some time and patience. All of these considerations may not be able to be performed in one setting or one day, but as one works patiently through key passages , taking notes for further reference, material accumulates rapidly for further analysis, and will eventually result in convictions and conclusions from the study.

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