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Why I Wrote the Book “Theology in a Nutshell”
By Ken Horn | July 24, 2008
“We don’t believe in doctrine here—just the Bible.” A lady confidently said this to me at the close of a service at which I was the guest speaker.
I think she thought her words sounded pious. But her statement is just not possible. To say one believes in the Bible but not in doctrine is akin to saying, “We believe in water baptism; we just don’t use water.”
Doctrine is not a bad word.
Doctrine is simply teaching or the content of teaching—the truth derived from the written Word of God. Of course, there can be incorrect teaching—or false doctrine—but that doesn’t mean we can do without it. All genuine things can have counterfeits. Doctrine is presented nearly every time a preacher steps to the pulpit or a Sunday school teacher leads a class. Christians present it when they share, directly or indirectly, their understanding of Scripture.
And the Bible encourages it. “All Scripture … is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). In many versions the word “doctrine” becomes “teaching.”
Unfortunately, there are many who, in practice, believe in the Bible, but never really learn much of what it teaches. They either have dust-covered Bibles or Bibles that are just brought back and forth from home to church—and seldom read.
Doctrine should be easily understood.
Doctrine may have a bad name because it is often made to seem lofty and unapproachable. “Bible study used to be so easy,” Herbert Jacobsen said, “then someone called it hermeneutics.”
I have a conviction that the teaching of the Bible should be easily understood.
It is easy to make simple things sound complex. One way we do that is by giving basic concepts high-sounding names. I have been part of the academic world. I taught systematic theology. The subjects I taught had names like hamartiology, soteriology, and ecclesiology. Many believers who encounter these words are led to believe that theology is the realm of the professional theologian. They feel it is beyond the reach of the run-of-the-mill Christian to have a solid grasp of the Bible’s doctrines. But call those subjects sin, salvation, and the church, and it’s suddenly a different story.
The simple explanation of complex issues was a hallmark of great Christian movements, such as the Reformation of the 1500s. Martin Luther, the movement’s primary leader, translated the New Testament into common German that could be easily understood by just about everyone. And Peter Palladius in Denmark was influential in that nation’s becoming a Lutheran state. Though a scholar and theology professor, he spoke and wrote in such simple and down-to-earth terms that everyone could understand.
That is the goal of this book—to take the most important teachings of Scripture and present them in a way that appeals to everyone and is as clear to brand new Christians as it is to veterans of the Christian walk.
Each chapter includes clear statements of truths from Scripture, with a simple explanation of each truth.
To keep the book true to its intent, it concentrates on what the Bible does teach, not on alternative interpretations. Though it can be valuable to study why certain teachings are incorrect, and to compare doctrines, that is not the purpose of this book, though there are occasional references to some of these. The book is an overview, intended to cover considerable ground in minimal words with a painless format. It is not intended to be comprehensive in scope or thorough in explanation. It is intended to highlight most of the significant concepts, in addition to points that the author feels are important. It is hoped the treatment will stimulate further study.
For me, this volume is the intersection of academic work, pastoral ministry and popular writing—an attempt to provide valuable information in palatable form that will become a gateway to further study of God’s Word for all who read it.
Watch for Theology in a Nutshell in September.
Topics: books |
July 30th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Great Post! It’s a welcome experience to not have to check ones intellect and studies at the door of our churches. Doctrinal beliefs create pathways for the Holy Spirit to flow in our lives, churches and fellowship.
July 30th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Shout it from the roof tops, Ken. The people who say, “We don’t believe in doctrine here—just the Bible” are the same people who can be mislead by false doctrine or can jump from church to church regardless of what each church believes. What they really believe about the Bible is that it makes a nice decoration.
We were commanded to make disciples, not converts. Too many churches have just converted people to a commitment to their church or “the church” without making disciples. You cannot make disciples unless you teach doctrine. That comes from a true commitment to Jesus as Lord.
The revival we need in America is a return to Biblical doctrine which comes with a commitment to Jesus as our master. That is when we will see a genuine move of God in the power of the Holy Spirit in our churches.