‘True theology is practical….speculative theology belongs to the devil in hell,’ – Luther.

There is the need to recover the New Testament vision of the Church and Christianity, hence a theology of the people, for the people and by the people in relationship with God. Theology is not just a clerical or academic discipline. Theology is our lifestyle in and with God. Theology is the basis of faith-filled action and life that helps to gain the truth of God, knowing God and relating rightly to the world rather than academic theology abstracted from life (John 7:17). In Hebrew, to ‘know’ God is to have intercourse with God. True theology that is practical is the divine truth that involves love with and of God and neighbour. True theology is essentially an engagement with God. It is a love relationship, disposition of soul, lived truth in and with God.True theology does not separate practice from theory or theory from practice. It is not just a letter that kills, but a letter that inspires visible and scriptural holiness. Rigorous analysis of the truth without passionate practice of the truth informed Luther’s statement that ‘true theology is practical …. speculative theology belongs to the devil in hell.’ According to Luther, ‘it is through undergoing the torment of the cross, death and hell that true theology and knowledge of God come about… The cross alone is our theology.’

The world may reduce theology to God-talk, how-to courses, especially in our seminaries and universities. To understand theology, please answer this questions: Who am I? Where am I? What is the purpose of my life? To whom do I belong? Does my daily work have any meaning? What happens when I dies? Does the planet have a future? Beloved, you are a theologian, trying to make sense out of your life in order to live for the praise of God’s glory.

Job’s three friends – Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar spoke according to the theology of the day, but they received God’s judgement at the end (Job. 42:7). God recognised only Job as the authentic theologian because while the friends talked and deliver good lectures about God, Job talked to God and spoke well of God.

Please pray for the healing of theology in our CHURCHES, seminaries and academic institutions.

Pray against the danger of mere intellectual and social theologies against true theology in the church and in the world..