Theology can puff you up
When Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not to love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (v. 1), was he talking about the theological debate on the internet? No. But “a noisy gong” and “clanging cymbal” are appropriate descriptions at times. The internet can turn a mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll into a murderous Mr. Hyde. It has provided an outlet for people who have long felt powerless and voiceless, and many of those people apparently have a lot of pent-up frustration that comes out anytime they sit behind a keyboard. It has also provided a platform for people who seem to want everyone else to know how much more intelligent they are than the average Christian. If theology becomes a substitute for love of God, it is nothing more or less than an idol. I think most Christians begin to study theology with good motives. We begin to study Scripture and to read books by Christians who have been studying Scripture for many years. We wa...