Theology for Everybody: RomansSample

Romans is an incredible book, but I believe thought leaders—the religious intelligentsia, have hijacked it. Theologians spend a great deal of ink arguing over the theology of Romans rather than reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we want to honor Paul, then we should not just argue about his theology but also follow his example to reach people with the gospel of Jesus.

There are two kinds of Christian leaders: thought leaders and people leaders.

Thought leaders are theologians who write content focused on ideas. They produce textbooks, teach in the safe confines of a classroom, and pontificate ad nauseam about theological trivia. They often blog a lot and criticize people doing ministry, much like sports fans eating snacks in the stands while critiquing athletes on the field. If you spend more time with ideas than people, you become idealistic, unrealistic, and eventually legalistic. Everything is easy in theory on paper but becomes complicated once people get involved.

People leaders are those visionaries who raise money, build teams, and grow organizations that get things done. They don’t have time to sit around reading dead scholars or arguing about the tense of Greek words or the precise meaning of Latin phrases. They have dreams to chase and dragons to slay. They prefer action.

The problem with Paul’s writings in general, and his letter to Romans in particular, is that the thought leaders have laid claim to Paul. I challenge you to find a seeker-sensitive mega-church going verse-by-verse through Romans. You’re more likely to find a cat that likes to swim.

Paul’s ministry was both theologically precise and relationally practical. In Romans chapters 1–11, his primary focus is on theology, or who God is and how we can have a relationship with Him. In Romans chapters 12–16, Paul shifts to relationships, or with whom should Christians be in relationship.

Paul was both a thought leader and a people leader. Unlike a war historian who searches for the facts, Paul is a soldier who studies for the fight. He lays out his theology like a battle plan with the mission of preaching the gospel, planting churches, and reaching people for Christ. Paul’s letters reveal him as one of the greatest thought leaders of all time. However, Paul’s lifestyle reveals him as one of the greatest people leaders in world history. As the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul brings the cause of Christ to the nations. Rather than staying holed up in a library all day, he walks 20 or more miles per day to preach and teach a hated message. For around a decade, Paul endures beatings, starts riots, and languishes in jail. Paul could take a punch better than any Bible college professor.

It is nonsensical to love Paul’s words while ignoring his deeds. To be truly “Pauline” doesn’t mean you can argue about predestination until you win; instead, it means to march out and preach the gospel until someone surrenders to Christ. The truth is, both thought leaders and people leaders can be Pauline. They both have much to learn from each other. Theologians must learn to lead people to accomplish real ministry. People leaders must learn more good theology so they can have the gospel power they need for the mission. We all need each other. The point of theology is to arm yourself with the gospel and prepare for the mission so you can unleash its power to the nations to bring more people to Christ! The point of God’s Word is not to win arguments but to win people to Christ. Theological study prepares us for gospel ministry so that churches are planted, the gospel is preached, and the nations are reached for Jesus Christ!

Today’s Reflection

How can you be both theologically-minded and relationally-focused?