If the above is enough to indicate that persons may have divine knowledge without being saved, then let us go on to indicate the still more pertinent truth, that no one can be saved without the knowledge of divine truth, which is theology. This is stated very explicitly in Romans 10:17: "Faith cometh by hearing." That is as much as to affirm that there can be no belief unless the Word of the gospel is proclaimed. The context here of Paul's explicit statement confirms that application. It is a missionary context in which Paul is urging Christians to take the gospel to the world, reminding them that if they do not do so these people cannot be saved, because faith comes by hearing.

In 1 Corinthians we read that it pleased God to save men by the foolishness of preaching. Again, Paul says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). And, after commanding the disciples to teach whatsoever He had taught them, our Lord Jesus commissioned them to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). That is the same as to say that it is by means of the faithful proclamation of the whole counsel of God that the world is to be discipled by Jesus Christ.

Consider again how our Lord prayed in His farewell discourse in John 17:17: "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth." In this final prayer for those who were not yet of His fold, but who were to come into His fold, our Lord prayed that they might be made holy by means of the Word of God. Though the Spirit of God was to be given anew as soon as Christ went to heaven, even the Holy Spirit was not to sanctify except by means of the Word of God. So that while the letter of the Word may be devoid of the Spirit and therefore futile, the Spirit does not work savingly apart from the Word. Ephesians 6:17 calls the Word "the sword of the Spirit." And in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 we read: "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." So here we are told very plainly that even the eternal predestination of God is accomplished by the instrumentality of truth. People are not brought to life whether they know or not. They are not given salvation whether they believe the truth or not. On the contrary, God chose them to salvation through "belief of the truth."

The Scripture abounds in so many passages which indicate this same truth that it seems to be laboring the matter unduly to add any further discussion of this emphatic point of the Bible. We may safely conclude that though men may know the truth and not be saved, they cannot be saved unless they know the truth.

Lay persons must be theologians. They need not be professional theologians; they need not study Greek and Hebrew; they need not necessarily be able to teach other people--but they must be theologians, that is, they must know God. They must have sound knowledge about God. They may not excuse themselves from having clear and correct opinions about the Deity on the ground that they are not ordained to full-time church work, but to some other service.

The duty to be theologians is common to us all. The difference at this point between laymen and ministers is a difference of degree, not of kind. It is an error of the Roman church that there is a difference of kind between priests and people. With the Bible, the Protestant church teaches that the Bible itself was not given solely to the clergy, but to all the people of God. We of the clergy have greater obligation, but not sole obligation. So far as time permits, and to the degree that your obligations in this world allow, in that measure you must be familiar with the truth of God. For that knowledge, God will hold you responsible on the day of judgment.

While you do not need to read this book, or any other particular book except the Book, the Word of God itself, I hope you will read this book to help you in your study of the Bible, and in your gaining a sound knowledge of God. But let me remind you that while this book may give you some knowledge of God by means of which you may be saved, this book, and no other book, not even the Bible itself, can save you. This truth of God must be loved, must be embraced, and must be yielded to if the person who has saving knowledge is to be saved by it.

One theologian has written that it is not enough to understand, but you must also "stand under." For the truth of God is a Person, a Person who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). A true theologian, therefore, is a person who knows the Person. Everyone must be a theologian.

*****

This is part three of John H. Gerstner's small book entitled Theology for Everyman, originally published in 1965 (Moody Press, Chicago). That book was subsequently republished by Soli Deo Gloria in 1991. It has since fallen out of print and we thought it would be good to revisit this book here on the blog. Over the next couple of months, we'll work our way through the book starting with chapter 1, "Everyone Must Be a Theologian". This chapter has three parts (part one was previously posted here and part two here).