J.H. Heidegger's Corpus of Christian Theology: The Practice of Theology

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70.  All Theology is practical.

Finally, we have said that Theology is especially directed toward the glory of God and the salvation of the sinner.  Whence it follows from the ultimate and subordinate end, that all Theology is practical, such that no truth is taught in it, without it being led directly to practice, for example, to glorifying, loving, and seeking God, and to believing upon Him; or without it at least having innate force and ἐνέργειαν/power to implant piety.  Knowledge, of course, which it delivers concerning God and Divine things, is able to be saving in no other way than as related to the glorifying of God as the God of the sinner, and that through faith, love, piety, and the fear of God, who has revealed Himself, not simply as God, but as the God of the sinner, or God in covenant, and to be worshipped in accordance with the covenant.  Without which it is the case, that not all knowledge and wisdom is ἡ ἄνωθεν, that which is from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish, James 3:15, 17.  Even Satan himself refers the knowledge that he has concerning God to practice.  For he believes and φρίσσει/trembles/shudders, James 2:19.  So also the knowledge of faith without trust and love is nothing:  indeed, to this point it is still practical, because it works terror and damnation.  For Theology is not so much the sort of knowledge of Divine things that falls even to the unregenerated, as a spiritual gift, or rather a συμπλοκὴ/complex of spiritual gifts, instilled in the believer by the Holy Spirit, whereby he is made understanding, wise, and prudent for the acknowledgement of the mystery of piety, and for the obedience in keeping with that, and for rendering worship and glory to God in Christ.  Whence heavenly Wisdom ought to proceed from the fear of God, and is not able to be obtained and held without it.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10.  ‎ס֣וֹד יְ֭הוָה לִירֵאָ֑יו, the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and His covenant, that He might cause them to know, Psalm 25:14.  For those that put away from themselves the study of a good conscience, 1 Timothy 1:19, are not even able to hear the speech of Christ, much less to understand it.  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word, John 8:43.  For how shalt thou know God speaking in His word and uttering His secrets and decrees, who, as a sinner, hast refused to submit to His judgment; and, as ignorant of the riches of God and far removed from His wisdom, to receive His testimony; and to refer those things that thou hearest to His glory and love?  Not only is the fear of God the companion of Heavenly wisdom, but also that wisdom is solely directed toward the same fear:  For the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned, 1 Timothy 1:5.  And the Doctrine of every Theologian, the acknowledging of every truth, ought to be κατ᾽ εὐσέβειαν, according to godliness, that is, ought to be suitable to bring forth godliness, 1 Timothy 6:3; Titus 1:1.

71.  Objections are refuted.

Indeed, God does not fall under our operation, neither is He in Himself, nor in His own nature, πρακτὸς/practicable; indeed, He is altogether simple and immutable.  But the glorification and worship of Him, for the sake of which, although distinct from Him, He is set forth in Theology to be known, is πρακτὸν τι, something practical, and so Theology itself is practical, because it teaches this practice, and the practice of man is concerned with God.  And the rationale concerning Divine things is the same, which, to the extent that they are κυρίως/properly from God, like the Works of Creation and Redemption, in the same way are πρακτοὶ/practicable:  but secondarily, to the extent they include the activity of man, faith, the worship of God, etc., they are πρακτοὶ/practicable in themselves and their own nature.  But also, when Christ taught us in John 17:3 that eternal life consists in the knowledge of God the Father and the Son, He understood knowledge, not bare and of whatever sort, but conjoined with love and trust, which sort belongs to those that glorify Him whom they know, Romans 1:21, and regard with delight מִתְעַנְּגִים עַל־יְהוָה, those delighting in the Lord, Psalm 37:4.  Which knowledge alone is worthy of the title of life, and brings eternal life.  Finally, we do not eliminate the necessary knowledge of God and Divine things, especially of Christ and His merits, as the Socinians impiously do, from Theology; but we only deny that it is truly Theological, unless it has a παροξυσμὸν τῆς ἀγάπης, provocation unto love, and the glorification of God, Hebrews 10:24, and a ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν, strong exhortation, to the same, Hebrews 6:18.[1]

[1] Hebrews 6:18:  “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation (ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν), who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us…”