Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine

I started the new edition of this tome as part of the 2021 reading challenge, trying to follow the reading plan provided by the author. I read it along with my wife (she read our physical copy and I read the kindle version).

My first thought was “why would I read through a reference book cover to cover? Isn't it more for looking up things as I have questions?” But with the challenge set, reading it cover to cover is just what we did. Thinking back to my ownership of the previous version, which has only rarely been cracked open, I'm so glad I made the investment in reading this book. It has been a long journey, but I've learned so much along the way.

Brief takeaways:
1. Reading the Bible is essential if you call yourself Christian. Constant, regular reading of a reasonable translation. So few Christians have ever done this. But it truly is essential because “common knowledge” is so flawed.
2. Systematic Theology is so helpful in understanding what the Bible actually says, as most of us have serious misconceptions or just have never thought about some aspects.
3. Expect your understanding on many areas of doctrine to be challenged. This is a very good thing. That challenge sharpens your understanding and puts you on better footing when discussing your faith.
4. After reading through this, it has changed my understanding of some major doctrines. And that's great too.
5. It's also made me more understanding of the diversity of thought within Christianity and honestly makes me more flexible in dealing with so many areas where there is disagreement. A lot of this is clarified in S.T. and even why differences have merit.
6. Other areas are solidified in a way that makes it clear that there is rampant apostasy within certain circles of Christianity and this errant teaching is seriously hurting the Christian Church in America (and the West) because modern western values are so clearly against Biblical teachining.
7. SO MANY things in this book have and will continue to change my daily walk with Christ, encouraging me to be bolder, more forgiving, more patient, and have more faith.

Finally, reading through an excellent source of reference like this makes it FAR more useful for the future because I know exactly what's covered and how to reference it quickly.

If you are a Christian and haven't made the investment in reading Systematic Theology, I strongly encourage you to do it. It is a sizable investment, but is likely to change you for the better in innumerable ways and make you a stronger Christian at a time when it is needed.

I also recommend you check out the 1-year reading plan, as well. Mostly it is 1 chapter a week, though some weeks it is 2 chapters. Some chapters are quick and easy while others are 60+ pages, but it's definitely doable. I started on Jan 10 and finished Dec 21, and I'm a slow reader. I also recommend the Kindle version to read because the physical book is larger than most of my med-school textbooks. Finally, I recommend taking notes with Obsidian, Notion, or RemNote. I started that 1/2 way through and it helped tremendously.