A Body of Divinity
By Thomas Watson
Edited in Modern English by Jon Cardwell
“if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast,” —Colossians 1:23
II. The best way for Christians to be established is to be firmly stable.
II. The second proposition is that the way for Christians to be settled is to be firmly stable, or well grounded. “If indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast” (Colossians 1:23). The Greek word for stable is a metaphor, which hints of a building with the foundation well laid. Christians should be stable in the essential points of religion, and have their foundation well laid.
Here let me speak to two things:
I. We should be well established in the knowledge of fundamentals. The apostle speaks of “the basic principles of the oracles of God” (Hebrews 5:12). In all arts and sciences, logic, physic, mathematics, there are some things that must be previously known, some rules and principles that must necessarily be understood for the practice of those arts; likewise, in religious studies; primary principles must be established. The knowledge of the foundation and principles of religion is exceedingly useful.
(1.) Without knowledge of the fundamentals, we cannot serve God appropriately. We can never worship God acceptably, unless we worship him regularly; and how can we do that, if we are ignorant of the rules and elements of religion? We are to give God a “reasonable service” (Romans 12:2, KJV). If we do not understand the foundation of religion, how can it be a reasonable service?
(2.) Fundamental religious knowledge greatly enriches the mind. It is a lamp to our feet; it directs us in the whole course of Christianity, as the eye directs the body. Knowledge of fundamentals is the golden key that opens the chief mysteries of religion; it gives us a whole system and body of divinity, exactly drawn in all its features and lively colors; it helps us to understand many of those difficult things which occur in the reading of the word; it helps to untie many Scripture knots.
(3.) Fundamental religious knowledge furnishes us with spiritual armor; and weapons to fight against the adversaries of the truth.
(4.) Fundamental religious knowledge is the holy seed from which grace is formed. It is semen fidei, the “seed of faith” (see Psalm 9:10). It is radix amoris, the “root of love” (see Ephesians 3:17), “being rooted and grounded in love.” The knowledge of principles contributes to making the redeemed soul a complete Christian.
II. This grounding is the best way to be steadfast: ‘stable and steadfast.’ A tree, that it may be well settled, must be well rooted; so, if you would be well settled in religion, you must be rooted in its principles. We read in Plutarch of one who set up a dead man, and he would not stand. ‘Oh,’ said he, ‘there should be something within.’ So that we may stand in unstable times, there must be a principle of knowledge within; first stable (grounded, foundational), and then steadfast (settled). To keep the ship from overturning, it must have its anchor fastened. Knowledge of principles is to the soul as the anchor to the ship, which holds it steady in the midst of the rolling waves of error, or the violent winds of persecution. First grounded and then settled. First stable, then steadfast.
Use one: See the reason why so many people are unsettled, ready to embrace every novel opinion, and dress themselves in as many religions as fashions; it is because they are ungrounded. See how the apostle joins these two together, “ignorant and unstable” (2 Peter 3:16). Such as are unlearned in the main points of Biblical doctrine are unstable. As the body cannot be strong when the muscles have shrunk or the ligaments damaged; so neither can the Christian be strong in religion who wants the grounds of knowledge, which are the sinews to strengthen and establish him.
Use two: See what great necessity there is for laying down the main principals of religion by catechizing, so that the weakest judgment may be instructed in the knowledge of the truth, and strengthened in the love of it. Catechizing is the best expedient for grounding and settling people. I fear one reason why there has been no more good done by preaching, has been because the chief heads and articles in religion have not been explained in a catechistical way. Catechizing is laying the foundation (Hebrews 6:6). To preach and not catechize is to build without foundation.
Catechizing is not novel; it is apostolic. The primitive church had their forms of catechism, as those phrases imply, a “pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13), end “the basic principles of the oracles of God” (Hebrews 5:12). The early church had its catechumenoi, as Grotius and Erasmus observe. Many of the ancient fathers have written for it, as Fulgentius, Austin, Theodoret, Lactantius, and others. God has given great success to it. By laying down the grounds of religion catechistically, Christians have been clearly instructed and wondrously built up in the Christian faith, insomuch that Julian the apostate, seeing the great success of catechizing, put down all schools and places of public literature, and instructing of youth. It is my design, therefore (with the blessing of God); to begin this work of catechizing the next Sabbath day; and I intend every other Sabbath, in the afternoon, to make it my whole work to lay down the grounds and fundamentals of religion in a catechistical way. If I am hindered in this work by men, or taken away by death, I hope God will raise up some other laborer in the vineyard among you, that may perfect the work which I am now beginning.
[“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright ©2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. The King James Version is in the Public Domain.]
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