Lesson 7: The Canonical Horizon
What Is the Canonical Horizon?
Now let’s talk about four critical facets of systematic theology—or the Canonical Horizon, as we’ve dubbed it in this course.
Its Assumptions
R.C. Sproul described the three assumptions present in all first-class systematic theology work:
The Bible is the Word of God.
“The first assumption is that God has revealed Himself not only in nature but also through the writings of the prophets and the Apostles, and that the Bible is the Word of God.”¹
The Bible is meant to be understood.
“The second assumption is that when God reveals Himself, He does so according to His own character and nature. … He thinks clearly and speaks in an intelligible way that is meant to be understood.”²
As the Word of God, the Bible coheres perfectly.
“A third assumption is that God’s revelation in Scripture manifests those qualities. There is a unity to the Word of God despite the diversity of its authors.”³
Given these assumptions, it is clear that the responsibility of a theologian (and remember, we are all theologians) “is to think God’s thoughts after him and to reproduce the unity that is objectively present in the thoughts of God and has been recorded for the eye of faith in Scripture.”⁴
A true and perfect unity does exist, as does a complete and inerrant system of doctrine: the Bible itself! But as I said in the last lesson, quoting Jared Wilson, “[t]he Bible is a big book with lots of words.”⁵ Our job as Christians is to rightly interpret each part of this big book according to its perfect unity. In other words, our job is to do systematic theology.
Its Definition
Wayne Grudem may have given the simplest way to understand systematic theology when he defined the word “systematic” as “well-organized by topics.”⁶ Or as John Frame puts it: "Systematic theology is topical theology.”⁷ Frame adds that systematic theology “asks 'whole Bible' questions: What does the whole Bible teach about God? About sin? About justification by faith?"⁸
The definition of the Canonical Horizon: The horizon that summarizes each major doctrine of Scripture in light of the whole testimony of Scripture
So we don’t organize systematic theology according to the story of revelation or according to the books of the Bible, but according to various theological topics (doctrines) that summarize what the Bible teaches.
Its Doctrines
Theologians have historically recognized 10 major doctrines of Scripture:
- The doctrine of God (Theology Proper)
- The doctrine of Scripture (Bibliology)
- The doctrine of angels and demons (Angelology)
- The doctrine of humanity (Anthropology)
- The doctrine of sin (Hamartiology)
- The doctrine of Christ (Christology)
- The doctrine of salvation (Soteriology)
- The doctrine of the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology)
- The doctrine of the church (Ecclesiology)
- The doctrine of the end times (Eschatology)⁹
You don’t need to memorize this list, but having it handy will help you think topically as you study Scripture.
Its Goal
So what is the goal of the Canonical Horizon?
Well, since the Bible is a unified whole, we cannot faithfully interpret a passage of Scripture unless we compare it with other passages. As Doug Wilson put it, “Systematic theology is nothing less than remembering what you read in other passages while you are reading this passage.”¹⁰ So we could say that the goal of the Canonical Horizon is to correctly interpret a passage of Scripture within the context of the whole of Scripture.
But this would leave out the goal of all theology, according to 2 Timothy 3:16–17: to equip you to live rightly! As R.C. Sproul explains, "The purpose of theology is not to tickle our intellects but to instruct us in the ways of God, so that we can grow up into maturity and fullness of obedience to him.”¹¹ We must not forget that the goal of studying Scripture is never merely academic, but always practical.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. —2 Timothy 3:16–17
And since God has revealed himself to us in the words of the entire Bible, and since the Bible must be understood as a unified whole, we need systematic theology if we want to live rightly.
The goal of the Canonical Horizon: To correctly interpret a passage of Scripture in the context of the whole Bible’s unified teaching for the sake of right living