De Moor I:4: Biblical Uses of "Theology"; and the External Word

Theodore Beza

But here by the λόγον προφορικόν, Word uttered, we understand the Word brought forth from God Himself to men, in which sense ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, the word of God, occurs in the places cited by the AUTHOR, and in a great many others.  In 1 Peter 1:23, in the words διὰ λόγου ζῶντος Θεοῦ καὶ μένοντος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever, ζῶντος καὶ μένοντος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, living and abiding forever, is to be referred to λόγον/word, rather than to Θεὸν/God:  1.  because Peter here is more concerned with the commendation of τοῦ λόγου Θεοῦ, the word of God, than of God Himself; and, 2.  this description of the word of God is opposed to the σπορᾷ φθαρτῇ, perishable seed, previously mentioned; and, 3.  he illustrates at the same time the comparison with the σπορᾶς ἀφθάρτου, imperishable seed, under which the Word/Speech of God comes in this same verse, and so I would not render the text with BEZA,[1] by the word/speech of God, who liveth and abideth forever; but by the word of God, which word liveth and abideth forever.

And so the term Theology ought not to be rejected as altogether ἄγραφος/unwritten.  Doubtlessly, 1.  composites follow the nature of their simple components:  but the simple components, or first-formed words, of which the term Theology is composed, are not only ἔγγραφοι/ written, but are also used in Sacred Scripture to signify speech concerning the true God:  and therefore the compound word is also rightly used in the same sense.  2.  This term has long been used in this sense by the Christian Church; while in the Second Century we now find that JUSTIN Martyr made use of the term θεολογεῖν, to theologize, in the place of to speak of divine things, in Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, page 340, Ἀλλὰ διὰ τὶ μὲν ἓν ἄλφα πρώτῳ προσετέθη τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ὀνόματι θεολογεῖς, but thou dost theologize as to why one alpha is added to Abraham’s first name.  Then ORIGEN, in his Against Celsus, book II, page 104, says of Christ:  Αὐτὸς θεολογῶν ἀπήγγειλε τὰ περὶ Θεοῦ τοῖς γνησίοις αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς·  ὧν ἴχνη ἐν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις εὑρίσκοντες, ἀφορμὰς ἔχομεν θεολογεῖν, that is, “He discussed the divine words/ speeches concerning God before His genuine disciples:  of whose instruction finding the footsteps in the Scriptures, we thence have occasion to theologize;” and so onward.  3.  Moreover, it is most apt to denote this discipline; but the τεχνικὰ/technical terms, which properly and emphatically declare their subject, are not rashly to be rejected.

If someone should then say:  A word ἔγγραφος/written ought to be preferable to one ἀγράφῳ/unwritten:  but Theology is a word ἄγραφος/unwritten; while, on the other hand, certain Synonyms of it are ἔγγραφα/written.  Responses:  1.  It is demonstrated from what has already been said that the minor is not simply true:  it is ἄγραφος/ unwritten with respect to sound, but not with respect to sense; with respect to syllables and formally, but not materially.  2.  We limit the major; unless an ἄγραφος/unwritten word is to be employed for the sake of exposition, to explain divine things, or to guard against errors, unto which end we make use of the words Trinity, ὁμοουσίου/homoousios/ same-substance, Original Sin, etc.  It is one thing to make use of a word that is ἄγραφος/unwritten αὐτολεξεὶ, in express terms; it is quite another to devise dogmas beyond Scripture:  the latter is altogether sinful, but not the former.

The pagans abused this term, but we claim a genuine use for it:  just as also in the Scripture itself, the terms Θεοῦ/God, ἐκκλησίας/ church, ἐπισκόπου/bishop, etc., are used in a sounder, holier, and sublimer sense than was done formerly among the Gentiles.

[1] Theodore Beza (1519-1605) served as Rector of the Academy and Professor of Theology in Geneva.  He was the colleague, then successor, of Calvin.  He issued a Greek New Testament, and later published his Annotationes in Novum Testamentum.  He authored notable and highly influential theological works, such as Tractationes Theologicas and Summam Totius Christianismi, as well as poems and contributions to the Huguenot metrical psalter of Clement Marot.