Should Theologian Think "Out of the Box"?

“We need to think out of the box” is a common saying and it requires our mind to be liberated and able to think more and think it widely without any constraints. The contemporary pursue of a “free” and “creative” mind causes us to desire to perceive things beyond our current conceptions and understandings.

As Christians, we need to think in line with God and we need to have the mind of Christ. For us, God is limitless and nothing is able to restrict Him. If God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient, we would think that we need to think “out of the box” about God and theology. Yet God is a God of boundary and order, revealed in His written Word laying down the standards and commands for us to follow. His Word is definite and with moral standards for human beings. If God does not put His Word within a box, we have no standard to rely on and to measure with.

Yet God is “out of the box” in His doings and His wonders are beyond our thinking and understanding. God is able to do anything “out of our box” yet with the illumination of the Holy Spirit we are able to either understand or be assured of His sovereignty. Without that internal work of the Holy Spirit “in the box” in accordance with the Law of God, we will be liberals who think in an uncontrollable manners our flesh or mind leads us to.

Scriptures tell us to meditate on the Word of God and to not deviate from His path. As theologians all our study and thinking should be strictly be “in the box” of His self-revelatory and authoritative living Word. Yet we need to allow ourselves to be “out of the box” in our thinking whenever God’s revelation surpasses our corrupted mind and marred understanding, and gives us new thoughts and insights in His Word.