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Why? Well, what is the Bible? It is God’s revealed Word to us. In other words, it contains those things which God wants us to know and understand about who He is and what He does. The whole purpose of the Bible—God’s Word—is so that we can know.

Card says at one point, scoffing at systematic theology, that no one should claim to "know" the truth, because it is only faith that matters. "God had to become incarnate for us to even begin to understand there things." That is why Jesus did come so that we can know and understand the one who sent Him. I think Card misses the point of Scripture. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:6,

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ

Paul furthered the significance of knowledge in Titus 1:1-3,

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,

God sent His son to bring us the light of truth, to reveal Himself to us so that we might know Him. Faith and knowledge must go hand in hand. Why? One must know what he has faith in. If you don’t know God, you can’t possibly have faith in Him. How do we get to know God? By the study of His Word. That is theology. The study of God and His Word. It is a vital function of the church and the individual Christian to study God’s Word diligently and to understand it is the absolute truth of God revealed to us. We can’t simply say, "I love Jesus and that’s all I need to know." We are commanded to know God more.

Generally those who oppose sound theology and doctrine do so because they realize or suspect that the Bible will contradict what they WANT to believe about God and themselves. The easiest way out of this is to say, "No one can know or should claim to know. You are arrogant to think you can know God." And yet Scripture demands that the true Christian diligently study to know God better and more fully.

This comes from systematically studying God’s Word through the illuminating presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 16:12-15,

"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

The Spirit makes God known to us. Not through laziness though. Not through saying, "It’s all too deep for me (or you) to understand." No. God wants us to know and understand. Paul declares in Ephesians 1:7-9,

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

Paul furthers the argument in 1 Corinthians 2, when he says,

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Do we know everything there is to know about God? No. Perhaps that was Card’s point. But he misses that we have the mind of Christ. The Christian does and will understand God’s revealed truths. This is also important with regards to obedience. For we cannot rightly obey what we don’t understand or claim not to know. Jesus says in John 13:15-17,

"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever -- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

The diligent truly regenerated person can and does know the truth of God. The world does not, for it cannot. Only those who have been given the Spirit can know God. Perhaps Card was referring to non-Christian theologians who claim to understand God. If this is so, then he is correct.

The truth about God has been made known. Jesus says in John 15:15,

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

How then can it be considered arrogant to say that we know about God. Jesus plainly told us everything He learned from God. It is ours to know.

To deny or belittle this knowledge edges very close to the abyss that is relativism and existentialism. In his statements, Michael Card seems to be hanging fearfully close to that edge with the likes of Soren Keirkegaard (whom he quotes). Such worldly philosophers are spoken about in Scripture I believe. Peter says in 2 Peter 2:1-3,

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

The importance goes even further than that. Knowledge of God is vital for not only our salvation, but also for our daily lives. 2 Peter 1:3-4 says,

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

We can’t properly experience and live our lives without knowledge—correct knowledge about God and His promises. How do we know what God’s promises are? By systematically studying them and learning what they are from Scripture.

Systematic theology is also crucial to the church. The church must be founded on solid doctrines. These doctrines come about from the study of God’s Word. The doctrine of the Trinity, for instance, is only understood from a systematic look at what Scripture teaches about who God is. Without solid absolutes in doctrine, the church would be open for heresy and gross error. Paul and the other writers of Scripture know this and so often make systematic arguments themselves. This is what the pastor and elders of the church are commanded to uphold. Paul says in Titus 1:13-14, referring to elders,

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

One can’t refute error unless one knows the truth. That is why theology is such an important aspect of Seminary training. The individual is challenged to study the truth and recognize doctrinal errors. Without this, the church leaves itself open to a myriad of false doctrines and relativistic truth supporters like Keirkegaard. The major idea within such philosopher’s thinking was to eliminate the existence of absolute truth. With that gone, fellow existentialist like Sartre and Neitzsche could proclaim, "God is dead."

But then in Michael Card’s (an accomplished musician) own bio, there seems to be a focus on his own efforts. "Though he envisions a day when he may try his hand at other forms of ministry, Michael Card is confident he will always remain connected to the joys of music. Says Michael, ‘I think I'll always have something to say.’" But ministry is about doing the work God calls us to. Not about dabbling in this or that. It is about speaking God’s words (1 Peter 4:11) not our own.

Human pride and arrogance is rapped up in not understanding who we are before God, not in claiming to rightly know Him. Card is right in saying, "We are not God." But in His comments and appeal to human philosophy he is supporting the thinking that has in fact lead the world to declare that we are god—the ultimate pride. Before degrading theologians, perhaps Michael Card should examine some of the prideful vices of his own profession a little more closely.

Oh, there are still mysteries of God that He has not revealed. On that point Card is correct. But God has not withheld knowledge of Himself from us, nor is it an arrogant pursuit to learn it and proclaim it. It is in fact a biblical command. His Word and His Son testify plainly to us His truth—His perfect and absolute truth. The mystery has been revealed. I am sure Michael Card loves the Lord, and I have no quarrel with his music or those who enjoy it. But I am troubled by what seems to be a hostility or perhaps jealousy directed at those who humbly and conscientiously study God’s revealed Word. And so, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5,

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

My purpose in writing this is similar to Paul’s in Colossians 2:2-5, 8-10.

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ.

Philippians 1:9-11.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ -- to the glory and praise of God.