BT Class 1- What is BT?

Biblical Theology Core Seminar

Class 1: Defining the Topic

Introduction

Thank you for coming to the Biblical Theology Core Seminar.

3 weeks of intro: “What is Biblical Theology”; What are the Tools;

Then we will apply this in two ways:

for 6 weeks we’ll take a look at 6 Storylines of the Bible

for 3 weeks we’ll look specifically about Bible Texts and unpack them using the tools of Biblical Theology

Today, let’s spend our time introducing the topic. First, let’s define biblical theology.

I. What Is Biblical Theology?

Big Idea: Biblical theology is the discipline of learning how to read the Bible as one story by one divine author about one main subject, that culminates in the person and work of Christ, so that every part of Scripture is understood in relation to Christ. We can think of it as a Christ Centered Reading of the Bible, In Vaughn Roberts book, “God’s Big Picture” he writes, “Although the Bible contains a great variety of material, written by many human authors over a long period of time, it holds together as a unity. Fundamentally, it is just one book written by one author with one main subject.”

Biblical theology is a way to read the Bible. Perhaps it sounds strange to talk about a way to read the Bible… Don’t we just read it? Is it even possible to read the Bible is a “wrong way”? Can I ask the question this way, have you overheard anyone misuse the Bible? Can you give an example?

Liberation Theology (Cultural Engagement), Prosperity Gospel (The Good Life), Roman Catholicism (Church), Numerology, Christian Nationalism (The Nations) Clearly there are wrong ways to read the Bible. I want to suggest that Biblical Theology or a Christ Centered reading of the Bible is the right way to read the Bible. And in order to make that point I would like to walk through the three main elements of our definition of Biblical Theology. Biblical Theology is the discipline of reading the Bible as one big story, written by one divine author, about one main subject.

One Big Story

Now, this doesn’t mean we carelessly impose Jesus on every text. It means we pay close attention to each text on its own terms. Over the next few weeks we will give you tools, look at the storylines, and practice for 3 weeks with text.

A Christ Centered Reading or Biblical Theology treats the Bible like a unified, true, literature story, that is like it is a piece of literature. A true story, but a story with metaphors, FOS, allusions, foreshadowing, plot lines etc. And all of it fits together. This reality helps us understand our Bibles especially the difficult parts. When we trace storylines for 6 weeks you will see this. The Bible is meant to be read backwards and forwards, not just one time. It is meant to be read as a unity. In other words the end sheds light on the beginning and actually makes it even better. Better understanding and better experience of the Bible.

An example

In the Star Wars prequels there is a scene where Anakin Skywalker (main protagonists or good guy of the prequels) is sitting with Princess Padme, who is a senator, and they discussing how the government in the Republic should function. Anakin basically suggest that the galaxy should be governed by someone who would force people to behave. Padme replies “that sounds an like awful lot like a dictatorship” and Anakin says, “Well if it works…” Then there is an awkward moment of silence, and strange look from the princess and then they laugh it off… Now, for those who committed Star Wars heresy and watched the prequels first it seems like a joke. But for us Star Wars purist who watched Episodes 4,5,6 which came out in the 70s and 80s we know the truth! Anakin will become Darth Vader!! The muscle of the future Emperor Palpatine who will in fact be a dictator. This is foreshadowing. Foreshadowing that is missed if you don’t see the Star Wars saga as one big story. Knowing the end, sheds light on the earlier episodes and enhances the experience.

A Biblical example

The Bible is filled with this as well! In Genesis 3 who are Adam and Eve tempted by? Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.” When I was a little boy I literally thought to myself, “Oh that’s why girls don’t like snakes.” Now, it might be generally true that women don’t like snakes, but that is not the point of the text. The point of the text hinges upon the identity of the serpent.

But who is that serpent? Genesis 3 never tells us. Does anyone know where we are first explicitly told the identity of the serpent? Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world” Paul also makes allusions to the serpent’s identity in his epistles. Biblical Theology, reading the Bible as a unity changes the meaning of the text. It’s not about why girls don’t like snakes… It’s about our great enemy and Genesis 3:15 is a prophecy about our greater Savior!! Romans 16:20, The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Again, knowing the end sheds light on the beginning and even enhances our experience of the text.

Biblical theology is the discipline of learning how to read the Bible as one story by one divine author about one main subject that culminates in the person and work of Christ, so that every part of Scripture is understood in relation to Christ.

One Divine Author

A. God’s Word Was Written by Men

Think of 2 Peter 1: 19-21:2 Peter 1:20–21

[20] knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. [21] For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (ESV) Notice that the verse refers to prophets as men who spoke, and when men speak, they use human language that both creates and reflects the culture they live in. What’s more, the authors of Scripture didn’t all speak the same language, live in the same place, under the same government. The Bible is an intensely human book, and to understand it, we have to understand the diversity of languages and cultures and contexts of the authors.

B. God’s Word Was Written by God

There’s not just diversity in Scripture, there is also unity because the Bible is a divine book. As 2 Peter 1:19-21 points out, behind the various human authors and prophets stood God. Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

This is the doctrine of inspiration, a doctrine that doesn’t mean God blanked out the minds and personalities of the human authors and used them like a keyboard. Rather it’s the Scriptures own description of itself, as the product of the Holy Spirit working sovereignly through the human author.

The Bible is God’s self-revelation. What Scripture says God says. Despite the plethora of human authors, behind the text of Scripture stands a single divine author, a single mind and will. This means that we should expect to find unity and coherence to the overarching story. The human authors may not have been able to see it at the time of their writing, but the Divine author could and did see the whole story, and wrote it so that it all fits together.

C. God’s Revealed Himself Progressively

Islam understands that the Koran was revealed to Mohammed all at once, miraculously lowered down from heaven. The sacred texts of Buddhism and Confucianism are confined to the lifetime of a single man. But God progressively revealed more and more of himself and his story over time. Scripture was written over two millennia, and its contents are not like pearls on a string, discreet and unrelated. Rather, each act of revelation followed on from what came before and prepared for what would come next.

D. God Revealed Himself in History

The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ are objective events in history that not only reveal information about God and redemption, they did something in history. Specifically, they accomplished redemption. The Bible therefore is not merely a story told by humans about God’s salvation of them, it is a drama enacted and then explained by God about God. It is “Show-and-Tell” in History. Thus in Biblical Theology we speak of redemptive history. This isn’t as opposed to real history, but rather a history that is selective and focused on the unique events that make up the narrative of God’s redemption of his people.

E. God’s Revelation Has an Organic Character

It doesn’t simply proceed like a construction site, which moves progressively from blueprint to finished building. Attach this piece to that piece. Rather it unfolds and develops from seed-form to full-grown tree. Something starts small, but then it grows, like the idea of sacrifice:

First, it’s just a burnt sacrifice whose aroma pleases the Lord with Noah.

Then it’s a substitutionary sacrifice with Abraham.

Then it’s substitutionary sacrifices that causes an angel of death to Passover with Moses.

Then it’s a substitutionary sacrifices that brings atonement in the Levitical Law.

Do you see what I mean by organic? Ideas grow like a seeds, so that their meaning expands until the originally simple truth reveals itself as complex and rich, multilayered and profoundly beautiful.

F. God Reveals Himself in Narrative

The Bible as a whole is best understood as a narrative, or single story: a story about a King, a Kingdom, and the King’s relationship with his subjects. It’s a story that encompasses us today. It doesn’t mean to merely inspire us; it encompasses us. We’re in it, so that not only do we interpret it, it interprets us, telling us who we are, and what real reality really is.

G. God’s Reveals Himself in News

So the Bible presents a story, yes, but that story presents us with news!This news has dramatic implications for our lives. It’s practical. Don’t think that biblical theology is just for history and literature buffs. If it encompasses our lives, as I just said, it must have a word for how to live. It is for us!!

H. God Reveals Himself in Christ

There is a climax of the story of God’s redemptive acts is the person and work of Jesus. This is the point and center of gravity of the story, as we considered above.

This brings us to the One main subject. BT is the discipline of reading the Bible as one story, written by one divine author, about one main subject.

One Main Subject

Two birds with one stone. As we look at the Bible being about one main subject, the death and resurrection of Jesus, we also get a glimpse into how the NT authors read the OT. This informs us on how we should read the Bible.

Jesus is the main subject of Scripture. We use this method of interpretation because the biblical authors used this method in the New Testament.

In order to make my point we will look at two gospels, Peter and Paul.

Luke 24:26-27, 44-47

Turn to Luke 24. Jesus, after rising from the dead, met two believers on the road to Emmaus, Jesus offered a crash course Biblical Theology for them. Verse 26:

26 kWas it not necessary that lthe Christ should suffer these things and enter into mhis glory?” 27 And nbeginning with oMoses and pall the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Then look down at verse 44

44 Then he said to them, k“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, lthat everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfiled.” 45 Then mhe opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus nit is written, othat the Christ should suffer and on the third day prise from the dead, 47 and that qrepentance for3 the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed rin his name sto all nations, tbeginning from Jerusalem.

What book is he referring to in verse 44 that must be fulfilled? The Hebrew Bible, or what we call the Old Testament. He names the three parts as the Jews divided it: the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Writings (or the Psalms, for short).

Then what does he do in verse 45? He opens their minds to understand them, apparently in a way they had not before.

And with opened, enlightened minds, what could they now understand that the Old Testament actually teaches? That the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.

What striking about the beginning of verse 46? It’s those words “Thus it is written.” This is what is written in the Old Testament: that the Christ should die and rise, and that will lead to the preaching of repentance and forgiveness. You can sum up what is written in the Old Testament with the 33 words that comprise the message following the word “written” in verse 46.

Jesus says something very similar to the Pharisees in John 5:39a: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.”

Turn to 1 Peter 1:23, The point is that all of the Scriptures about Jesus. That Jesus came lived, died, rose, and we are to proclaim to all the world. This is often communicated through shorthand in the NT. With the words the “Word” “gospel”

1 Peter 1:23-25 dsince you have been born again, enot of perishable seed but of imperishable, through fthe living and abiding word of God; 24 for

g“All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

25 hbut the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word iis the good news that was preached to you.

Does that mean Peter’s readers were born again from reading the whole Bible? What is the good news preached to them? (1 Peter 1:3) Is Peter referring to every word of the OT? Read your lost friend Genesis 5 and then will be saved. No, the “word of God” is the word of the gospel, because the gospel summarizes the message of the whole thing. All of the Bible even the genealogies are pointing to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Interestingly, 1 Corinthians 15 even uses “word” and “gospel” interchangeably: “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

The point of this exercise is to show you that multiple NT authors speak of the OT Scriptures as pointing to and being about one main subject: the death and resurrection of Christ.

Why Is Biblical Theology Important?

Last question: why is biblical theology important. We’ll think about this a lot more next week. But the short answer right now is, it helps us read the Bible rightly, so that we can engage with the world rightly. A few examples which refer back to my opening questions:

1) Suppose we turn to the Old Testament promises of a fruitful womb and fields, wealth and prosperity, for obedience to the law. Should we read those promises as applicable to us? Well, it depends on how you put the storyline together.

2) Should we treat the priest as a mediator who mediates for our sins through a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice in the mass? Well, it depends in part on how you put the storyline together, and whether we need another mediator.

3) Should we expect history to get progressively better, such that our works of art and architecture, justice-seeking and neighbor-loving, will actually help to usher in the eschaton, the Last Days? Well, it depends on how you put the story together.

4) Finally, how should we preach and counsel? Moralistically? Therapuetically? Triumphalistically? Or centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ? Again, it depends on how you put the story of the Bible together.

Biblical theology, in short, is critical for knowing how to read our Bibles, which, in turn, is critical for knowing what to believe and how to live.

Let’s pray.