BuildingBiblicalTheology.lesson1.Manuscript.english

8/20/2019 BuildingBiblicalTheology.lesson1.Manuscript.english

1/27

ii.

For videos, study guides and other resources, visit Third Millennium Ministries at thirdmill.org.


2/27


Building BiblicalTheology

ii.


LESSON

ONE

WHAT IS BIBLICAL

THEOLOGY?


3/27

© 2012 by Third Millennium Ministries

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any

means for profit, ecept in brief !uotations for the purposes of revie", comment, orscholarship, "ithout "ritten permission from the publisher, Third Millennium Ministries,

#nc., $.%. &o '00()*, +ern $ar, +lorida '2('0-0()*.

nless other"ise indicated all /cripture !uotations are from the % &3, N34

#NT35NAT#%NA 635/#%N. 7opyright © 1*89 #nternational &ible /ociety. sed by

$ermission of :ondervan &ible $ublishers.

ABOUT THIRD ILLE!!IU I!ISTRIES

+ounded in 1**(, Third Millennium Ministries is a nonprofit 7hristianorgani;ation dedicated to providing Biblical Educa"ion# $o% "he Wo%ld# $o% $%ee#

#n response to the gro"ing global need for sound, biblically-based 7hristian

leadership training, "e are building a user-friendly, donor-supported, multimediaseminary curriculum in five ma and distributing it freely to those "ho need it most, primarily

7hristian leaders "ho have no access to, or cannot afford, traditional education. All

lessons are "ritten, designed, and produced in-house, and are similar in style and!uality to those on the istory 7hannel©. This unparalleled, cost-effective method

for training 7hristian leaders has proven to be very effective throughout the "orld.4e have "on Telly A"ards for outstanding video production in 3ducation and seof Animation, and our curriculum is currently used in more than 1?0 countries.

Third Millennium materials tae the form of @6@, print, #nternet streaming,

satellite television transmission, and radio and television broadcasts.

+or more information about our ministry and to learn ho" you can get involved, please visit httpBBthirdmill.org.

ii.



4/27

Con"en"&I# In"%oduc"ion######################################################################################################## '

II# O%ien"a"ion########################################################################################################## '

A. istorical Analysis 2

&. Acts of Cod '7. Theological 5eflection 9

1. +actual istorical Analysis 92. Theological istorical Analysis 9

III#De(elo)*en"##################################################################################################### +

A. 7ultural 7hanges ?

&. Theological 5esponses )1. 7ritical &iblical Theology (

2. 3vangelical @evelopments *

I,# Hi&"o%y and Re(ela"ion###################################################################################### ''

A. Act and 4ord 111. Act 5evelation 12

2. 4ord 5evelation 1'

'. #nterconnections 1?&. 7ontours 1(

1. Coal 1(

2. 5ising and +alling 1*'. %rganic @evelopment 20

,# Conclu&ion########################################################################################################## -.

iii.



5/27

Building Biblical Theology

Le&&on One

Wha" i& Biblical Theology?

I!TRODUCTIO!

4hen "e meet people for the first time, "e often have "hat "e call Dfirst

impressions,E opinions "e form of others at the moment "e first get to no" them. &ut

as relationships gro", "e learn more about our friends by asing them about their lives,

their personal histories. As "e learn about important events that have shaped their lives,"e gain many insights that go far beyond our first impressions.

4ell, in many "ays, the same ind of thing is true "ith 7hristian theology. As

follo"ers of 7hrist, "e often begin to form our beliefs primarily from our firstimpressions of the Ne" Testament. &ut "e can deepen our a"areness of "hat "e believe

as 7hristians by learning the history of our faith, ho" it developed from the opening pages of Cenesis to the last chapters of 5evelation.

This is the first lesson in our series Building Biblical Theology. #n this series "eFll

eplore the discipline no"n as biblical theology, the branch of theology that eplores

ho" our faith gre" throughout the history of the &ible. 4eFve entitled this lesson, D4hat

is &iblical TheologyGE And in this introductory lesson, "eFll eplore a number offoundational issues that "ill guide us throughout this series.

%ur lesson "ill focus on three main topics first, "eFll gain a basic orientation

to"ard biblical theology. 4hat do "e mean by this terminologyG /econd, "eFll loo atthe development of biblical theology. 4hat directions has this discipline taen through

the centuriesG And third, "eFll eplore the interconnections bet"een history and

revelation, one of the most central concerns of biblical theology. etFs begin "ith a basicorientation to"ard our sub


6/27

Building Biblical Theology Lesson One: What is Biblical Theology?

this outloo, biblical theology adheres not


7/27


concerns emerge. 4hile sound biblical theology does not contradict sound systematictheology, it nevertheless leads to significantly different theological perspectives.

aving seen that biblical theology is based on historical analysis of the /criptures,

"e should turn to the fact that it is primarily concerned "ith the acts of Cod. The &iblereports many different inds of historical events, but biblical theology primarily ass,

D4hat do the /criptures say that Cod has doneGE &ecause 7hristians ans"er this !uestion

in different "ays, "e need to pause for a moment to reflect on "hat the &ible teachesabout acts of Cod in history.

ACTS O$ GOD

%ne traditional and helpful "ay to spea of CodFs activity in history appears in

the Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 6, paragraph '. #ts description of CodFsactivity in the "orld gives us a convenient summary of some important perspectives.

isten to the "ay CodFs providence is described there.

God/ in Hi& o%dina%y )%o(idence/ *a0e"h u&e o1 *ean&/ ye" i& 1%ee "o

2o%0 2i"hou"/ abo(e/ and again&" "he*/ a" Hi& )lea&u%e#

Notice here that the 7onfession of +aith lists four main categories of divine providence,

CodFs involvement in history, or "hat "e may call acts of Cod. #t identifies these four

categories in terms of the "ays Cod involves himself "ith Dmeans,E "hich are createdinstruments or causes.

%n one end of the spectrum, the 7onfession mentions that Cod ordinarily maes

use of means, that is, he "ors through means. #n other "ords, Cod accomplishes his

purposes in history by acting through various parts of creation. This category includessuch things as natural occurrences and daily creaturely activity.

/econd, the 7onfession speas of Cod acting without means, intervening directly

into the "orld "ithout using any normal means at all. +or eample, at times in the/criptures Cod inflicts diseases on people and heals them "ithout any apparent creaturely

instruments.

Third, the 7onfession speas of Cod acting in history above means, taingsomething rather ordinary and maing it greater. +or eample, the supernatural birth of

#saac to /arah occurred through her union "ith Abraham, but it happened at her old age,

"hen she "as far beyond the normal age for child bearing.

And fourth, the confession speas of Cod acting against means, causing things tooccur in "ays that are contrary to the normal operations of creation. +or instance, in the

days of Hoshua Cod acted against normal patterns of nature "hen he caused the sun tostand still.

These four categories of CodFs providence help us clarify "hat "e mean by acts

of Cod. There are times "hen Cod "ors through means. /uch events often appear to

have little involvement from Cod, though he is al"ays controlling them behind thescenes. &ut other acts of Cod are more dramatic. 4hen Cod "ors "ithout, above and

even against created forces, "e commonly call these events Ddivine interventionsE or

Dmiracles.E

-'-



8/27


4hen biblical theologians focus on the acts of Cod in /cripture, they giveattention to this entire range of divine activity, but not evenly. 4hile itFs true that they

sometimes reflect on ordinary events "here Cod "ored through means, they focus

mainly on etraordinary acts of Cod, the times "hen Cod "ors "ithout, above andagainst ordinary means. And the more spectacular CodFs "or is, the more biblical

theologians tend to emphasi;e it.

3vents lie the creationI the 3odus from 3gyptI the con!uest of 7anaanI the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of 7hrist stand out on the pages of /criptures

as times "hen Cod intervened dramatically in history. /o, "hen "e say that biblical

theology dra"s attention to acts of Cod, these inds of etraordinary acts of Cod are of primary concern.

No" that "e have seen that biblical theology loos at the &ible through historical

analysis and concentrates on etraordinary acts of Cod reported in the /criptures, "e

should turn to the third dimension of our definition the fact that biblical theologyinvolves theological reflection on these matters.

THEOLOGICAL R E$LECTIO!

#n biblical theology theological reflection is based on historical analysis of theacts of Cod in /cripture, but historical analysis can tae different forms. #t helps to thin

of at least t"o main tendencies factual historical analysis and theological historical

analysis. These t"o tendencies go hand in hand, but their main concerns are !uitedifferent. 7onsider first "hat "e mean by factual historical analysis.

$ac"ual Hi&"o%ical Analy&i&

More often than not, modern readers of the &ible tae a DfactualE approach to

biblical history. That is to say, they are concerned "ith ho" the events reported in/cripture fit "ithin the larger environment of the ancient Near 3ast. A factual approach to

historical analysis is concerned "ith !uestions lie the date of the eodus under Moses,

the historical circumstances that gave rise to #sraelFs monarchy, evidences of certain battles and other crucial events. The goal of factual historical analysis is rather

straightfor"ard. #tFs to establish a reliable account of the facts of history by combining

"hat "e learn from /cripture "ith the data "e gather from etra-biblical sources.

Theological Hi&"o%ical Analy&i&

As important as such factual concerns may be, biblical theology is more

concerned "ith theological historical analysis. &iblical theologians are more interested in

the theological significance of the acts of Cod reported in /cripture. To understand "hat"e mean, "e should turn to a basic definition of theology found in the "ors of Thomas

-9-



9/27


A!uinas that indicates "hat most 7hristians mean "hen they spea of theologicalreflection.

#n &oo 1, 7hapter 1, /ection ( of his "ell-no"n Summa Theologica, A!uinas

called theology Dsacred doctrine,E and defined it in this "ay

A uni1ied &cience in 2hich all "hing& a%e "%ea"ed unde% "he a&)ec" o1

God ei"he% becau&e "hey a%e God hi*&el1 o% becau&e "hey %e1e% "o God#

#n general, 7hristians tend to agree "ith A!uinas that theology has t"o main concerns.

%n the one hand, a theological matter is anything that refers directly to Cod. And on theother hand, a theological matter is anything that describes other sub


10/27


#n much the same "ay, biblical theology is in large measure a response to culturalshifts that can be traced bac to the 3nlightenment of the 1(th century. This is not to say

that the concerns of biblical theology "ere entirely ne", or belong only to the modern

period. 7hristians have al"ays eplored the acts of Cod reported in /cripture. &ut in themodern period, significant cultural shifts too place that led theologians to emphasi;e

these historical interests as never before.

/imply put, biblical theology is a 7hristian response to a prominent intellectualmovement in the modern period, often called modern historicism. #n very general terms,

modern historicism is the belief that history holds the ey for understanding ourselves

and the "orld around us. #n this vie", an ade!uate understanding of anything can only begained by considering the place it occupies in history.

%ne of the most "ell-no"n 3nlightenment figures "ho epressed this cultural

shift "as the Cerman philosopher Ceorg 4ilhelm +riedrich egel, "ho lived from 1((0

to 18'1. egel is best no"n for his proposal that every aspect of reality is caught up inlogical patterns of historical progress no"n as the dialectic. The entire universe, he

thought, "as so ordered by Cod that it follo"ed a divinely ordained historical logic. +rom

his point of vie", "e understand every item in the "orld best "hen "e see it in the lightof this rational pattern of history.

This and other forms of historicism rose to prominence in the modern period for

many reasons. +or instance, avalanches of archaeological discoveries shed much light onthe ancient cultures of the "orld. The science of geology became an endeavor to discern

the age and development of the earth, not simply to understand the "ay it is at the present

time. 3ven biology became historical in its focus as many biologists began to vie" their

field in terms of @ar"inian evolution, believing this to be the "ay life developed on our planet. /imilar shifts to"ard modern historicism too place in nearly every academic

discipline, including theology. 3verything in life "as thought to be understood most

thoroughly "hen it "as assessed in terms of the flo" of history.

4ith the emphasis of modern historicism in mind, "e should turn our attention tothe "ays 7hristian theologians responded to this cultural change. 4hat effect did

historicism have on the "ays 7hristians approached theology, especially the "ays theyinterpreted the &ibleG

THEOLOGICAL R ES3O!SES

istoricism has had countless effects on modern 7hristian theology, but in this

lesson "e are particularly interested in ho" it gave birth to biblical theology. %bviously, biblical theology reflects the interest of modern "estern culture in history. &ut as "e "ill

see, some theologians have embraced historicism in "ays that compromised essential7hristian beliefs, "hile others have incorporated valuable insights from historicism in"ays that have upheld and have even enhanced our understanding of the 7hristian faith.

+or this reason, "eFll trace t"o ma


11/27


&ibleFs authority. etFs loo first at the developments of biblical theology in criticalcircles.

C%i"ical Biblical Theology

Modern historicism inspired many critical theologians to approach the /criptures"ith ne" !uestions and priorities. 4e can grasp the heart of the matter by briefly

touching on t"o historical stages of development. +irst, "eFll loo at the early stages in

the 18th century. And second, "eFll describe some of the later developments in morerecent history. etFs loo first at early critical biblical theology.

#tFs !uite common to trace the origins of modern biblical theology to the inaugural

address of Hohann Cabler at the niversity of Altdorf in 1(8(. Although there "ere

important precursors to Cabler, he spoe of a distinction that has guided 7hristiantheology for centuries.

Cabler distinguished t"o basic theological endeavors. %n the one hand, he spoe

of Dbiblical theologyE and defined it as a historical discipline that describes the teachingsof the &ible "ithin its o"n ancient historical contet. #n his vie", the goal of biblical

theology "as to discover "hat ancient biblical "riters and characters believed about Cod

and the "orld in "hich they lived.%n the other hand, Cabler spoe of dogmatic or systematic theology. The goal of

systematic theology "as not to eamine or eplain the &ible, but to determine "hat

7hristians should believe in the modern "orld through rational reflection on science andreligion.

No" itFs important to reali;e that as a critical theologian, Cabler believed that the

findings of biblical theology might be of some interest from time to time, but modern

7hristians should believe only those parts of the &ible that pass the standards of modernrational and scientific analysis. #n his vie", the /criptures reflect the naJve practices and

beliefs of people "ho lived before the modern rational period. And for this reason,

systematic theology should be a relatively independent discipline, largely unconcerned"ith "hat biblical theology discovers in the &ible.

CablerFs distinction bet"een biblical and systematic theology set directions for

critical theologians that have continued even in our o"n day. &ut itFs also important tosee ho" critical biblical theology has developed in more recent centuries. %ne feature of

critical biblical theology in recent centuries has been the gro"ing conviction that the

&ibleFs historical claims are almost entirely unreliable. &y and large, critical scholars

have re


12/27


epected them simply to set aside biblical theology since they thought the &ible "asriddled "ith misleading historical claims. And this has been the reaction of many during

the modern period. &ut the field of biblical theology did not die "hen critical theologians

re


13/27


E(angelical De(elo)*en"&

appily, there have been many 7hristians in many branches of the church

throughout the "orld "ho have not follo"ed the critical re


14/27


Sy&"e*a"ic Theology i& no" a conca"ena"ion a logical o%gani4a"ion o1

"he &ca""e%ed "heological da"a 1u%ni&hed by "he e5ege"ic )%oce&&6 i" i&

"he co*bina"ion o1 "he al%eady conca"ena"ed o% logically a%%anged

da"a gi(en "o i" by Biblical Theology7 We gain ou% "%ue&" Sy&"e*a"ic&

no" by a" once 2o%0ing "oge"he% "he &e)a%a"e dog*a"ic &"a"e*en"& in

Sc%i)"u%e/ bu" by co*bining "he* in "hei% due o%de% and )%o)o%"ion

a& "hey &"and in "he (a%iou& "heologie& o1 "he Sc%i)"u%e

#n this passage, 4arfield made at least three important points. +irst, systematic

theology should not be a concatenation or organi;ation of separate or disconnectedtheological statements found in the &ible. &efore 4arfield, evangelicals tended to treat

the &ible as a resource for systematic theological propositions, and they arranged these

propositions according to the traditional patterns of systematic theology. The &ibleFs

teachings "ere summari;ed in "ays that treated them lie ra" data. &ut 4arfield pointedout that the teachings of /cripture "ere already logically organi;ed in the &ible itself.

The &ible is not a disorgani;ed collection of propositionsI it has its own logical

organi;ation, and its own theological perspectives./econd, from 4arfieldFs point of vie", there is not


15/27


theology "ill discern various theologies in the &ible that must be brought together into aunified "hole in systematic theology.

&ut 6os differed from his precursors by calling attention to a common thread that

runs through all of the different theologies in the &ible. e argued that the varioustheologies of /cripture had a common focus on the history of redemption. e believed

that CodFs mighty acts in history form the core of the teaching of every part of the &ible.

+or this reason, 6os taught that biblical theology should focus on the "ays each biblical"riter concerned himself "ith the mighty acts of Cod. As 6os put it in his inaugural

address in 18*9

Sy&"e*a"ic Theology endea(o%& "o con&"%uc" a ci%cle/ Biblical Theology

&ee0& "o %e)%oduce a line7 Such i& "he "%ue %ela"ion be"2een Biblical

and Sy&"e*a"ic Theology# Dog*a"ic& i& "he c%o2n 2hich g%o2& ou" o1

all "he 2o%0 "ha" Biblical Theology can acco*)li&h#

According to 6os, biblical theology focuses on the "ays biblical "riters reflect on

history. #t discerns the &ibleFs various perspectives on the great acts of Cod in history andthe theological significance of those divine acts. Then systematic theology brings all that

the &ible teaches about the history of redemption into a unified system of theology. #n

nearly every branch of evangelicalism, biblical theology continues to have this basicfocus.

No" that "e have seen ho" contemporary evangelical biblical theology focuses

on the history of redemption as the centerpiece of /cripture, "eFre in a position to turn to

our third main topic in this lesson ho" evangelical biblical theologians understand therelationship bet"een history and revelation.

HISTORY A!D RE,ELATIO!

ardly any t"o concepts are more central to biblical theology than history and

revelation. As "e have seen, biblical theology concentrates on history as the unifyingthread of all of /cripture. %ne reason for this focus on history is the understanding that in

/cripture, CodFs revelation of himself is deeply tied to historical events.

To understand the relationship bet"een history and revelation in biblical theology

"e "ill eamine t"o issues first, "eFll see ho" biblical theologians define revelation asDact and "ordEI and second, "eFll eplore the contours of history and revelation in the

&ible. etFs consider first the idea that divine revelation is both act and "ord.

ACT A!D WORD

To eplore these important concepts, "eFll touch on three matters first, "eFll see

ho" /cripture speas of "hat "e "ill call Dact revelationIE second, "eFll see the need for

"hat "e "ill call D"ord revelationE or verbal revelationI and third, "eFll eamine the

-11-



16/27


interconnections bet"een act and "ord revelation. etFs turn first to the concept of Dactrevelation.E

Ac" Re(ela"ion

4e all no" from common eperience that people reveal things about themselvesin at least t"o "ays. %n the one hand, they can tell us "hat they are thining. They can

spea about themselves and "hat they "ant. &ut on the other hand, "e can also learn a

lot about other people by "hat they do. The "ays they act reveal "hat ind of peoplethey are. 4hen "e loo at /cripture, it !uicly becomes clear that the &ible often speas

of God revealing himself in his actions. +or eample, listen to the celebration of CodFs

revelation in $salm *82-'

The Lo%d ha& *ade 0no2n hi& &al(a"ion6 he ha& %e(ealed hi&

%igh"eou&ne&& in "he &igh" o1 "he na"ion He ha& %e*e*be%ed hi&

lo(ing 0indne&& and hi& 1ai"h1ulne&& "o "he hou&e o1 I&%ael6 all "he end&

o1 "he ea%"h ha(e &een "he &al(a"ion o1 ou% God 83&al* 9:;-


17/27


#t isnFt difficult to see that "hile this ans"er is true to /cripture, Cod is defined in

systematic theology rather abstractly in terms of his eternal, abiding attributes. &ut by

comparison, biblical theologians have much more concern "ith the concrete actions ofCod in history. And this focus on Dact revelationE has led to a different emphasis in

theology proper.

4hen typical evangelical biblical theologians are ased, D4hat is CodGE they"ould not tend to respond lie the Westminster Shorter Catechism. No", they "ould not

disagree "ith this vie", but their emphasis is much more historical. &iblical theologians

are much more inclined to say something lie, DCod is the one "ho delivered #srael outof bondage in 3gyptIE DCod is the one "ho


18/27


olde% )%ie&"& and Le(i"e& and 1a*ily head&/ 2ho had &een "he 1o%*e%

"e*)le/ 2e)" aloud 2hen "hey &a2 "he 1ounda"ion o1 "hi& "e*)le being

laid/ 2hile *any o"he%& &hou"ed 1o% >oy 8E4%a .;'


19/27


important significances he "anted his people to understand. Apart from CodFs verbalinterpretation of his actions, "e "ould not no" ho" to dra" proper theological

implications from the mighty acts of Cod.

aving seen that act and "ord revelation accompany each other in /cripture, "eshould no" turn our attention to the "ays these t"o forms of revelation interconnect. #n

"hat "ays are act and "ord revelation associated "ith each other in biblical theologyG

In"e%connec"ion&

+or our purposes "e "ill spea of these associations in terms of three types of

"ord-revelationI first, prospective D"ord revelation,E that is, "ords that precede the

events they eplainI second, simultaneous D"ord revelation,E or "ords that are given

about the same time as the events they eplainI and third, retrospective D"ordrevelation,E "ords that come after the events they eplain.

#n the first place, the /criptures give many eamples of times "hen divine "ords

preceded divine actions. #n these situations, the "ord of Cod eplained or interpreted anact of Cod before it occurred. %ften "e spea of this ind of D"ord revelationE as

prediction.

At times, CodFs prospective D"ord revelationE spoe of proimate events andoften to people "ho "ould directly or indirectly "itness an event. +or eample, in

3odus '(-8, before Moses "ent to 3gypt to deliver the people of #srael, Cod told him

"hat "as going to happen.

The Lo%d &aid/ I ha(e indeed &een "he *i&e%y o1 *y )eo)le in Egy)"#

I ha(e hea%d "he* c%ying ou" becau&e o1 "hei% &la(e d%i(e%&/ and I a*

conce%ned abou" "hei% &u11e%ing# So I ha(e co*e do2n "o %e&cue "he*

1%o* "he hand o1 "he Egy)"ian& and "o b%ing "he* u) ou" o1 "he land

in"o a good and &)aciou& land/ a land 1lo2ing 2i"h *il0 and honey

8E5odu& .;


20/27


igh"y God/ E(e%la&"ing $a"he%/ 3%ince o1 3eace# O1 "he inc%ea&e o1

hi& go(e%n*en" and )eace "he%e 2ill be no end 8I&aiah 9;


21/27


The ord eplained to the #sraelites that their eperience of coming out of 3gypt "as noordinary event. #t "as his personal and direct deliverance. &eyond this, this D"ord

revelationE also eplained one of the implications of CodFs act of deliverance. &ecause

Cod had delivered them, #srael should not "orship other gods. The re!uirement of loyaltyto Cod "as a retrospective "ord, eplaining the significance of #sraelFs great deliverance

to the people "ho had actually seen it.

/till, at other times, distant retrospective "ord revelation came to CodFs people,long after an Dact revelationE had occurred. #t "as given to people "ho had not lived at

the times "hen the events too place. +or eample, in Cenesis 12(, "e read this

description of the creation of humanity

So God c%ea"ed *an in hi& o2n i*age/ in "he i*age o1 God he c%ea"ed

hi*6 *ale and 1e*ale he c%ea"ed "he* 8Gene&i& ';-=#

The original recipients of this retrospective "ord "ere the #sraelites "ho follo"ed Moses

after the 3odus, and they lived thousands of years after Adam and 3ve had been created.

Nevertheless, Cod provided this D"ord revelationE to inform them about humanityFsoriginal role in creation. #n a variety of "ays then, CodFs "ord often follo"s his actions

and grants understanding to his people after events occur. This ind of "ord revelation

appears throughout the /criptures.aving seen that biblical theology stresses ho" history and revelation are

interconnected in the /criptures, "e need to turn to a second issue the contours of history

and revelation in the &ible. The &ible mentions hundreds of thousands of events over

thousands of years. And one of the tass of biblical theology is to discern patterns andcontours among these numerous events.

CO!TOURS

To eplore the "ays biblical theologians have understood the contours of historyand revelation in /cripture, "e "ill touch on three issuesI first, the goal of CodFs

revelation in the history of /criptureI second, the rising and falling of revelation in

/criptureI and third, the organic development of revelation in /cripture. 7onsider first thegoal of history in the &ible.

Goal

There can be little doubt as "e read portions of /cripture that Cod moved history

to"ard many rather immediate goals. #n the days of Noah, he acted to bring a ne" beginning to the "orld. is goal in revealing himself to Abraham "as to call a special

people to himself. The goal of %ld Testament #sraelFs deliverance from 3gypt "as to

establish his special people in the %ld Testament as a nation in the $romised and. The purpose of choosing @avid and his sons as #sraelFs permanent dynasty "as to bring his

-1(-



22/27


people to imperial glory. The goal of HesusF life, death and resurrection "as to secureeternal salvation for CodFs people.

At each stage of biblical history, Cod had specific purposes or goals that guided

his act and "ord revelation. &iblical theologians spend much of their time delineatingthese diverse goals. &ut at the same time, in 5omans 11'), the apostle $aul pointed to

the ultimate goal of history.

$o% 1%o* FGod and "h%ough hi* and "o hi* a%e all "hing To hi* be

"he glo%y 1o%e(e% A*en 8Ro*an& '';.=#

As $aul put it here, all things are from Cod in the beginning. All things continue theireistence no" through the sustaining po"er of Cod. And all things are Dto himE, that is,

they are for CodFs glory and praise. #n a "ord, Cod so orders the history of his creation

that it "ill ultimately bring him immeasurable glory.@ifferent biblical theologians have described this overarching divine purpose in

different "ays. +or eample, some spea rather generically of eschatology, or latter days,

as the focus of /criptures. %thers have argued in various "ays that the &ible is7hristocentric, focused on 7hrist. These and other outloos have much to offer, but in

these lessons "e "ill spea of the goal of all history as the establishment of CodFs

ingdom on 3arth. /imply put, "e "ill spea of biblical history as the process by "hichCod "ill be ultimately glorified before every creature by etending his ingdom to the

ends of the earth.

4e all no" that Hesus taught us to pray to"ard this end in Matthe" )10, "here

he said these "ords

You% 0ingdo* co*e/

You% 2ill be done

On ea%"h a& i" i& in hea(en 8a""he2 ;'=#

The divine goal of all "orld history is the etension of CodFs perfect heavenly reign toevery corner of the earth. 4hen CodFs "ill is done as perfectly on earth as it is in heaven,

every creature "ill bo" before Cod and honor him as the divine ing, the supreme

creator of all. At that time, the ultimate goal of history "ill be fulfilled.

No", although every event in the universe moves to"ard this grand end, the/criptures themselves focus especially on events that are at the center of CodFs ultimate

purpose. They trace ho" certain historical events are crucial to reaching the goal of

spreading CodFs ingdom throughout the "orld. 4e all no" the basic contours of the biblical story. The opening chapters of the &ible describe the "ay Cod began to turn the

chaotic "orld into his ingdom by ordering creation and placing his image in the Cardenof 3den and by commanding humanity to etend the paradise of 3den to the ends of theearth. &ut the early chapters of /cripture also describe ho" humanity rebelled against this

divine commission and brought corruption and death into the "orld.

The rest of the %ld Testament reports ho" Cod chose #srael as his special peopleand commissioned them to lead the rest of humanity in spreading the ingdom of Cod to

the ends of the earth. As the %ld Testament tells us, Cod accomplished much through

#srael, but #srael also failed miserably.

-18-



23/27


@espite these failures, Cod did not give up on his grand purpose. As the Ne"Testament reveals, Cod sent his eternal /on into the "orld. Through his death, Cod

rectified the failures of the past and redeemed a people for himself from all the nations of

the earth. And through 7hristFs resurrection and ascension, the ministry of the oly /piritthrough his body =the church> and his glorious return, 7hrist is completing the tas

originally given to humanity. As "e read in 5evelation 111?, 7hrist is hailed as the one

"ho "ill bring CodFs ingdom to earth as it is in heaven.

The 0ingdo* o1 "he 2o%ld ha& beco*e "he 0ingdo* o1 ou% Lo%d and

o1 hi& Ch%i&"/ and he 2ill %eign 1o% e(e% and e(e% 8Re(ela"ion '';'+=#

#n this approach to biblical theology, every event in biblical history is part of this

grand scheme. The vast variety of divine actions, great and small, ordinary and

etraordinary, found throughout the &ible, find their culmination in the "or of 7hrist"ho "ill bring ultimate glory to Cod through the establishment of his ingdom in the

ne" heavens and ne" earth.

4hile the goal of biblical history is to bring Cod glory by establishing his"orld"ide ingdom in 7hrist, "e need to touch on a second dimension of the contours of

biblical history the rising and falling of CodFs act and "ord revelation.

Ri&ing and $alling

Maybe youFve been to the beach and "atched the tide come into shore. #t isnFtdifficult to notice that as the oceanFs tide moves for"ard, it does not do this in one

smooth movement. $rogress is made, but the for"ard movement of the tide taes place as

"aves rise and fall.

#n a similar "ay, evangelical biblical theology has stressed that Cod has movedhistory to"ard the goal of his glorious ingdom in "aves of act and "ord revelation.

Although Cod providentially controls his "orld at all times, there are times in history"hen he acts and speas more dramatically than at other times. And as a result, revelation

in biblical history rises and falls, even as it moves for"ard to"ard its final destiny.

+or this reason, it helps to thin in terms of CodFs act and "ord revelation in t"o"ays those times that may be characteri;ed as low points of divine revelationI and those

times that may be characteri;ed as high points of revelation. %n the one side, throughout

the &ible, there are times of diminished divine act and "ord revelation, or "hat "e might

call lo" points in history. +or eample, listen to the "ay the "riter of /amuel describedthe early days of /amuelFs life in 1 /amuel '1

The boy Sa*uel *ini&"e%ed be1o%e "he Lo%d unde% Eli# In "ho&e day&

"he 2o%d o1 "he Lo%d 2a& %a%e6 "he%e 2e%e no" *any (i&ion& 8' Sa*uel

.;'=#

5evelation "as scarce in the days of /amuelFs childhood. &ecause of the sins of his

people, Cod "ithdre" from them for a period, doing relatively little on their behalf and

seldom speaing to them.

-1*-



24/27


$erhaps the most dramatic eample of a lo" point in biblical history is the time bet"een the %ld Testament and the Ne" Testament, bet"een Malachi and Hohn the

&aptist, "hen the land of #srael "as under the rule of foreign po"ers. @uring this

intertestamental period, #srael "as under the severe curse of Cod and he did not movedramatically on the behalf of his peopleI nor did he say much to them.

%n the other side, lie the crashing "aves of a rising tide, there "ere also high

points in biblical history "hen CodFs act and "ord revelation dramatically surgedfor"ard. At these times, Cod did such spectacular things and revealed so much to his

people that he actually brought his ingdom to ne" stages of development. +or eample,

although revelation "as scarce in /amuelFs early years, as /amuel gre", Cod began to actdramatically and to reveal his "ill once again to his people. Through the ministry of

/amuel, Cod increased his act and "ord revelation so that history moved into the period

of #sraelFs monarchy, into the days of @avidFs dynasty.

#n much the same "ay, the lo" point bet"een the %ld and Ne" Testaments "asfollo"ed by the greatest revelation of Cod in the history of the "orld Hohn the &aptist

and the first coming of 7hrist, and the grand "ord revelation that 7hrist and his apostles

gave to us. These mighty acts of Cod brought biblical history to the stage that "e no"call the Ne" Testament period.

/urges of divine actions and "ords in history are particularly important in biblical

theology because these "ere times "hen Cod brought his ingdom to ne" stages orepochs. Ma


25/27


taes place unevenly as surges of act and "ord revelation move history to"ard ne"epochs, much the "ay plants and animals gro" more !uicly at some times than others.

&ut the periods of biblical history are not separate or discrete segments having nothing to

do "ith each other. #nstead, successive stages of revelation are the flo"ering of earlierstages of revelation.

+or this reason, biblical theologians "or very hard to see the seeds of Ne"

Testament revelation in the initial stages of the &ible and then trace ho" these seeds gre"as further act and "ord revelation brought successive stages of gro"th in the ingdom of

Cod, leading to the Ne" Testament.

To illustrate "hat "e mean, letFs tae a simple eample of several centralteachings of the Ne" Testament about 7hrist. 4eFll focus on CodFs D"ord revelationE

related to three sets of events in 7hristFs ministry. Among other things, "e learn from the

Ne" Testament that the second person of the Trinity became incarnate and lived as the

only perfectly righteous human being. The Ne" Testament teaches that HesusF death,resurrection and ascension secured redemption for his people by paying for their sins,

bringing them ne" life, and granting them the gift of the oly /pirit. And "e also learn

that "hen Hesus returns, he "ill rule victoriously over the entire creation, utterly defeatinghis enemies and granting glorious victory to his people in the ne" creation. These acts

and "ords of Cod are central features of the 7hristian gospel.

As "onderful as it is to no" and believe these things about Hesus, ourunderstanding of "hat Cod has done in 7hrist can be greatly enhanced "hen "e reali;e

that these Ne" Testament themes actually gre" organically throughout the /criptures. To

see ho" this is true, "eFll briefly highlight a fe" of the "ays %ld Testament revelation

has flo"ered or matured into "hat Cod accomplished in 7hrist.4hat Cod accomplished in 7hrist "as actually initiated as a small seed in the

opening chapters of Cenesis. #n the first place, at the very beginning in Cenesis chapter 1,

Cod gave a special role to humanity in his "orld as the image of Cod. As his image, "e

"ere called to be the righteous instrument by "hich CodFs paradise or ingdom "ouldspread throughout the "orld. This is one reason the Ne" Testament emphasi;es the

incarnation and righteous life of 7hrist. e is the last Adam, the one "ho perfectlyfulfilled the role originally given to humanity.

#n the second place, humanityFs fall into sin in Cenesis chapter 2 teaches us that

sin has caused human beings and the rest of creation to need redemption from CodFs


26/27


ere Cod declared that the human race "ould divide into the offspring of the serpent, or/atan, and the offspring of 3ve L those "ho continued to follo" the deception of the

serpent and those "ho too up the course originally given to humanity. As this verse

indicates, these t"o divisions of humanity "ould be at odds, but Cod promised thateventually the offspring of the "oman "ould crush the head of the serpent, claiming

victory over him and his offspring. And for this reason, in 5omans 1)20, the apostle $aul

spoe of HesusF return in glory in this "ay

The God o1 )eace 2ill &oon c%u&h Sa"an unde% you% 1ee" 8Ro*an&

';-=#

The victorious return of 7hrist "as anticipated in the very earliest chapters of the boo of

Cenesis. /o "e see then, that the Ne" Testament teaching about the incarnation and lifeI

the death, resurrection and ascensionI and the return of 7hrist "ere not brand ne" ideas.They "ere planted as seeds very early in the history of the &ible.

#n addition to looing at the "ays Ne" Testament teaching reaches bac to the

opening chapters of Cenesis, "e should also be a"are that there are many stages ofgro"th between the opening chapters of Cenesis and the Ne" Testament. &ut for our

purposes in this lesson, "eFll simply touch on one stage of %ld Testament history, the

times "hen Cod dealt positively "ith the nation of #srael.#n the first place, "e have already seen that the incarnation and righteous life of

7hrist fulfilled the role originally given to humanity in Cenesis. &ut from the time of

Abraham to the end of the %ld Testament, this motif gre" in a particular direction. #n a

general sense, Cod called the people of %ld Testament #srael to be the faithful seed of the"oman, to spread the ingdom of Cod to the ends of the earth. And in a particular "ay,

"ith the rise of #sraelFs monarchy, Cod ordained that a righteous son of @avid "ould led

faithful #sraelites for"ard in their ingdom destiny.

This is "hy "e find that the Ne" Testament does not simply say that Hesus "as arighteous man. #n light of the "ays that the role of humanity gre" during CodFs %ld

Testament dealings "ith #srael, Hesus "as born a righteous #sraelite. And more than this,Hesus "as the righteous ing of #srael, the rightful heir of @avidFs throne. The Ne"

Testament depiction of the incarnation and life of 7hrist not only fulfills the original

commission given to Adam, but also fulfills the further development of that commissionin the %ld Testament as it related to the people of #srael and to their ing.

#n the second place, "eFve seen that Hesus fulfills the need for redemption that

"as created by the fall of Adam and 3ve into sin. &ut as "e consider ho" this theme of

redemption developed in the %ld Testament, "e can understand the "or of 7hrist morefully. As "e no", Cod ordained a system of animal sacrifices and "orship to deal "ith

the reality of sin in the "orld, first at the Tabernacle and later at the temple in Herusalem.These ceremonies "ere strictly regulated by elaborate priestly orders. &ut as "onderfulas these provisions "ere, they could only provide temporary relief from the effects of sin.

They did not permanently redeem anyone from the curse of CodFs


27/27


proven to be the complete and final sacrifice by his resurrection. And even today, as theascended ord, he mediates on behalf of his people as our great high priest. And in this

role he continually appeals to the merits of his sacrifice as he ministers in CodFs heavenly

temple. /o, "hile the redemptive "or of 7hrist reaches all the "ay bac to the fall intosin in the opening chapters of Cenesis, it also gre" out of the intervening stages of

#sraelFs tabernacle and temple "orship.

#n the third place, the Ne" Testament teaching about the final glorious victory at7hristFs return also gre" out of CodFs dealings "ith #srael. 4hen Cod called #srael to be

his special righteous people, he called them to live in victory as the seed of the "oman.

Centile nations "ho follo"ed the "ays of /atan opposed and troubled #srael on everyside throughout the %ld Testament, but Cod promised ultimate victory to %ld Testament

#srael as she faithfully spread the ingdom of Cod. +or this reason, it should be no

surprise that the Ne" Testament describes the final victory in 7hrist in the ne" heavens

and ne" earth as the arrival of the Ne" Herusalem. As the gospel is proclaimed and bothHe"s and Centiles submit themselves to Hesus, the 7hrist, he builds his church into one

body and guides them for"ard to the promised, final, eternal state of glorious victory.

+rom this eample, "e can see ho" biblical theology loos at the history of/cripture as a gro"ing but unified organic history. 3ach stage of history builds on the

revelation of previous stages and anticipates the ultimate fulfillment of the ingdom of

Cod in 7hrist. As "e continue this series, "eFll see that this organic vie" of divine actand "ord revelation is highlighted time and again in biblical theology.

CO!CLUSIO!

#n this lesson "eFve taen our first loo at biblical theology. 4eFve gained a basicorientation to this field of study, noting ho" it approaches the /criptures "ith historical

analysis of the acts of Cod. 4eFve also seen ho" the formal discipline of biblicaltheology has developed over the centuries. And finally, "eFve eplored its central focus

on history and revelation.

&iblical theology represents one of the most influential "ays evangelicals have built theology in recent centuries. As "e continue to study this approach to /cripture, "e

"ill discover that it both complements more traditional approaches to theology, and that it

dra"s attention to many insights that have been fre!uently overlooed in the past. 4ell-

formed biblical theology "ill help us to eplore the "ord of Cod more thoroughly and to build a theology that is true to /cripture and edifying to the church.

2'

Documents

BuildingBiblicalTheology.lesson1.Manuscript.english