Introduction

There are a lot of benefits that come with being a Super Hero Theologian. One of my favorite benefits is my ability to fly. There is nothing like flying above the stratosphere and being able to look down upon the earth. It is such a beautiful planet filled with rebellious sinners! Anyways, I never want to lose sight of the fact that I am a privileged Super Hero. There are many heroes who have to spend all their days on the earth’s surface and are never given the opportunity to have a birds eye view of this enormous planet. As I consider this, another thought also comes to my mind. There are also many Christians who are so preoccupied with particular texts of scripture that they lack a birds eye view of the bible’s meta-narrative (The grand story of scripture). Can you blame Batman for being such a pessimist? It’s understandable considering the depths of depravity he encounters on a daily basis. Consider Aquaman, he is always so preoccupied with the plights of fish and even the flash spends his whole day studying bloody crime scenes and looking at DNA through a microscope! I bet if they could all fly, they would all have a much bigger picture of the common graces of God. Would have much less stress too! just sayin… In a similar way, many Christians lack a proper understanding of human nature, God’s sovereignty, and an in depth understanding of the Christian’s relationship to the law due to their lack of understanding the Bible’s story as a whole.

Biblical Theology

In this new series, I would like to lay out some foundational issues dealing with Biblical Theology. Biblical Theology attempts to study the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan as it is laid out in Scripture chronologically, covenantally, and typologically. It differs from Systematic Theology in that Systematic Theology seeks to compile various texts of the bible that deal with a certain issue into a cohesive biblical doctrine. Biblical Theology however looks at the Bible through the lens of progressive revelation and seeks to develop an understanding of God’s revelation as it has unfolded through space and time. Biblical Theologian James M. Hamilton explains it well when he states,

Biblical Theology is the interpretive perspective reflected in the way the biblical authors have presented their understanding of earlier scripture, redemptive history, and the events they are describing, celebrating, or addressing in narratives, poems, proverbs, letters, and apocalypses.” There is much that could be unpacked in that definition and in the coming blog posts I will seek to do so.

Why am I writing on Biblical Theology?

I wish all theologians could fly like me and have the privilege of having a bird’s eye view of the world. Unfortunately, they cant, but they can have a bird’s eye view of scripture! Notice, not only can a bird see an entire landscape from above, but they also have the ability to see tiny animals scurrying about as well. It is only through having a proper Biblical Theology that one can rightly and accurately interpret all of God’s word accurately. I look forward to helping you lay down foundations in this area and in so doing developing a more sound theology.

A few Examples of how Biblical Theology helps you

The fundamental problem with Arminianism is not that it simply misunderstand certain key passages in the New Testament. The issue goes much deeper than that. The real problem with Arminianism is that it lacks a Biblical understanding of the sovereignty of God as it is laid out through all of the scriptures.

Likewise, the greatest defense of God’s sovereignty as affirmed by Calvinists is not in 5 points or in Romans 9. It is in the picture the Bible paints of the Nature of God. Too often Calvinists seek to defend Calvinism by looking at a few key texts. Very rarely do you meet the young Calvinist, who can present the Doctrines of Grace as a thread that is woven throughout the entire Bible. Paul’s writings should operate more like icing on a cake that is made up the entire corpus of Biblical Revelation.

What is the Role of the law in the Christian life? Are Christians commanded to tithe, Practice the Sabbath, or worship on a specific day? Do the “ceremonial” and “civil” laws of the Old Testament have any role in the Christian life? All of these issues are issues that the Bible answers but it is through understanding the nature of the Covenants, law and fulfillment, and through other truths that these issues are addressed.

Conclusion

How a person answers these issues will be determined by how well they develop their Biblical Theology. Sadly, especially within the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement there is a heavy emphasis on Systematic Theology and a very shallow understanding of Biblical Theology and its importance. However, a theologians Systematic Theology is only as good as his Biblical Theology. A lack of sound Biblical Theology has led to the development of weak doctrines of sanctification, a lack of understanding of How all scripture points to Christ,an outright neglect of understanding the covenants that are the backbone of biblical revelation, and overall a lack of deeper theology that leads to greater worship. I hope to offer you all some valuable insights in the study of Biblical Theology over the next several weeks. Thanks for taking the time to read this, I think I’ll take another flight upward and see what other lessons I learn beyond the stratosphere… I hope these thoughts aren’t just due simply to a lack of oxygen.

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