Biblical Theology: The Story of God’s Word

Loading Scripture… Ephesians 1:9–10 (ESV)

As we begin part two of our journey, we come to the first of three key definitions we will consider as we navigate through the Bible. The first of these, biblical theology, is crucial to seeing the overarching story stretching from Genesis to Revelation. Let’s consider biblical theology and its importance to knowing your Bible.

What is it and why does it matter?

When studying Scripture, there are two primary ways to categorize all that the Bible has to say. The first of these, systematic theology, deals with Scripture in a more topical manner. For example, if you were to peruse the four-volume Reformed Systematic Theology by Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley, you will find an exhaustive list of topics on which the Bible speaks: The Doctrine of God, The Doctrine of the Church, The Doctrine of Salvation, The Doctrine of End Times, and so on. With systematic theology, the theologian searches for everything the Bible says on that topic. We will cover systematic theology in detail in Part Three of this book.

Biblical Theology, on the other hand, is less topical and more thematic. It takes into consideration the entire canon of Scripture in its effort to interpret the Bible with an awareness of the recurring themes running from start to finish. Themes such as covenant, kingdom, temple, priesthood, lamb, and seed are examined. The Bible’s imagery and patterns are considered as we see consistency across Scripture. In short, biblical theology treats Scripture as one unfolding narrative.

Understanding that one unfolding narrative of Scripture leads to better interpretation of Scripture. No single verse exists apart from all of God’s Word. Each verse has a unified purpose. Biblical theology says you can’t look at the details without keeping the big picture in mind. T. Desmond Alexander explains it in this way:

“There is something of value in seeing the big picture, for it frequently enables us to appreciate the details more clearly. The scholarly tendency to ‘atomize’ biblical texts is often detrimental to understanding them. By stripping passages out of their literary contexts meanings are imposed upon them that were never intended by their authors”

What should I seek to understand about the topic?

• What are the key themes of Scripture and how do they relate to one another?
• How can understanding the big picture make me a better Bible reader?
• How can understanding the big picture make me a better Bible interpreter?
• Differences between biblical and systematic theology

The progressive unfolding of revelation from Old to New

Mystery in the Bible

My thoughts on the topic

In chapter 4, I wrote about how we might interpret Ezekiel’s temple vision symbolically – looking ahead not to a physical temple but a spiritual one. When we consider the theme of temple throughout Scripture, it becomes clearer that interpretation is likely to be the correct one. God first dwelt with man in the Garden of Eden. But man was separated from God by his sin. The temple veiled the Holy of Holies from the inner court. This symbolized man’s separation from God. Jesus’ sacrificial death destroyed that veil and reconciled man to God. The Holy Spirit now dwells with His people in a spiritual temple – not a manmade one. His Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:16) And Paul calls the resulting structure God’s temple. (2 Corinthians 6:16)

Interpretively, we cannot reach this conclusion if we insist on the rebuilding of a literal temple with literal animal sacrifices. But interpreting the prophecies of Ezekiel in the light of biblical theology allows us to see Ezekiel’s vision as more than just a rebuilt version of the original. The shadow is replaced with the temple that was to come. This temple is built out of each believer and has Christ as its cornerstone.

Those redeemed are the children promised to Abraham. And speaking of that promise, let’s now turn our attention to the covenant promises of Scripture and learn how, from beginning to end, God deals with His people by way of covenant.

It’s on to Chapter Seven: Covenant Theology: The Promises of God’s Word.