Thursday Theology : Biblical Theology Vindicated

Graeme Goldsworthy, Australian Anglican and Old Testament scholar is well known for his passion for biblical Theology. Goldsworthy was formerly the lecturer in Old Testament, biblical theology and hermeneutics at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia.  Speaking for the Gheens Lectures, delivered on March 18-20, 2008, at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Goldsworthy spoke first on the necessity and viability of biblical Theology. Goldsworthy’s lecture has four points – 1. Biblical Theology and the doctrine of Scripture, 2. The role of the gospel in biblical theology, 3. Challenges to biblical theology and 4. Summary conclusion: The necessity of biblical theology.  

Goldsworthy defines the discipline of biblical theology as follows : “Biblical theology is the study of how every text in the Bible relates to every other text in the Bible. It is the study of the matrix of divine revelation. At the heart of the gospel is the person of Jesus Christ; he is the word of God come in the flesh. The nature of the gospel is such that it demands that it be at the centre of the biblical message. Biblical theology is, then, the study of how every text in the Bible relates to Jesus and his gospel. Thus we start with Christ so that we may end with Christ. Biblical theology is Christological, for its subject matter is the Scriptures as God's testimony to Christ. It is therefore, from start to finish, a study of Christ. Biblical theology is much more than simply relating the events of the story in chronological order, even if accompanied by theological comment in the process. It needs to be analytical of the theological dynamics within the big story. What is the nature of the progressiveness of revelation? Is it a gradual dawning of the light, or is it a series of discreet steps? What is the relationship between the two Testaments? In biblical theology there needs to be the kind of theological reflection that would help us to see the great recurring themes, both in their unity and their diversity. We observe the way in which the prophets deliberately recapitulate the earlier history of redemption in their eschatological projections. We seek to analyze the dynamics of prophetic fulfilment and typology. biblical theology involves first of all the close reading or exegesis of the parts in order to understand the theological perspectives contained. These must then be synthesized into an understanding of the unity of the theology of the whole canon. The wider synthesis will then affect our understanding of the significance of the parts. But, why should we have any confidence that such a task can be realized? Such confidence can only come from the gospel itself. The writers of the four Gospels point the way by their handling of distinct aspects of the relationship of the person and ministry of Jesus to the Old Testament Scriptures..”

This gospel-centered approach to biblical theology is what makes listening to Goldsworthy so profitable. Gaining insights from him would lead any pastor or even a lay Christian to see the “the coherence of the canon, its inner unity”, making our doctrine of scripture robust and mature. When one learns how everything in scripture is centered on the gospel and tastes the integrity of the canon in declaring the one good news of God, one cannot help but bow in rich adoration of the One Mind behind this wondrous Book. A high view of the Scriptures thus depend on one’s appreciation of the coherence of the canon. Goldsworthy notes, “our doctrine of Scripture, to be robust and maturing, needs to involve more than an abstract concept of authority and inspiration. It needs shape, and it is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that gives it that shape. In this regard hermeneutics intersects with dogmatics, and both intersect with biblical theology. We cannot really have any useful concept of the authority of the Bible unless we have some notion of what the authoritative word is telling us. The doctrine of Scripture as the written word of God must focus on both authority and structure. The doctrine of the authority of the Bible demands the task of biblical theology, which is to seek to understand the structure of Scripture. “

This is a very excellent introduction to and vindication of this very vital theological discipline of biblical theology. Properly done, it would help Evangelicals regain an understanding of the gospel-centered structure of the Scriptures.  

The Necessity and Viability of Biblical Theology Listen |  Download  |  Read

What Is The Bible All About?

It is of little wonder that most pulpits today lack preaching flavored with the aroma of the gospel, when pastors to a great degree do not have any clue on how to put their Bible together. This is the reason why, at least in some circles of Christendom, preaching is merely an articulation of ethical and moral imperatives and has nothing to do with gospel indicatives. There is no exegetical faithfulness in making distinctions between descriptive and prescriptive passages.  Little or no thought is given to what unifies the whole Bible. Some even question whether there is any such unity, even venturing to speak against the Old Testament.

 We need to rediscover and appreciate with deeper levels of insight the bond between God’s partial and preparatory words of promise spoken through Israel’s prophets and his final word spoken in Jesus, the Son who is the Word (Heb. 1:1–2; John 1:1, 14). The contemporary sense of estrangement of the Old Testament from the New Testament is an anomaly in the history of the church. From the apostolic period through the Church Fathers, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation, the church maintained a hearty confidence that God’s role as the primary author of Scripture, speaking his message infallibly through distinctive human voices, secures the harmony and unity of the Bible’s message from Genesis to Revelation. Admittedly, some like Marcion denied that the Lord who addressed Moses on Sinai is the Father of our Lord Jesus. The church, however, condemned such aberrant repudiation of the Old Testament as contradictory to the teaching of Jesus himself. Others failed to recognize the diversity within the Bible’s unity, especially the fact that the Messiah, in bringing Old Testament promises and institutions to fulfillment, also has transformed God’s covenantal modes of relating to his people. Nevertheless, despite such anomalies in relating the Old Testament to the New Testament, the heartbeat of the church as a whole has coincided with Augustine’s pithy maxim: “The old is in the new revealed, the new is in the old concealed.” [1]

The answer to all of these is given by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself in Luke 24, when He expounded the Scriptures to the disciples on the road to Emmaus and showed how the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms were all about Himself. Pastors would do well if they realize how the whole Bible is all about Jesus Christ. We need preachers who are committed to a redemptive-historical reading of the Bible and expounds its central theme – the person and work of Lord Jesus Christ, the full and final revelation of God.

How would a Christocentric reading of Scriptures look like? How would preaching Christ from all of Scriptures look like?

Here is an interesting short clip of Tim Keller giving us a feel of how Christ is all though out the Old Testament. He thus shows how the Bible is basically not about us, but primarily about Jesus Christ. The video ends with an implication for preachers. May those of us who are called to preach Christ take heed.

 

Footnotes

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[1] Dennis. E. Johnson, Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ From All The Scriptures, Pg 4

Introduction To Biblical Theology

Biblical Theology occupies a position between exegesis and systematic theology in the encyclopedia of theological disciplines.  It differs from systematic theology not in being more biblical, or adhering more closely to the truths of the Scriptures, but in that its principle of organizing the biblical material is historical rather than logical.  Whereas systematic theology takes the Bible as a completed whole and endeavors to exhibit its total teaching in an orderly, systematic form, biblical theology deals with the material from the historical standpoint, seeking to exhibit the organic growth or development of the truths of special revelation from the primitive preredemptive special revelation given in Eden to the close of the New Testament canon. [1]

In other words, biblical theology seeks to uncover the theology contained in the Bible itself, tracing the development of the Bible’s themes through redemptive history in its canonical shape.[2] It thus tracks the development of Bible’s doctrine along the redemptive historical storyline as it unfolds from the Law, Prophets, and Writings of the Old Testament into the Gospels and Acts, the Letters, and the Apocalypse in the New.

David Peterson, former Principal of Oak Hill Theological College, London, in his 2006 evening course on biblical theology covered the whole storyline of the Bible in 16 lectures. Peterson goes from creation to new creation tracking the major themes of the biblical metanarrative and brings forth with much clarity, the unity of the canon. The 16 lectures and the handouts are free for download. 

This series is definitely a good primer on biblical theology and is recommended for all thoughtful Christians.

Creation To New Creation : An Introduction To Biblical Theology

What is biblical theology? (1): Listen| Handout

What is biblical theology? (2): Listen

Creation and fall: Listen | Handout

The election and call of Israel: Listen| Handout

Israel under God's rule: Listen | Handout

David's kingdom and God's kingdom: Listen | Handout

Solomon and Israel's failure: Listen | Handout

The prophetic response: Listen | Handout

The promise of a new covenant: Listen | Handout 

The promise of a new temple: Listen | Handout

The blessing of the nations: Listen | Handout

The ministry of Jesus: Listen | Handout

Jesus' death and resurrection: Listen | Handout

The restoration of Israel: Listen | Handout

The ultimate fulfillment of God's plan (1): Listen | Handout

The ultimate fulfillment of God's plan (2): Listen

Footnotes

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[1] G. Vos, Biblical Theology. Old and New Testaments (Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, 1948), Preface.

[2] James M. Hamilton Jr. and Jonathan Leeman, A Biblical Theology of Corporate Prayer

Does Paul Impute Legalism To Moses?

It is very common to hear interpretations of Pauline epistles that suggest a false dichotomy between an Old Covenant system based on works and a New Covenant system based on faith. One of the most common passages used to draw this conclusion is Galatians 3:12, where Paul seems to compare law and faith. Now it is right to conclude from this verse that righteousness comes through faith and not on the basis of deeds. However is it right to say that the Old Testament, at least partially was a legalistic covenant between God and his people. Is it right to say that Paul in Galatians 3:11-12 is pitting the theology of Leviticus to that of Habakkuk. 

In the 2005 edition of The Gospel Witness, James M. Hamilton Jr., Associate Professor of Biblical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote an article investigating on this issue of Leviticus 18:5 in Galatians 3:12. According to Hamilton, to view Old Covenant as a partial legalistic covenant “fails to appreciate the gracious character of the Levitical system”. Hamilton recognizes the central problem with the Galatians as a failure to “understand the law’s role in salvation history”.  With an aim to demonstrate the salvation-historical nature of Paul’s argument, Hamilton in the first section of his article, attempts “to summarize the Levitical system of the Old Testament with the hope of gaining a better understanding of the nature of the Old Covenant.” With that foundation laid, he then “considers the context of Galatians 3”.

In trying to make sense of the Levitical system, Hamilton contends that sincere trust from one’s heart is very much an inevitable element even in keeping the law and in the offering of sacrifices in penitence. Hamilton says “The Mosaic Covenant requires perfect obedience to the law, but the law provides sacrifice for the reparation of relationship when laws are broken. In order for these sacrifices to repair the relationship with Yahweh, however, they must be offered from a trusting heart that is repenting of the sin and seeking Yahweh’s pleasure”. If done without a right heart, then it does not bring any pleasure to Yahweh. Thus the covenant of Moses is to be, in that sense, kept by faith and if thus kept, then Leviticus 18:5 promises escape from being slain by the holiness of Yahweh.  Though this faith is not an explicit faith in the Messiah and His sacrifice, it is still a sincere trust in God and the sacrifices He has instituted for the covering of our sins.  Thus to view Old Covenant as a legalistic covenant is a failure “to appreciate the gracious character of the Levitical system”

In understanding the salvation-historical context of Galatians 3, Hamilton points out that the issue is not “that the Old Testament presented a legalistic way of gaining salvation but that the period in salvation history in which the Levitical system was operative has ended.” Hamilton therefore concludes that, “anyone who seeks to approach God by means of the Old Covenant in this new period in salvation history must keep the Old Covenant law perfectly (Galatians 5:3).” Since the Old testament sacrifices for sins are no longer in effect, the Law Covenant if kept should be kept flawlessly.  Thus Hamilton concludes his article as follows: “Thus, the statement in Leviticus 18:5 as it is used in Galatians 3:12 is equivalent to Galatians 5:3—the one who submits to the Mosaic covenant in this new period of salvation history “is obligated to do the whole law.” Paul does not impute legalism to Moses.”

This short article is worth reading for its many valuable insights into the nature of the two testaments, how faith is an inevitable element in both of them and that neither of them, particularly the Old  is legalistic in its nature.  A proper understanding of this will yield much fruit in faithful interpretation of Paul.

The One Who Does Them Shall Live By Them: Leviticus 18:5 in Galatians 3:12  Read | Download