 What I came away with after this week’s reading was the importance of “seeing life through the lens of Scripture.” The purpose of everything is that we would be shaped by God, and we will only see this happen as we understand and apply God’s Word. Leaders should demonstrate “asking spiritual questions and discussing biblical matters” as part of the daily Christian life (page 428). “Biblical theology offers us the storyline, structure, symbols, and themes that lead to the articulation of clear doctrine, resulting in a particular culture that is embodied by God’s people in the church” (pg 429). This should manifest itself in our daily lives through Bible reading, prayer, evangelism, discipleship, and preaching and teaching. In 2 Timothy 4:1-5, ”Paul connects the grand storyline of the Bible (Jesus is the Christ) to the preaching of the gospel message, the ministry of the word in the life of believers, and the defense of the faith” (pg 433).
Bible Reading The shape of the Scripture itself points out our need for the Word of God, and its power, as the beginning of each grouping stresses it (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29; Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:2). The point is to know God. “Joyfully and expectantly beholding Christ in the Scriptures is the means to becoming like him” (pg 418). Knowing how to study scripture “summons our hearts to worship God and our hands to serve him” (pg 419). Prayer Scripture reveals God’s character and shows us how to live and to pray. Understanding scripture gives us “precision and depth” as we pray. Specific places which show prayer, such as the Lord’s Prayer, can guide is in how to pray. Paul’s letters can give us insight in how to address God (Rom. 15:14-23; Eph. 1:15-23; 3:14-21; Phil. 1:9-11; Col. 1:9-14; 1 thess. 3:9-13; 2 Thess. 1:3-12). Understanding the macrostructure of Scripture (redemptive history) can give us insight how to pray today. Evangelism As we study Scripture, we have to come to grips with humanity’s sinfulness and God’s judgment which gives God’s mercy, grace and love more appeal. Biblical theology equips us with the “whole truth of the identity and work of Jesus,” with which we can reach the world effectively. Discipleship A disciple is a learner. To learn to become like Christ, we have to come to know Him. The means of that is based on biblical theology. In his blog post “The Heart of Discipleship” found on desiringgod.org, Jonathan Parnell makes the point that the basis for true Christian discipleship is fellowship with Christ himself: “Discipleship—following Jesus—is to live before God’s face, to dwell in his presence, to be satisfied in all that he is.” Understanding Scripture—the “what,” “how” and “why” of God’s communication with us—helps us understand fellowship with God. Discipleship has two aspects which biblical theology feeds. The first aspect involves the teacher’s instruction and the learner’s attentive synthesis of what is said—the gospel along with “exhortations, commands, warnings, and promises that flow from it” (pg 422). See 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The second aspect of discipleship involves the teacher’s modeling of truth in everyday life and the learner’s attentive application in their own life. Disciples should observe teacher’s behavior, inasmuch as they reflect Christ’s character, and seek to form virtuous habits that “spring from new life in Christ (2 Cor. 3:18) and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:18-20). Preaching and Teaching To effectively preach and teach, we have to understand the Bible as a whole—both at the book level and canonical level. This big picture view helps us to “preach the whole counsel of God,” as James M. Hamilton, Jr. says on page 197 of his book Text-Driven Preaching: God’s Word at the Heart of Every Sermon. Spellman and Kimble assert that having sermon series on particular books can help us “proclaim the whole counsel of God” (pg 423). (See page 424 footnote for list of preaching textbooks). Further, in his chapter “Biblical Theology and Preaching” from Text-Driven Preaching… Hamilton describes how to model biblical theology for people to whom a teacher of God’s word are entrusted. First, introduce the message. Second, show the people their need to take this message to heart. Third, state the point of the Scripture passage. Fourth, summarize the structure of the passage. Fifth, show the book-level context of the passage. Last, demonstrate how the passage fits into the Bible’s grand storyline by looking at the canonical context. (pg 424) Elder Leadership The Bible is clear about the office of “Elder” being a vital part to the life of the church. Elders are entrusted by God to preach, teach, minister and defend the faith—protecting the Church from false teaching and deluding influences. The PRIMARY responsibility of pastor-elders is that which concerns the spiritual matters of sound doctrine, shepherding God’s people, equipping the saints for the work of service, and facilitating true growth—maturity. Kimble and Spellman note that often these roles are taken to business items and different ideas of growth (buildings, budgets, attracting people) which distract from biblical truth. (pg 425) With that comes the responsibility of mutual accountability and sharpening each other biblically. Kimble and Spellman suggest that groups of pastors could read books on biblical theology then come together to discuss and reflect. We have to remind each other that “all areas of our lives fall under the authority of Christ by means of his Word” (pg 426). Along these lines, we must “immerse ourselves in the text, memorize Scripture, and meditate joyfully on its contents day and night” (pg 426). Spellman and Kimble point out that in shepherding, counseling and care situations biblical theology plays an important role in reminding people about God’s plan and their part in it. My reflection on this is that as we ingest God’s Word and submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in His sanctifying work in our own lives, God will give us what we need to say when we need to say it for every single person. God is very personal, concerned about every human being, and He knows how to reach each and every one. In a statement: God knows how to comfort, correct, command, and cleanse for conformity to Christ! ----------------------- Bibliography Kimble, Jeremy M. and Spellman, Ched. Invitation to Biblical Theology: Exploring the Shape, Storyline, and Themes of Scripture. Kregel Academic, 2020.
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After watching the two videos below, I wrote some of my own thoughts on why Biblical Theology is so important for the Church.
Nancy Guthrie summarized Biblical theology well when she said that it is the “coherent story of what God is doing in His world through Christ.” It is GOD’S world—not ours. Biblical theology re-centers us on Christ and what He is doing rather than us and what we are doing. Shai Linn said something similar when he said that biblical theology is following the Bible’s storyline to see God glorified. I agree with both of them, and my reflection on this is that we need to be reading the Bible with a mind on who God is, knowing that He is revealing Himself in all of it so that we can live a life which glorifies Him. Shai Linn’s exposition of Luke 24:44-47 was helpful in understanding how this may look practically in the Church today. There is in fact ONE church, despite the cultural and geographic diversity, and it should be centered around who God is, as revealed in Scripture. That is why understanding Scripture is so important. To take their ideas a bit further, I could not help but think of the phrase “THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST.” I think this is missing in a lot of churches. While we should be preaching repentance and forgiveness of sins constantly, we also need to keep in mind the maturing, sanctification, and perseverance which is expected of us as the Body of Christ. We have to keep in mind not only the cross but also the resurrection and glorification of Christ, who has proven through that His authority to give us new life. This new life should be marked by obedience to the Holy Spirit whom God has given to dwell in us, preparing us and all who would hear and heed the invitation for His eternal kingdom. With that, we have to be willing to let go of anything which is not useful. Like Shai Linn said, “ARE WE CONVINCED WE ARE RIGHT EVEN THOUGH WE MAY BE WRONG?” That really pricked my heart, and the way I would re-word the question is, “ARE WE TRULY SUBMITTING TO THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST, OR ARE WE MAKING OURSELVES THE LORDS OF OUR OWN LIVES (and churches/ministries)?” God’s word must be sufficient, or we will lead people astray. When we bring in our own ideas or from this world, we pollute the truth. We must not be pressured to think we need to add any “umph” to God’s Word or try to convince people of who God is or how to live their lives apart from what the Bible says. “Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.” (Proverbs 25:26) I was speaking with a woman the other day whose son doubts the coming of the Lord because he does not see any change in the world around us. He also cannot grasp how a loving God could do some of the things seen in the Old Testament. Being aware of what Peter says was helpful. "Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:1-9) We need to be faithful, like Noah was, even though his efforts did not seem fruitful. God’s judgment is certain. For someone who has their mind made up, the truth of God’s word and the work of the Holy Spirit to convict of sin has to be what we rest on; otherwise, we will get exhausted and discouraged in sharing the Gospel. Introduction Through examining the shape, storyline and major themes of Chronicles and Matthew, one can see the Gospel of Matthew was intended to be a continuation of the Chronicler’s account of Israel’s history. First, each book must be understood individually with attention given to its message and location within the biblical canon. This helps readers understand the context in redemptive history. We will also see how the Gospel of Matthew gives steam to the engine of Chronicles as the whole world—not just God’s chosen people Israel—can now climb aboard the “gospel train” on the journey to redemption. Both narratives provide a forward motion which cannot be ignored, bringing hearers and readers to a choice: “participate in this story of redemption or stay put?” Chronicles While the books of I and II Chronicles are placed after I and II Kings in most western renderings of the Old Testament canon, Chronicles, written a couple hundred years after the return from Babylonian exile by the “Chronicler,” an unknown author most likely of Jewish descent, is at the end of the Hebrew Bible. This position in the canon is important to remember in thinking not only about the contents of Chronicles itself but also what lies beyond the book in redemptive history. Redemptive history has to do with how God has worked in and through His chosen people in restoring them to a right relationship with Him. The Shape of Chronicles The first nine chapters of 1st Chronicles recounts the history of the nation Israel from the beginning (Adam) to the exile. This provides a narrative summary of the whole storyline of the Old Testament. The shape of Chronicles also emphasizes the coming of the messianic king. The Chronicler takes readers from Judah to David, then from David to exile. 1 Chronicles 10-29 contains stories about David, largely emphasizing the positive stories which paint a picture of David as an ideal king. In that, David is an image or type of a future messiah. 2 Chronicles tells the stories of kings in Jerusalem. David has died, and his line is emphasized—especially those kings whose obedience led to God’s blessing. In 2 Chronicles, new stories are added about unfaithful kings whose disobedience involved consequences leading up to Israel’s exile. At the book’s conclusion, Cyrus, king of Persia, tells the Israelites they can return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The last line of the book is a segue into what is to come: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up’ “ (2 Chronicles 36:23). In the view of the Chronicler, the prophetic hopes of Israel were not fulfilled in the events of Israel’s return from exile, which can be seen in more detail in Ezra-Nehemiah. Chronicles calls God’s people to look back on their history in order to look ahead properly. The Storyline of Chronicles As Kimble and Speelman point out, this decree of Cyrus is not given in full in the account in Chronicles—most likely for dramatic effect. This creates a certain sense of urgency and call to action on the reader’s part. Throughout Chronicles, much attention is given to David and God’s covenant with him. The return from exile may have been the fulfillment of prophetic promises for restoration in some peoples’ minds, but given the peoples’ lack of true, pure worship of God, one can observe that clearly was not the case. “Chronicles seems to hold out a measure of hope that one is still coming who will not only bring the people back to their land, but will also transform the peoples’ hearts.” The Themes of Chronicles Two major themes can be observed in Chronicles: 1) The author’s hope for a messiah, and 2) The rebuilding of the temple. The covenant with David, rooted in the former covenants with Abraham and the nation Israel, makes it clear that one from the line of David will be this longed-for Messiah. In 1 Chronicles 17, David is seen lamenting over the fact that God does not have a “house” to dwell in. God sends the prophet Nathan to speak to David saying that He—the LORD—will make a house for David; that is, a lineage leading up to one who, God says, will “build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever” (1 Chronicles 17:12-14). In other words, there will be a king like no other king before who will rule in a kingdom without end. He will also serve a priestly function, building the LORD’s house—the temple. The next several chapters chronicle David’s preparations for building the temple of the LORD, and this further highlights the function of David as a priestly king—that one in his line will fulfill the Mosaic covenant. In response to God’s promise, David responds, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? This was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; but You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come…” (1 Chronicles 17:16-17). In other words, this is a promise a long time coming. The train has ascended a steep hill and is about to crest—it just needs some steam. The Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew was written by the apostle Matthew who collected and compiled oral tradition 40 years after Jesus. Matthew wanted to show Jesus as the biblical fulfillment of everything in the Old Testament. When reading Matthew, references to the Old Testament appear in very important junctures in which Matthew was trying to emphasize Jesus’ fulfillment or filling out of Scripture. Being the first book of the New Testament, Matthew continues the storyline of the Old Testament, with a view to help everyone see that Jesus is the promised Davidic Messiah. The Shape and Storyline of Matthew Matthew chapters 1-3 seeks to attach Jesus’ story to the Old Testament Scriptures. The genealogy points out that Jesus is descended from the messianic line of David, son of Abraham—who would bring God’s blessing to all the nations. Jesus, being conceived of the Holy Spirit, is God Himself, or Immanuel—“God with us.” Jesus coming up out of Egypt after his parents fled with Him echoes the Exodus account, making the connection that Jesus is in fact a new, greater Moses who will deliver God’s people from bondage of sin once for all. He will also give them divine teaching. Matthew chapters 4-7 contain Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and the beginning of His ministry, featuring the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus announces God’s kingdom: redemption for the whole world. The plan is to confront and defeat evil, restore God’s reign over His creation, and create a new family for Himself. Jesus explains that He is here to fulfill the Law and to transform the hearts of the people, enabling them to truly love God and other people. Matthew chapters 8-10 show Jesus bringing the kingdom of God into the daily lives of the people. His healings and acts of power bring the power of God’s kingdom into hurting peoples’ lives. In chapter 10, Jesus sends out the twelve disciples so they can do what He does. He warns the disciples that they will experience acceptance by some but rejection and persecution from others; namely, Israel’s leaders who have power they don’t want to lose. Matthew chapters 11-13 contain stories of how people have responded to Jesus’ ministry. Some are positive, outright recognizing him as messiah. Some are neutral, such as Jesus’ family and John the Baptist, who think Jesus is not who they expected from the coming Messiah. Some are negative, such as the Pharisees and Scribes who reject Jesus as a false teacher who is leading people astray. “All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, ‘This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons’ “ (Matt. 12:23-24). Chapter 13 is third block of teaching containing parables about the kingdom of God. This is Jesus’ commentary about stories in chapters 11 and 12—peoples’ different heart conditions. Matthew chapters 14-16 show various interactions Jesus has with people. For those who are hurting and recognize their spiritual need, they recognize Jesus as the messiah, as He performs miracles including feeding the five thousand and four thousand later—along with healings and walking on water. In this section, the Pharisees once again test Jesus. In the middle of this section, Jesus once again provides some commentary on the Heart of Man: “…the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man” (Matt. 15:18). Matthew 17 shows Jesus transfigured in the view of Peter, James, and John, where they also witness Moses and Elijah. This further demonstrates that Jesus was indeed the prophet to come who would restore God’s people, performing His role as High Priest and King. Matthew 18-20 contains more of Jesus’ teaching in which He continues to exhort His disciples to have a pure, soft heart in receiving God’s kingdom like a child. Matthew 21 is Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and cleansing of the temple. The marketplace atmosphere in the temple was an outward picture of the peoples’ hearts, as Jesus tells parables in Matthew 21-23 to get people to see their need to be cleansed. He is trying to get the religious proud to see they are no better than other “sinners” (Matthew 21:31). The last several chapters in Matthew’s gospel account look ahead to future events beyond the book’s scope and sequence. Matthew 24-25 contains Jesus’ commentary on the last times—Christ’s coming, the judgment, and how to be ready. Matthew 26 tells the story of how Jesus was betrayed and He makes an important connection to God’s covenant with His people. The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of the new covenant accomplished by Christ. That new covenant, as we witness in chapters 27 and 28—Jesus’ torture, death, burial and resurrection—is for all who would believe. The book ends with the Great Commission: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18b-20). The Themes of Matthew Matthew emphasizes Jesus as a teacher. In every block of narrative, Jesus provides some teaching which juxtapose those who accept Him and those who reject Him. Generally, those who accept Jesus are irreligious and unimportant in the eyes of their surrounding culture. Those who reject Jesus are the religious and proud. Another thing to keep in mind is that since Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, there are Old Testament quotations at important junctures. One example of this is Jesus quoting Psalm 18 in Matthew 21:42, “The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the LORD and it is marvelous in our eyes.” He had just spoken a parable against the chief priests and Pharisees who were rejecting Him as messiah. Through Jesus’ teaching and appearance with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration, Matthew portrays Jesus as the one who fulfilled the Mosaic covenant. Further, He fulfills God’s promises to David to make a house for him and to Abraham that all nations would be blessed in him. The new covenant is now here, and all who would believe can take part in God’s redemptive work—as recipients and stewards. The train has reached the apex of the hill. “ALL ABOARD!” is the call! Conclusion Looking at the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is clearly the promised Davidic Messiah which the writer of Chronicles looked for. The genealogies in Chronicles connecting the covenants of Abraham and David are alluded to in Matthew’s genealogy. Jesus said, “hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:64). Jesus came to rebuild the temple—but not the kind the writer of Chronicles anticipated. Jesus also said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17). The “better Moses” whom the Chronicler anticipated in David or one of his sons has come. Jesus has now made perfect communion with and worship of God possible. Yet the story is not finished. Much like Chronicles looks to the future, demanding a response from the reader, Matthew does the same. Will you heed the call to come to the risen King Jesus who will one day establish an everlasting kingdom? If you are among His people, are you proclaiming this kingdom to everyone you meet? Staying put is not an option. ____________________ Bibliography Kimble, Jeremy M. and Spellman, Ched. Invitation to Biblical Theology: Exploring the Shape, Storyline, and Themes of Scripture. Kregel Academic, 2020. What stood out to me about this week’s reading was the whole concept of God’s glory. I feel I have more questions than ever before. Because of all the different meanings of the words translated “glory” in English, it seems this is something that I could discuss the rest of my life and not fully grasp. For several years I have been familiar with the ideas of God’s inherent glory and ascribed glory; that is, the glory which worshippers give to Him. The whole concept of giving an inherently glorious God any glory seems to be contradictory. I do understand that He does not lack anything, but for some reason He wants us to recognize His glory. The idea of reflecting His glory is helpful to me, as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:18, rendered in the ESV, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” Somehow God is glorified as we share in His glory. This is still a grand mystery to me!
One tool that I think will prove useful to me in understanding God’s glory is the Word/Concept Tool. Just because different passages in the Bible use the same word “glory” does not mean they are addressing the same concept or topic. One should seek to understand the meaning and author’s intention in each passage. In thinking about a hierarchy of central themes, God’s glory is perhaps at the top. He was in the beginning and He will be in the end. What Paul was referencing in 2 Corinthians 3 regarding God’s glory was comparing the Old Testament glory—shown on Moses' face after meeting with God, fading as it was—to the New Testament glory in which believers are actually transformed. By the power of this New Covenant glory, humanity can once again be made in God's image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). In Revelation, John saw God’s glory in its fullest and everything was rightfully worshipping Him in perfect joy and submission. That is what our current state of worship of God and transformation by the power of the Spirit is leading to. The Holy Spirit, by means of willing human participants, is bringing glory to the name of Christ much like Jesus brought glory to His Father while on Earth. It seems that while all attributes of God are worth studying, meditating on, and seeking to emulate, they would all relate to God’s glory. As Kimble and Spellman note, glory is a divine quality—the “manifest reality of who God is” (pg 253). I appreciate the writing of Jonathan Edwards who seemed to have a deep understanding and conviction that everything is done for God's glory. In other words, God is doing everything to make Himself known. Our proper response is worship. Anything else is vain. Bibliography Kimble, Jeremy M. and Spellman, Ched. Invitation to Biblical Theology: Exploring the Shape, Storyline, and Themes of Scripture. Kregel Academic, 2020. |
This is the blog of Tyler Shepard, the Associate Pastor for Centre Union Church in Yeagertown, PA.
I hope you are encouraged and challenged to walk more closely with Jesus Christ! Archives
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