What is biblical theology?

Biblical theology (or redemptive history) refers to the overarching storyline of the Bible. We could even say that biblical theology is; one big story, by one big author, with one big climax.

One big story

When I use the term ‘story’, I am not using it like the word ‘fable’. Sometimes people are concerned when I say that the Bible is one big story, because they’re worried that people might think that the Bible is full of fairy tales. But, that’s not the only way to use the word story. We can also talk about true stories, or the story of someone’s life. We could also use the word ‘narrative’ instead of story.

But the Bible really is one big story. God started the story in Genesis 1:1 when he created the heavens and the earth, and he will conclude the story when he makes all things new (Revelation 21:1-8). So like any good story, in the Bible there is an orientation, a complication, a climax and a resolution. In the Bible God creates a good world that is ruined by rebellious humanity, which is then saved through the gracious work of his Son.

One big author

The unity of the Bible is simply stunning. In the Bible there are 66 books that are written by a broad range of people and yet they fit together perfectly. This is far more than blind luck. It is the work of a divine author working through humans. For no part of Scripture was ever produced by the will of men, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). It is this divine authorship that gives the Bible its unity. It is one big story composed by one big author.

One big climax

As suggested earlier, the storyline of the Bible has one big climax. And that climax is God’s Son. He is the last chapter of redemptive history (Hebrews 1:1-2), he is the one that Moses and the prophets point towards (Luke 24:27), he is the one that all of the Old Testament bears witness about (John 5:39), and he is the one in whom every promise of God finds its ‘Yes’ (2 Corinthians 1:20). The Lord Jesus, God’s Son, is the climax of the entire Bible.

How does this change the way I understand the Bible?

Because biblical theology says the Bible is one big story, by one big author, with one big climax, this changes the way we see our Bibles. Everything written in the Old Testament prepares us for Jesus’ arrival, and everything written in the New Testament points back to Jesus. Jesus is the main concern of both the Old and New Testaments. He is the climax of the biblical storyline. For this reason every text must be read in light of him and explicitly connected to him if it is to be understood correctly.

Summary

So to wrap up, we could summarise biblical theology (or redemptive history) in six words: one story, one author, one climax. Which means that if we desire to faithfully read and teach the Bible we must first consider where each passage fits into the unfolding story, and then work hard to understand how it connects to the climax of the story.