Scriptural/Biblical Theology as it is understood from the perspective of the scriptural/biblical writers themselves. This category of theology must be carefully distinguished from systematic theology which systematizes and re-expresses the teachings of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible through the use of modern concepts and categories. Scriptural/Biblical theology is scriptural/biblical because it states the theology of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible by limiting to the language, categories, and perspectives of the scriptural/biblical writers. It attempts to arrive at this understanding without modern theological biases or assumptions.

Scriptural/Biblical Theology is historical in its orientation. It attempts to get into the minds of the authors of Scripture in order to arrive at the meanings they intended for their original readers. This means that scriptural/biblical theology is dependent upon careful interpretation of the scriptural/biblical texts in their original languages. But scriptural/biblical theology is much more complex than merely compiling Scripture/Bible verses on various themes or subjects in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, followed by a summary of this materials. This approach would not be sensitive to the various historical contexts and specific emphases of the scriptural/biblical writers.

Scriptural/Biblical theology does not attempt to systematize but only to the extent that this can be done without imposing an artificial structure upon the scriptural/biblical writers. The scriptural/biblical theologian will go no further than these writers went in systematizing their material. His concern is to represent their perspectives as clearly and as faithfully as possible.

Scriptural/Biblical theology is divided into Old Testament theology and New Testament theology, although the relation between the two also concerns scriptural/biblical theologians. Further specialization also occurs within both Old Testament and New Testament theologies.

Scriptural/Biblical theologians often speak of the theologies of Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Matthew, and Paul. This is in keeping with the emphasis of scriptural/biblical theology upon the distinctive of the individual scriptural/biblical writers. But a big part of the task of scriptural/biblical theology is to pull together the common emphases of the scriptural/biblical writers and to seek the unity of their writings. Although these inspired writers have different contributions to make to the subject of God and His revelation, their writings are compatible with each other. Therefore, scriptural/biblical theology focuses on the diversity that exists within the larger unity of Scripture, and tries to set forth that which unifies, without ignoring the diversity.

As long as the interpreter gives sufficient attention to the distinctive of the various writers, scriptural/biblical theology can organize its work topically, according to main subjects. But because scriptural/biblical theology is interested in historical understanding, it is better to proceed chronologically. Therefore, the scriptural/biblical theologian works his way progressively through the Scared Scripture/Holy Bible, tracing the progress of revelation and the development of theological thought, from the earliest writers to the latest. The focus is not only on the religious experience of the people, but more on the revelation of God and His people's understanding His acts or deeds.

Scriptural Biblical theologians seek to find the best organizing principle or idea that serves as the center of a scriptural/biblical theology. Old Testament theologians have suggested such ideas as the covenant, the Lordship of God, the presence of God, and the people of God. New Testament theologians have mentioned the kingdom of God, grace, salvation, resurrection, and kerygma (a summary of the main points in the preaching of the earliest Christians in the Book of Acts).

Any of these concepts can be used as an organizing principle, for all the central concepts of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible are related. But certainly one of the most helpful suggestions to come from scriptural/biblical theologians is the idea of "salvation history." This refers to the saving acts of God in history. It is an ideal organizing principle for both Old and New Testaments. In fact, many scriptural/biblical theologians believe the most effective way to look at the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is in terms of God's special acts of salvation on behalf of His people Israel and His Church. But they see these various individual events as a unity, moving from promise to completion. Therefore, "salvation history" is a single great plan of salvation that finds its ultimate fulfillment in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Following is a broad overview of the events in this salvation history.

Two basic theological truths of the Old Testament are God as Creator and God as Redeemer. The created order is God's not only because He created it, but because He is in the process of redeeming it from its rebellion and sin. The Sacred Scripture is the story of God setting right what went wrong with His creation because of the 'Fall of Adam.' - Gen. 3:1-24 -

The history of salvation begins with the call of Abraham and the covenant between Abraham and God. - Gen. 12:1-3 - This story reaches its conclusion in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The election of the nation of Israel as God's special people is not for their sake alone, but for the sake of all the peoples of the world. This blessing is ultimately encountered and experienced by the Church through faith, hope, love in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Yahweh said to Abram (Abraham) Leave your country, your family and your father's house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you:
I will curse those who slight you.
All the tribes of the earth
shall bless themselves by you. - Gen. 12:1-3 -

The great redemptive act of the Old Testament is the "Exodus" the deliverance of God's people from bondage in Egypt. This is the Old Testament counterpart to the deliverance brought about by the Lord Jesus Christ through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. His death on the Cross. Through the Exodus, God revealed not only His sovereign power, but also His faithfulness and the depth of His covenant love for Israel. This was followed immediately by the covenant between God and His people renewed at Mount Sinai and the giving of the Law. God had already entered into covenant relationship with His people and had miraculously delivered them. This means that obedience to the Law cannot be understood as a requirement for becoming the people of God and enjoying His favor. The Law was given in the context of God's grace.

From the perspective of the New Testament, the Law may be interpreted as having several purposes. It was given to instruct the people about the absolute holiness of God and the sinfulness of humanity. The Law also set Israel apart from the surrounding nations in order that the Hebrews might be the pure channel by which the Messiah could come and accomplish His saving work for all humanity.

Through the prophets of the Old Testament the work of the Lord Jesus Christ was anticipated most clearly. They cautioned the people against presuming upon their relationship with God, as though being a member of the Jewish race were a virtue in itself. And they tried to lift the people's eyes from their national and political concerns to God's love for all nations. God 's intent was to transform the entire fallen creation; He was not concerned only with the political sovereignty of the nation of Israel.

All along God was up to something far greater than Israel realized. "Whoever asks to be blessed on earth will ask to be blessed by the God of truth, and whoever takes oath on earth will take oath by the God of truth, for past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes. For now I create new heavens and a new earth, and the past will not be remembered, and will come no more to men minds." - Is. 65:16-17, 42:10 - The prophet Jeremiah expressed this truth by referring to a "new covenant" which God would establish in the future. - Jer. 31:31-34 - The old covenant, particularly the Law, could not accomplish the goal which God had for His people and His creation. In the new covenant His Law would be written on the hearts of His people, and they would enjoy the lasting forgiveness of their sins.

God preserved His people through the experiences of the division of the kingdom, the destruction of the nations of Israel and Judah, the "Captivity" and the resettlement of His people in Jerusalem. He continued to reveal Himself and His purposes through the prophets, who increasingly spoke of what God would do in the near future. In this spirit of anticipation His people entered the New Testament era with its great announcement of fulfillment and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The New Testament as Fulfillment: the Church. The New Testament announced the ministry of Jesus Christ as the turning point of the ages, the beginning of the great fulfillment proclaimed by the prophets. It is impossible to exaggerate the centrality of this theme of fulfillment in the New Testament. The constant use of quotations from the Old Testament clearly demonstrates this point. According to the first three Gospels, the message of Jesus Christ was that the kingdom of God had arrived. The kingdom was expressed in both the words and deeds of Jesus.

The presence of the kingdom depends directly on the presence of the Messianic King. With Jesus arrival, the fulfillment of the end time has already begun, although it is clear that the final realization of God's purpose remains yet in the future.

The death of Jesus was important as the basis of the kingdom. The rule of God cannot be experienced in any age, present or future, without the atoning sacrifice that reconciles sinners with a holy God. Therefore, the death of Jesus became central for the theology of the New Testament. But the resurrection was equally important. In this event, the new order of the new creation broke directly into the present age. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was assurance of the truths which He had proclaimed, as well as the resurrection of the dead at the end of time.

The pouring out of the Holy Spirit at "Pentecost" depended on the finished work of Jesus Christ in His passion, death and resurrection. This was a certain sign of the new age brought by Christ and the mark of the new people of God, the Church. The ministry of the Holy Spirit guarantees that the results of Christ's work are experienced in the believer's life until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth.

In the first sermons preached by the first Christians [ in the first half of the Book of Acts ] we see the main points of the faith of the early Church. In fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus was born of the line of David, was crucified, died, and was buried. But Jesus arose from the dead and will return some day as Judge. The possibility of repentance and salvation is thus founded directly on these saving acts of God in His Son, Jesus Christ.

The letters or epistles of the New Testament contain interpretation and application of these events. The letters or epistles, are divided into two main sections - doctrine and ethics. In the doctrinal sections of these letters, the meaning of Christ's work is described. The ethical sections always build on the doctrinal foundations, instructing Christians on how to live the Christian life.

In both the doctrinal and the ethical sections of the epistles, the excitement of the fulfillment experienced through Jesus Christ is always foremost. The work of Christ, particularly in the Cross and the Resurrection, is considered the saving act of God. These are compared to the saving acts of God in the Old Testament. Therefore, in scriptural/biblical theology, the promises of God in the Old Testament are fulfilled in God's great act of redemption through His Son, Jesus, in the New.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -