God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment E-Book

James M. Hamilton Jr.

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 1500

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

In Exodus 34 Moses asks to see God's glory, and God reveals himself as a God who is merciful and just. James Hamilton Jr. contends that from this passage comes a biblical theology that unites the meta-narrative of Scripture under one central theme: God's glory in salvation through judgment. Hamilton begins in the Old Testament by showing that Israel was saved through God's judgment on the Egyptians and the Caananites. God was glorified through both his judgment and mercy, accorded in salvation to Israel. The New Testament unfolds the ultimate display of God's glory in justice and mercy, as it was God's righteous judgment shown on the cross that brought us salvation. God's glory in salvation through judgment will be shown at the end of time, when Christ returns to judge his enemies and save all who have called on his name. Hamilton moves through the Bible book by book, showing that there is one theological center to the whole Bible. The volume's systematic method and scope make it a unique resource for pastors, professors, and students.

Leseprobe

As readers of Scripture we long to know the message of the Bible as a whole. We do not want to miss the forest for the trees. Unfortunately, there are few books that help us to be faithful to the whole counsel of God. What a delight, then, to read Jim Hamilton’s book where the story line of the Scriptures is unfolded. Hamilton rightly sees that the glory of God is at the center of the scriptural record, demonstrating with careful attention to the biblical text the supremacy of God in both the Old Testament and the New. Scholars, students, and laypeople will all profit from reading this work, which instructs the mind, enlivens the heart, and summons us to obedience.”

Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“In an era when centers in general no longer hold, Hamilton makes a strong case for the centrality to biblical theology of what C. H. Dodd called the ‘two-beat rhythm’ of biblical history: salvation through judgment. Hamilton discovers this theme in every book of the Bible and argues that it is the heartbeat of God’s ultimate purpose: the publication of his glory. In seeking to do justice to scriptural unity and diversity alike, Hamilton’s work represents biblical theology at its best.”

Kevin Vanhoozer, Blanchard Professor of Theology,Wheaton College Graduate School

“Centered on the important themes of salvation and judgment, Hamilton’s book models well how a thematic approach toward biblical theology might be applied to the whole of Scripture. It is to be warmly welcomed as an invitation to reflect on biblical truth and an opportunity to dialogue on how the unity of the Old and New Testaments may be articulated best.”

T. Desmond Alexander, Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studiesand Director of Postgraduate Studies, Union Theological College

“Who said that the search for a center in biblical theology is a dead end? In this bold and courageous book, which deals with the entire Bible, James Hamilton Jr. dons the mantle of an explorer in search of the holy grail of biblical theology. As he journeys through the Bible, there are many sights in the biblical landscape that will arrest the attention of those who accompany him, including the pivotal revelation of God in Exodus 34:6–7. Hamilton’s thoughtful analysis and reflection provide many insights into the biblical text. While you may not agree with all of his conclusions, you won’t come back from your journey with him without a greater sense of God’s majesty and glory. Rather than being a dead end, this is a gateway into a new world.”

Stephen Dempster, Stuart E. Murray Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Atlantic Baptist University

God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology Copyright © 2010 by James M. Hamilton Jr. Published by Crossway           1300 Crescent Street           Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Amy Bristow Cover photo: The Delivery of Israel—Pharaoh and his hosts overwhelmed in the Red Sea, 1825, by Francis Danby (1793–1861); © Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston, Lancashire, UK/The Bridgeman Art Library Interior Design and Typesetting: Lakeside Design Plus

First printing 2010 Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise noted, translations of the biblical text are my own. I have sometimes used the English Standard Version as a base text, altering it somewhat, and always changing “Lord” to “Yahweh.”

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from The New American Standard Bible.® Copyright © The Lock-man Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The “NIV” and “New International Version” trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Biblica.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from The New King James Version. Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

Scripture references marked NRSV are from The New Revised Standard Version. Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

Hardcover ISBN:978-1-58134-976-4PDF ISBN:978-1-4335-2133-1Mobipocket ISBN:978-1-4335-2134-8ePub ISBN:978-1-4335-2135-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hamilton, James M., 1974–     God’s glory in salvation through judgment : a biblical theology / James M. Hamilton Jr. p. cm.     Includes bibliographical references and index.     ISBN 978-1-58134-976-4 (hc)—ISBN 978-1-4335-2133-1 (pdf)—ISBN 978-1-4335-2134-8 (mobipocket)—ISBN 978-1-4335-2135-5 (ePub)     1. Bible—Theology. 2. Salvation—Christianity. 3. Judgment of God. 4. Glory of God— Christianity. I. Title. BS543.H335 2010 234—dc22

2010021879

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

SH    21   20   19   18   17   16   15   14   13   12   11   10 14    13    12   11   10    9    8    7    6    5    4    3    2    1

For my mom and dadwho led me to knowthe God who is glorified

CONTENTS

Analytical Outline11List of Illustrations21Acknowledgments25A Strategy for Reading This Book29Abbreviations311.  Can the Center Hold?372.  God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment      in the Torah 673.  God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment      in the Prophets1394.  God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment      in the Writings2715.  God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment      in the Gospels and Acts3556.  God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment      in the Letters of the New Testament4437.  God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment      in Revelation5418.  God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment      and Objections to Its Centrality5539.  God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment      in Ministry Today565Selected Bibliography573General Index589Scripture Index607

ANALYTICAL OUTLINE

Chapter 1. Can the Center Hold?

1 Introduction

2 Do Things Fall Apart? (Is There a Unity in the Bible’s Diversity?)

2.1 Finding Our Way in the Widening Gyre: The History and Purpose of Biblical Theology

2.2 How Do We Define the Center of Biblical Theology?

2.3 How Do We Identify the Center of Biblical Theology?

3 Mere Anarchy Is Loosed upon the World: The Plethora of Proposed Centers

4 The World Is Charged with the Grandeur of God: Proposed Centers and the Center

5 “Salvation through Judgment to the Glory of God”: What Does This Phrase Mean?

6 Like Shining from Shook Foil

Chapter 2. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment in the Torah

1 Introduction

1.1 The Story of Torah Book by Book

2 Genesis

2.1 The Heavens Proclaim the Glory of God

2.1.1 The Gods of the Nations

2.1.2 The Purity and Power of the God of the Bible

2.1.3 Gender for the Glory of God

2.1.4 The Primeval Temple

2.2 Paradise Lost

2.3 Blessing and Cursing, Judging and Saving

2.4 The Justice of God: Genesis 3:15

2.5 The Justice of God: Genesis 3:16

2.6 The Justice of God: Genesis 3:17–19

2.7 The Mercy of God: The Seed of the Woman

2.8 The Center of the Theology of Genesis

3 Exodus

3.1 Salvation through Judgment at the Exodus

3.2 From Egypt to Sinai

3.3 At Sinai

3.4 The Glorious Name: Exodus 32–34

3.5 The Center of the Theology of Exodus

4 Leviticus Excursus: Leviticus 18 and Deuteronomy 30 in Romans 10

4.1 The Center of the Theology of Leviticus

5 Numbers

5.1 The Center of the Theology of Numbers

6 Deuteronomy

6.1 From Sinai to Moab

6.2 Motivation to Obey

6.2.1 Reasons to Obey

6.2.2 Out of the Midst of the Fire

6.2.3 Israel’s Heart Problem

6.2.4 Life under Law

6.3 The Covenant Stipulations

6.4 Moses’ Last Will and Testament

6.5 The Center of the Theology of Deuteronomy

7 The Center of the Theology of the Torah

8 Appendix: Exodus 34:6–7 in the Law, Prophets, and Writings

8.1 Exodus 34:6–7 in the Law

8.2 Exodus 34:6–7 in the Prophets

8.3 Exodus 34:6–7 in the Writings

8.4 Less Certain Allusions

8.4.1 In the Law

8.4.2 In the Prophets

8.4.3 In the Writings

Chapter 3. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment in the Prophets

1 Introduction

2 The Former Prophets: Joshua–Kings

2.1 The Former Prophets Book by Book

2.2 Joshua

2.2.1 Crossing Over into the Land

2.2.2 Taking the Land

2.2.3 Dividing the Land

2.2.4 Serving in the Land

2.2.5 The Center of the Theology of Joshua

2.3 Judges

2.3.1 Failure to Complete the Conquest

2.3.2 The Accounts of the Judges

2.3.3 No King, No Restraint

2.3.4 The Center of the Theology of Judges

2.4 Samuel

2.4.1 Samuel

2.4.2 Saul

2.4.3 David

2.4.3.1 Unexpected Salvation

2.4.3.2 No Place to Lay His Head

2.4.3.3 Kingdom and Covenant

2.4.3.4 Sin and Its Consequences

2.4.3.5 The Site of the Temple

2.4.4 The Center of the Theology of Samuel

2.5 Kings

2.5.1 David and His Sons

2.5.2 Solomon, Temple, Idolatry

2.5.3 Divided Kingdom

2.5.4 Judah

2.5.5 The Center of the Theology of Kings

2.6 The Center of the Theology of the Former Prophets

3 The Latter Prophets: Isaiah–Malachi

3.1 The Latter Prophets Book by Book

3.2 Isaiah

3.2.1 Present Sin and Future Hope (Isaiah 1–5)

3.2.2 The Call of Isaiah (Isaiah 6)

3.2.3 The Book of Immanuel: Trust God Not Assyria (Isaiah 7–12)

3.2.4 Oracles against the Nations (Isaiah 13–23)

3.2.5 Isaiah’s Apocalypse (Isaiah 24–27)

3.2.6 Assyria, Egypt, and Yahweh (Isaiah 28–35)

3.2.7 The Deliverance of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36–39)

3.2.8 The Incomparable Yahweh (Isaiah 40–48)

3.2.9 The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 49–55)

3.2.10 Future Deliverance (Isaiah 56–66)

3.2.11 The Center of the Theology of Isaiah

3.3 Jeremiah

3.3.1 The Call of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1)

3.3.2 Early Oracles Calling for Repentance and Announcing Judgment (Jeremiah 2–6)

3.3.3 Increasingly Inevitable Judgment and Jeremiah’s “Confessions” (Jeremiah 7–20)

3.3.4 The House of David and the Basket of Figs (Jeremiah 21–24)

3.3.5 Hope beyond Exile ( Jeremiah 25–33): Book of Consolation and New Covenant (30–33)

3.3.6 Rejection of Yahweh’s Word and Exile (Jeremiah 34–45)

3.3.7 The Oracles against the Nations (Jeremiah 46–51)

3.3.8 Jeremiah’s Prophecies Come to Pass (Jeremiah 52)

3.3.9 The Center of the Theology of Jeremiah

3.4 Ezekiel

3.4.1 Salvation through Judgment for God’s Glory in Ezekiel

3.4.2 Yahweh Acts for His Own Sake

3.4.3 The Center of the Theology of Ezekiel

3.5 The Book of the Twelve

3.5.1 Hosea

3.5.2 Joel

3.5.3 Amos

3.5.4 Obadiah

3.5.5 Jonah

3.5.6 Micah

3.5.7 Nahum

3.5.8 Habakkuk

3.5.9 Zephaniah

3.5.10 Haggai

3.5.11 Zechariah

3.5.12 Malachi

3.5.13 The Center of the Theology of the Twelve

3.6 The Center of the Theology of the Latter Prophets

4 The Center of the Theology of the Prophets

5 Appendix 1: The Order of the Twelve

6 Appendix 2: All the Earth Filled with the Knowledge of Yahweh’s Glory

Chapter 4. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment in the Writings

1 Introduction

1.1 Wisdom Literature and Biblical Theology

1.2 The Canonical Context of the Writings

2 The Book of Truth: Psalms, Proverbs, Job

2.1 The Book of Truth Book by Book

2.2 Psalms

2.2.1 Book 1, Psalms 1–41

2.2.2 Book 2, Psalms 42–72

2.2.3 Book 3, Psalms 73–89

2.2.4 Book 4, Psalms 90–106

2.2.5 Book 5, Psalms 107–150

2.2.6 The Center of the Theology of Psalms

2.3 Proverbs

2.3.1 Proverbs of Solomon: Parental Teaching to Escape Wicked Men and Wayward Women (Proverbs 1–9)

2.3.2 Proverbs of Solomon: The Way the World Works (Proverbs 10–22:16)

2.3.3 Thirty Sayings of the Wise: How to Relate to Other People (Prov. 22:17–24:22)

2.3.4 More Sayings of the Wise: Justice and Home Economics (Prov. 24:23–34)

2.3.5 Proverbs of Solomon Copied by Hezekiah’s Men: The Glory of God and the Glory of Kings (Proverbs 25–29)

2.3.6 The Words of Agur: Humble Descriptions of the World (Proverbs 30)

2.3.7 The Words of King Lemuel: Nobility and the Virtuous Wife (Proverbs 31)

2.3.8 The Center of the Theology of Proverbs

2.4 Job

2.4.1 Yahweh’s Challenge to Satan about Job (Job 1–2)

2.4.2 Job’s Lament (Job 3)

2.4.3 Job and His Counselors (Job 4–25)

2.4.4 Job Extols God’s Majesty (Job 26–31)

2.4.5 Elihu’s Speech (Job 32–37)

2.4.6 Yahweh’s Response (Job 38–42)

2.6.7 The Center of the Theology of Job

3 The Megilloth (Small Scrolls): Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther

3.1 The Megilloth Book by Book

3.2 Song of Songs

3.3 Ruth

3.4 Lamentations

3.5 Ecclesiastes

3.5.1 The Riddle of the Numbers

3.5.2 The Messianic Wisdom of a Beautiful Mind

3.5.3 Matching Poems on the “Circle of Life” and “Youth and Old Age” (Eccles. 1:2–11; 11:7–12:8)

3.5.4 What Is Good for Man to Do? (Eccles. 1:12–6:9)

3.5.5 Man’s Inability to Understand God’s Work (Eccles. 6:10–11:6)

3.5.6 All Has Been Heard: The Conclusion of the Matter (Eccles. 12:9–14)

3.5.7 The Center of the Theology of Ecclesiastes

3.6 Esther

4 Other Sacred Writings: Daniel, Ezra–Nehemiah, Chronicles

4.1 The Other Sacred Writings Book by Book

4.2 Daniel

4.2.1 Daniel Exiled (Daniel 1)

4.2.2 Nebuchadnezzar’s Vision: Statue Representing Four Kingdoms (Daniel 2)

4.2.3 Deliverance from the Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3)

4.2.4 Nebuchadnezzar Humbled: Seven Years of Insanity (Daniel 4)

4.2.5 Belshazzar Humbled: Weighed and Found Wanting (Daniel 5)

4.2.6 Deliverance from the Lion’s Den (Daniel 6)

4.2.7 Daniel’s Visions: Four Kingdoms Represented in Various Ways (Daniel 7–9)

4.2.8 Daniel’s Vision of the End of the Exile (Daniel 10–12)

4.2.9 The Center of the Theology of Daniel

4.3 Ezra–Nehemiah

4.4 Chronicles

4.4.1 Genealogies (1 Chronicles 1–9)

4.4.2 Saul (1 Chronicles 10)

4.4.3 David (1 Chronicles 11–29)

4.4.4 Solomon (2 Chronicles 1–9)

4.4.5 Kings of Judah (2 Chronicles 10–36)

4.4.6 The Center of the Theology of Chronicles

5 The Center of the Theology of the Writings

6 The Center of Old Testament Theology

7 Appendix: Old Testament Prayers Appealing to God’s Concern for His Own Glory

Chapter 5. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment in the Gospels and Acts

1 Introduction

2 The Gospels and Acts Book by Book

3 Matthew

3.1 Jesus Relives the History of Israel (Matthew 1–2)

3.2 Call to Kingdom Repentance (Matthew 3–4)

3.3 The Message of the Kingdom (Matthew 5–7)

3.4 Mighty Works That Confirm the Teaching (Matthew 8–9)

3.5 Gathering the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel (Matthew 10)

3.6 Rising Opposition (Matthew 11–12)

3.7 Kingdom Parables (Matthew 13)

3.8 Jesus on Mission (Matthew 14–17)

3.9 Discipleship (Matthew 18)

3.10 Entering Jerusalem (Matthew 19–23)

3.11 The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25)

3.12 Passion, Resurrection, Commission (Matthew 26–28)

3.13 The Center of the Theology of Matthew

4 Mark

4.1 The Baptist and Jesus (Mark 1:1–13)

4.2 Jesus in Galilee (Mark 1:14–8:30)

4.3 Jesus on the Way to Jerusalem (Mark 8:31–10:52)

4.4 Jesus in Jerusalem (Mark 11:1–16:8 [20])

4.5 The Center of the Theology of Mark

5 Luke

5.1 Preparation for Jesus’ Ministry (Luke 1–3)

5.2 Temptation and Beginning of Jesus’ Public Ministry (Luke 4)

5.3 Ministry in Galilee (Luke 5–9)

5.4 On the Way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51–19:27)

5.5 In Jerusalem: Arrest, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Commission (Luke 19:28–24:53)

5.6 The Center of the Theology of Luke

6 John

6.1 Prologue (John 1:1–18)

6.2 The Book of Signs (John 1:19–12:50)

6.3 The Book of Glory (John 13–20)

6.4 Epilogue (John 21)

6.5 The Center of the Theology of John

7 Acts

7.1 Witness to the Resurrection in Jerusalem (Acts 1–7)

7.2 Witness to the Resurrection in Judea and Samaria (Acts 8–12)

7.3 Witness to the Resurrection to the Ends of the Earth (Acts 13–28)

7.3.1 Paul’s First Journey (Acts 13–14)

7.3.2 The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)

7.3.3 Paul’s Second Journey (Acts 16–18)

7.3.4 Paul’s Third Journey (Acts 19–21)

7.3.5 Paul’s Captivity and Transfer to Rome (Acts 22–28)

7.4 The Center of the Theology of Acts

8 The Center of the Theology of the Gospels and Acts

9 Appendix: Baptism in the New Testament

Chapter 6. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment in the Letters of the New Testament

1 Introduction

2 Paul’s Letters

2.1 Paul’s Letters Book by Book

2.2 Romans

2.2.1 An Overview of the Argument of Romans

2.2.2 God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment in Romans

2.2.2.1 God’s Glory in Romans

2.2.2.2 Salvation through Judgment in Romans

2.3 First Corinthians

2.3.1 Schisms (1 Corinthians 1–4)

2.3.2 Sexual Immorality (1 Corinthians 5–7)

2.3.3 Idolatry (1 Corinthians 8–10)

2.3.4 Worship (1 Corinthians 11–14)

2.3.5 Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15)

2.3.6 Travel Plans (1 Corinthians 16)

2.4 Second Corinthians

2.4.1 The Attack on Paul by His Opponents

2.4.2 Paul’s Response to the Attack

2.4.3 Salvation through Judgment for God’s Glory in Second Corinthians

2.4.3.1 Paul’s Gospel

2.4.3.2 Paul’s Own Life and Suffering

2.4.3.3 Paul’s Ministry and Message

2.4.3.4 Corinthian Repentance and Future Judgment

2.5 Galatians

2.5.1 Deliverance in Christ for God’s Glory (Gal. 1:1–5)

2.5.2 The Problem in Galatia (Gal. 1:6–10)

2.5.3 Paul’s Gospel from God, Not Man (Gal. 1:11–2:21)

2.5.4 Paul’s Gospel Proved by Experience and Scripture (Gal. 3:1– 4:11)

2.5.5 Call to Freedom in the Spirit (Gal. 4:12–6:10)

2.5.6 Boasting Only in the Cross (Gal. 6:11–18)

2.6 Ephesians

2.7 Philippians

2.8 Colossians

2.8.1 The Glory of Christ in Colossians

2.8.2 The Colossians “in Christ” by Faith

2.8.3 God Accomplished Salvation through Judgment in the Glorious Christ

2.9 First Thessalonians

2.10 Second Thessalonians

2.11 First Timothy

2.12 Second Timothy

2.13 Titus

2.14 Philemon

2.15 The Center of Paul’s Theology

3 Catholic Epistles

3.1 Other Letters Book by Book

3.2 Hebrews

3.2.1 The Glory of God in Christ in the Opening Lines of Hebrews

3.2.2 The Narrative Substructure of Hebrews

3.2.3 Salvation through Judgment for God’s Glory in Hebrews

3.3 James

3.4 First Peter

3.4.1 The New Exodus: Praise God and Be Ye Holy (1 Pet. 1:1–2:10)

3.4.2 Submitting and Suffering Sojourners (1 Pet. 2:11–4:11)

3.4.3 Shepherded through Messianic Woes to Glory (1 Pet. 4:12– 5:14)

3.5 Second Peter

3.6 First John

3.6.1 The World

3.6.2 Apostates

3.6.3 God Works Salvation in Christ

3.6.4 The Application of Salvation to Worldlings

3.6.5 The New Life

3.7 Second John

3.8 Third John

3.9 Jude

3.10 The Center of the Theology of the Catholic Epistles

4 The Center of the Theology of the New Testament Letters

5 Appendix: Doxologies in the New Testament

Chapter 7. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment in Revelation

1 Introduction

2 An Overview of the Contents of Revelation

3 The Chiastic Structure of Revelation

4 The New Exodus and Return from Exile in Revelation

5 The Center of the Theology of Revelation

6 The Center of New Testament and Biblical Theology

Chapter 8. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment and Objections to Its entrality

1 Introduction

2 Method and Biblical Theology

2.1 Progressive Revelation?

2.2 The Metaphor of a Center?

2.3 Persuasive Definition?

2.4 The Discussion Continues

3 Particular Texts and Biblical Theology

3.1 God’s Purpose and the Biblical Authors

3.2 One-Sided Expressions?

3.3 Learning from the Biblical Authors

4 Theology Proper and Biblical Theology

4.1 God’s Love and His Pursuit of His Glory

4.2 The Justice of God

4.3 Can There Be More than One Ultimate Purpose?

5 Conclusion

Chapter 9. God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment in Ministry Today

1 Introduction

2 Church Ministry

2.1 Evangelism

2.2 Discipleship

2.3 Corrective Church Discipline

3 Personal Spiritual Discipline

3.1 Bible Reading

3.2 Prayer

4 Conclusion

Selected Bibliography

1 Primary Sources and Translations

2 Concordances, Grammars, and Lexicons

3 Secondary Literature

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure

2.1

The Camp of Israel

109

Tables

1.1

The Tripartite Shape of the Hebrew Bible

59

1.2

The Books in the Tripartite Order

60

1.3

Narrative Story Line and Poetic Commentary

61

1.4

The Shape of the New Testament

64

2.1

The Story Torah Tells

69

2.2

The Days of Creation

72

2.3

Correspondences between Eden and the Tabernacle and Temple

74

2.4

Imagery from Genesis 3:14–19 in the Old Testament

77

2.5

The Curses of Genesis 3:14–19

80

2.6

Correspondences between Eden and Israel

82

2.7

Curses Answered by Blessings

82

2.8

The Blessing of Abraham in Genesis

83

2.9

Seed Conflict in Genesis

84

2.10

Gender Conflict in Genesis

86

2.11

Terms Common to Genesis 3:17 and 5:29

88

2.12

Be Fruitful and Multiply

90

2.13

The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart

92

2.14

Pharaoh’s False Promises

93

2.15

Yahweh’s Intent to Make Himself Known

94

2.16

Deuteronomy’s Exposition of the Ten Commandments

128

3.1

The Prophets and the Exile

140

3.2

The Story of the Former Prophets

143

3.3

I Am Yahweh Who Brought You Out

146

3.4

Chiastic Structure in 2 Samuel 21–24

174

3.5

Thematic Chiastic Structure in the Former Prophets

187

3.6

The Years of the Kings and the Prophets

189

3.7

The Story of the Latter Prophets

191

3.8

Oswalt’s Chiastic Structure of Isaiah 56–66

210

3.9

Yahweh Acting for His Name before the Nations

226

3.10

Link Words and Thematic Connections at the Beginnings and Ends of the Books of the Twelve

230

3.11

Key Words, Thematic Links, and Similar Phrases and Concepts in the Twelve

232

3.12

Through Judgment to Salvation in Micah

247

3.13

“Burden” Announcement of Destruction in the Book of the Twelve

250

3.14

The Structure of Habakkuk

252

3.15

Dates in Haggai and Zechariah

255

3.16

Eight Visions of the Night in Zechariah 1:7–6:8

258

3.17

Chiastic Structure in Zechariah 7–8

259

3.18

Thematic Chiastic Structure in Zechariah 9–14

261

3.19

The Order of the Twelve in BHS, DSS, 8ḤevXIIgr, and LXX

268

4.1

Grant’s Arrangement of the Central Section of Book 1 of the Psalms

280

4.2

Zenger’s Arrangement of Book 5 of the Psalms (Adapted)

286

4.3

Waltke’s Chiasm in Proverbs 1–9 (Adapted)

293

4.4

Job 4–25, The Speeches of Job and His Counselors

302

4.5

Literary Structure of the Song of Songs

307

4.6

The Chiastic Structure of Ecclesiastes

319

4.7

The Chiastic Structure of Daniel

325

4.8

The Kingdoms in Daniel 2 and 7

330

4.9

Old Testament Prayers Appealing to God’s Concern for His Own Glory

352

5.1

Major Shifts in Matthew

362

5.2

The Teaching of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew

363

5.3

The Three Sets of Fourteen in Matthew’s Genealogy

364

5.4

Typological Fulfillment in Matthew 1:22–23

365

5.5

Typological Fulfillment in Matthew 2

366

5.6

The Three Passion Predictions in Mark

385

5.7

Parallels between Mark’s Disputed Ending and Other New Testament Passages

391

5.8

The Glory of God and Jesus in the Gospel of Luke

393

5.9

Blomberg’s Chiasm in Luke–Acts (Adapted)

394

5.10

Gabriel Sent to Zechariah and Mary

394

5.11

Taking the Message to Heart

396

5.12

Predictions, Reminders, and Proofs of the Death and Resurrection in Luke

400

5.13

Prayer in Luke

402

5.14

The Chiasm in John’s Prologue

405

5.15

Regeneration and Inability in John

407

5.16

Jesus and the Jewish Festivals in John

409

5.17

“I Am” in John’s Gospel

412

5.18

The Spirit’s Continuation of the Temple Ministry of Jesus in the Disciples

418

5.19

Programmatic Statements in Acts 1:8 and 9:15

420

5.20

Major Sermons in Acts

420

5.21

The Glory of God and Jesus in Acts

422

5.22

Church Growth in Acts

423

5.23

Peter’s Sermon in Acts 3 and the Letter of 1 Peter

426

5.24

Wicked People Killed Jesus, but God Raised Him from the Dead

430

5.25

Jesus, Peter, and Paul in Luke–Acts

432

5.26

God’s Sovereignty in Salvation in Acts

434

5.27

Baptism in the New Testament

441

6.1

“In Christ” in Colossians

491

6.2

The Messianic Woes in the Old and New Testaments

493

6.3

Chiastic Structure in Hebrews 1:1–4

516

6.4

Juxtaposition of Speaking and Acting in James

521

6.5

The Glory of God and Christ in 1 Peter

523

6.6

Suffering and Exaltation in 1 Peter

528

6.7

Doxologies in the New Testament

538

7.1

Matching Language Opening the Sections on the Harlot and the Bride

543

7.2

Matching Language Ending the Sections on the Harlot and the Bride

543

7.3

The Chiastic Structure of Revelation

544

7.4

The Exodus Plagues and Revelation’s Trumpets

547

7.5

The Exodus Plagues and Revelation’s Bowls

547

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The words of the Lord are pure words,

like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,

purified seven times. (Ps. 12:6)

The law of the Lord is perfect. (Ps. 19:7)

Forever, O Lord, your word

is firmly fixed in the heavens. (Ps. 119:89)

Oh how I love your law! (Ps. 119: 97)

. . . you have exalted above all things

your name and your word. (Ps. 138:2)

Every word of God proves true. (Prov. 30:5)

Scripture cannot be broken. (John 10:35)

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

(John 17:17—ESV here and above)

I am overwhelmed by the mercy of God—drenched in it. I did not deserve the parents God gave me, the opportunity to study under talented believing teachers, or the time that has made it possible to study the Bible so that this book could be written. It is all mercy. What a blessing to have the Bible, multiplied by the privilege of studying, teaching, and preaching it.

God showed me favor and gave me the good gift of a wife (Prov. 18:22). What a gift! If I lived a thousand lives, I would want to be married to sweet Jill every time. I could never enumerate all the ways she has been used of the Lord to strengthen, encourage, sustain, and sharpen me as I have worked on this project. She makes happy things happen all the time.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb a reward. (Ps. 127:3 ESV)

And I praise God for our reward and heritage. The labor of this project was sweetened by wiffle ball and toy time, sword fights and family walks. May our children know the glorious God who is the subject of this project, and maybe someday they’ll even read about him in these pages.

God also mercifully gave church families whose fellowship relieved me from the isolation of writing. I am very grateful to a group of men at Baptist Church of the Redeemer in Houston, Texas, who read the early chapters of this volume, caught many typos, and spurred me on with spirited conversations. I wish to thank Travis Cardwell, Joel Bain, Bill Christen, Billy Newhouse, John Thacker, Joe Rowan, Mike Reed, and Chris Caldwell. Once the Lord moved us from Houston to Louisville, I benefited from another community of people willing to read and offer feedback, along with another church family, at Kenwood Baptist Church. I wish to thank Jim Rairick, Paul Cable, and Josh Philpot, each of whom read portions of this project and pointed out infelicities.

Tom Schreiner has been a constant encouragement and friend. He read some chapters multiple times, and his comments were always valuable. I am privileged to have studied under him. I praise God for the preaching of John Piper, which first pointed me to the center of biblical theology. Thanks are due to Justin Taylor and Thom Notaro at Crossway. Justin encouraged me to pursue the project, and Thom fixed many problems of form and tense. I alone bear responsibility for those that remain. David Reimer and I have never met face to face, but he generously read a portion of the manuscript, as did Stephen Dempster. My thanks to them and to Andy Naselli, who read the whole project and taught me to use Zotero and Microsoft Word.

I am also grateful to the administration of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, specifically President Paige Patterson, Provost Craig Blaising, Dean Denny Autrey, and Chief of Staff Jason Duesing, a dear friend who carefully read and interacted with this material. The Southwestern administration encouraged me with their kind words and generously granted me a sabbatical in the spring of 2007. The staff at Southwestern’s Roberts Library in Fort Worth were always helpful in sending resources to me in Houston; special thanks to Kenneth Steffen in this regard. I am grateful to serve now at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and I would like to thank both the administration and the librarians who have facilitated research in a myriad of ways.

My mom and dad live out Christlikeness as they lay down their lives for the benefit of their children in more ways than I have time to tell. What a blessing to be the child of such parents. I dedicate this book to them, praising God for his mercy.

Louisville, Kentucky New Year’s Day, 2010

ABBREVIATIONS

AB

Anchor Bible Commentary

ABD

Anchor Bible Dictionary.

Edited by David Noel Freedman

ANF

The Ante-Nicene Fathers

AOTC

Apollos Old Testament Commentary

BBR

Bulletin for Biblical Research

BDAG

Bauer, W., F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich.

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature

. 3rd ed.

BDB

Brown, F., S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs.

A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament

BECNT

Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

BHS

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.

4th ed.

BST

The Bible Speaks Today

BZAW

Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

CBQ

Catholic Biblical Quarterly

COS

The Context of Scripture

. Edited by William W. Hallo. 3 vols.

CR:BS

Currents in Research: Biblical Studies

CTJ

Calvin Theological Journal

CTR

Criswell Theological Review

DANE

Dictionary of the Ancient Near East

. Edited by Piotr Bienkowski and Alan Millard

DJD

Discoveries in the Judaean Desert

DLNTD

Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Development

. Edited by Ralph P. Martin and Peter H. Davids

DOTP

Dictionary of the Old Testament Pentateuch

. Edited by David W. Baker and T. Desmond Alexander

DPL

Dictionary of Paul and His Letters

. Edited by Gerald F.

Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid

DSS

Dead Sea Scrolls

DSS

SE

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Study Edition

. Edited by Florentino García Martínez and Eibert J. C. Tigchelaar. 2 vols.

EBC

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary

. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein

ET

English Translation

GKC

Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar

. Edited by E. Kautzsch. Translated by A. E. Cowley

HALOT

The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament

. Edited by L. Koehler, W. Baumgartner, and J. J. Stamm. 2 vols. Study edition

HR

A Concordance to the Septuagint and Other Greek Versions

of the Old Testament

. Edited by E. Hatch and H. A. Redpath

Int

Interpretation

JBL

Journal of Biblical Literature

JBMW

Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

JETS

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

Joüon

Joüon, P.

A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew

. Translated and revised by T. Muraoka. 2 vols.

JSJSup

Supplements to the

Journal for the Study of Judaism

JSNT

Journal for the Study of the New Testament

JSNTSup

Journal for the Study of the New Testament

Supplement Series

JSOT

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

JSOTSup

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

Supplement Series

JTS

Journal of Theological Studies

KD

Keil and Delitzsch,

Commentary on the Old Testament

, 10 vols.

LCL

Loeb Classical Library

LNTS

Library of New Testament Studies

LXX

The Greek Translations of the Old Testament. Critical

editions where available; otherwise the Rahlfs text is cited.

MT

Masoretic Text: Hebrew text of the Old Testament found in

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia

(

BHS)

NAC

New American Commentary

NACSBT

New American Commentary Studies in Bible and Theology

NCB

New Century Bible Commentary

NDBT

New Dictionary of Biblical Theology.

Edited by T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner

NETS

New English Translation of the Septuagint

NIBC

New International Biblical Commentary

NICNT

New International Commentary on the New Testament

NICOT

New International Commentary on the Old Testament

NIDOTTE

New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis

. Edited by Willem A. VanGemeren. 5 vols.

NIGTC

New International Greek Testament Commentary

NIVApp

NIV Application Commentary

NSBT

New Studies in Biblical Theology

NTS

New Testament Studies

OTL

Old Testament Library

RBL

Review of Biblical Literature

SBJT

The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology

SJT

Scottish Journal of Theology

SNTSMS

Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series

Them

Themelios

TJ

Trinity Journal

TOTC

Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries

TynBul

Tyndale Bulletin

VT

Vetus Testamentum

VTSup

Supplements to

Vetus Testamentum

WBC

Word Biblical Commentary

WTJ

Westminster Theological Journal

WUNT

Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament

ZECNT

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

ZNW

Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft

A STRATEGY FOR READING THIS BOOK

This is a long book. Many long books sit unread in sad neglect, and I do not want that to happen to this one! Let me invite you to consider a different way to approach the reading of this book. I would be thrilled, of course, for you to plunge right in and go from start to finish. Some will do that (I hope). Others may find this approach more helpful: browse through this book, finding your way to the introductory and concluding paragraphs of chapters and sections of chapters. Dipping into these paragraphs will give you a feel for the book and introduce you to its shape and argument. You can do this as quickly or as slowly as you like, but browsing the whole at one sitting will let you see the forest, which will in turn help you see the trees. Once you have browsed the whole, you will have seen that the body of this study moves book by book through the whole Bible. If you are teaching James tomorrow, you have my permission (as though you need it!) to go directly to the section on James (§3.3) in chapter 6. If you are studying Isaiah this year, feel free to go read that section (§3.2) in chapter 3. If you are in Psalms and Galatians in your daily Bible reading, go to those sections in chapters 4 (§2.2) and 6 (§2.5). The point is that these discussions will benefit you most if you are actually reading the biblical texts under consideration. So I invite you to read the body of this book alongside your reading, your study, your memorization and meditation on the Bible.

One of the most profitable and enjoyable experiences I have had reading a book was when I let Paul House take me on a “guided tour” of the Old Testament. I would read a section of the Old Testament, then read House’s discussion of that part of the Bible in his Old Testament Theology. Perhaps you have visited a historical site or a museum and checked out an audio tour. As you went from one thing to another, you could enter codes on the device for more or less information about what you were seeing. Looking at some work of art or artifact of history, you could also listen to relevant information that enabled you to understand what was before you. It would be boring to hear that recording if you were not looking at the things being described—unless you knew them so well that you could picture exactly what the narrator was describing. Along these lines, this book is best read with an open Bible—unless you practically have the whole thing memorized. So I encourage you to read this book alongside the Bible, and if you have time for only one and not the other, read the Bible. Its authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and God will use it to change your life. My prayer is that this book will help you toward a fuller understanding of the Scriptures.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand. The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi Troubles my sight; somewhere in sands of the desert A shape with lion body and the head of a man, A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun, Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it Reel shadows of indignant desert birds. The darkness drops again; but now I know That twenty centuries of stony sleep Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle, And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.

It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;

It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil

Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;

And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;

And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil

Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;

There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;

And though the last lights off the black West went

Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

Chapter 1

CAN THE CENTER HOLD?

1. Introduction

William Butler Yeats captured the spirit of Our Time in the opening lines of his poem “The Second Coming”:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold . . .

The image of a world spinning out of control, a world no longer heeding the call of its Master because truth is only “true for you,” matches the default settings of our intuitive templates. Biblical scholars and theologians are no exception1

Describing theologians since the 1960s, David Wells writes:

They, too, began not with divine revelation but with human experience, not with God’s interpretation of life but with the interpretation that in our self-asserted freedom we have devised for ourselves. They rejected the idea that there is any center to the meaning that they sought, any normativity to any one proposal2

Academic practitioners of biblical theology have not transcended the spirit of the age. Walter Brueggemann has written that “in every period of the discipline, the questions, methods, and possibilities in which study is cast arise from the sociointellectual climate in which the work must be done”3 While I would never assert that everyone who thinks biblical theology has no center has either capitulated to or consciously embraced the spirit of the age, the “sociointellectual climate” corresponds to the view that biblical theology has no center4 We are all affected by the temperature of the times. We need not look far to see that the center has not held, and things have fallen apart. As Brueggemann writes, “The new situation in Old Testament theology is reflective of a major breakpoint in Western culture. . . . The breakpoint concerns modes of knowledge that have too innocently yielded certitude5 ”

The purpose of this book, quixotic as it may seem, is to seek to do for biblical theology what Kevin Vanhoozer has done for hermeneutics6and David Wells has done for evangelical theology7 The goal is not a return to an imaginary golden age but to help people know God. The quest to know God is clarified by diagnosis of the problem (Wells), the vindication of interpretation (Vanhoozer), and, hopefully, a clear presentation of the main point of God’s revelation of himself, that is, a clear presentation of the center of biblical theology. I hasten to embrace the humility articulated by Schlatter and recently restated by Schreiner: there is more than one way to pursue biblical theology, and there can be no final, definitive treatment of the subject. Though I am pursuing the center, I celebrate the fact that “each of the various approaches and perspectives can cast a different light upon the NT, and in that sense having a number of different approaches is helpful8 ”I hope that even those who are not convinced that I am right about the center for which I argue will nevertheless profit from the perspective articulated here.

Vanhoozer describes his goal as “reinvigorating author-oriented interpretation through a creative retrieval of Reformed theology and speech-act philosophy.” The urgency of his task grows out of the recognition that “the fate of hermeneutics and humanity alike stand or fall together9 ” Similarly, Wells writes, “It is not theology alone in which I am interested but theology that is driven by a passion for truth; and it is not evangelicalism alone in which I am interested but evangelicalism as the contemporary vehicle for articulating a historical Protestant orthodoxy10 ” These academic sallies are necessary because, in the words of Machen, “what is today a matter of academic speculation begins tomorrow to move armies and pull down empires11 ” The ramifications ideas have in the wider culture reflect their impact on the church, and as Justin Taylor has noted, “As goes the academy, so goes the church12 ” For Wells, in the providence of God, the upheavals in society “that could portend a very troubled future and perhaps the disintegration of Western civilization” also point to “a moment when, in God’s mercy and providence, the Church could be deeply transformed for good13 ”

The transformation the church needs is the kind that results from beholding the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18–4:6). This glory of God is a saving and judging glory—an aroma of life to those being saved and death to those perishing (2 Cor. 2:15–16), and this saving and judging glory is at the center of biblical theology. If there is to be a renewal,14 it will be a renewal that grows out of the blazing center that is the glory of God in the face of Christ. This saving and judging glory, I contend, is the center of biblical theology.

Seeking to exposit the center of biblical theology is necessary because many today question whether the Bible tells a coherent story. There are many who do not embrace the idea of a center for biblical theology and yet maintain that the Bible is coherent,15 but if the Bible tells a coherent story, it is valid to explore what that story’s main point is. That leads us to ask whether the Bible shows us what God’s ultimate purpose is. Understanding God’s ultimate purpose, even with our limited human capacities, gives us insight into the meaning of all things. We know why things exist because we know the one “for whom and through whom are all things” (Heb. 2:10). This knowledge will organize our relationships and priorities, and it is desperately needed in Our Time. Wells writes,

Whatever else one may say about modernization, one of its principal effects has been to break apart the unity of human understanding and disperse the multitude of interests and undertakings away from the center, in relation to which they have gathered their meaning, pushing them to the edges, where they have no easy relation to one another at all16

Evangelicals have lost the “theological center,” and this theological center is the Bible’s center. With no center, of course things fall apart. The problem, however, is not that the gravitational center of the Bible’s theology cannot hold. The problem is more along the lines of what Yeats described as the falcon not hearing the Falconer. That is to say, if we will listen carefully to the Bible, it will proclaim to us the glory of God. If we do not hear this, the problem is with us, not the Bible. As Schreiner has pointed out, “We could easily fail to see the supremacy of God and the centrality of Christ in the NT precisely because these themes are part of the warp and woof of the NT. Sometimes we fail to see what is most obvious, what is right before our eyes17 ” God means to reveal himself in an astonishing display of his mercy and justice, with the justice highlighting the mercy18 Before we can pursue the demonstration of this thesis, however, we must consider several preliminary questions.

2. Do Things Fall Apart? (Is There a Unity in the Bible’s Diversity?)

There is much discussion today about the real diversity that exists within the overarching unity of the Bible19 In some circles there is also a widespread suspicion that there might be not one orthodoxy or a single theology of the Old and New Testaments but orthodoxies and theologies20 Walter Brueggemann asserts that there is “no going back to a singular coherent faith articulation in the text (much as canonical approaches might insist on it)21 ” We cannot go back, but I believe that if we do as Francis Watson proposes and radicalize “the modern theological and exegetical concern to identify ever more precisely those characteristics that are peculiar to the biblical texts,”22 we will find ourselves face to face with, as Brueggemann puts it, “a singular coherent faith articulation in the text.” At its center, I contend, will be the glory of God in salvation through judgment.

Denny Burk makes the point that scientific study “makes empirically testable predictions” and that theories “can only be tested by attempts to falsify” them23 In this book, I am putting forth the theory that the glory of God in salvation through judgment is the center of biblical theology. This theory will be tested against the “grammar” of the biblical evidence, with special attention given to any evidence in the Bible that might falsify it (and see chap. 8, where I discuss objections to the thesis). The remainder of this book will seek to show that this is “a theory that adequately explains a grammatical phenomenon [in this case, the teaching of the whole Bible!] without being falsified by the relevant body of empirical data24 ”

One obstacle facing those committed to the unity of the Bible is a certain disdain some biblical scholars have for systematic theology. A strong desire to avoid the charge that one’s prior theological conclusions control one’s exegesis, coupled with a vague sense that “belief has a distorting effect on historical inquiry,”25 leads many to prefer to “let the tensions stand,” indefinitely postponing legitimate and necessary theological synthesis.

As the spiral of meaning widens into incoherence for some, we can focus our gaze by beginning with the purpose of biblical theology. Having considered the purpose of biblical theology, we will take up the question of how to define the center of biblical theology and then ask how we identify the center of biblical theology.

2.1 Finding Our Way in the Widening Gyre: The History and Purpose of Biblical Theology

We can think of the practice of biblical theology in two ways. On the one hand, we have the practice of the believing community across the ages. On the other hand, we have a label that describes an academic discipline. Regarding the first, I would argue that biblical theology is as old as Moses. That is, Moses presented a biblical-theological interpretation of the traditions he received regarding Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, and his own experience with his kinsmen26 Joshua then presented a biblical-theological interpretation of Israel’s history (Joshua 24), and the same can be said of the rest of the authors of the Prophets and the Writings, the Gospels and Acts, the Epistles and the Apocalypse. The biblical authors used biblical theology to interpret the Scriptures available to them and the events they experienced. For the believing community, the goal of biblical theology is simply to learn this practice of interpretation from the biblical authors so that we can interpret the Bible and life in this world the way they did.

It seems to me, then, that the history of biblical interpretation in the church is a history of more and less success in accurately understanding the interpretive strategies used by the biblical authors. Some figures in the history of the church were more adept at this than others27 Some failed miserably, but it seems that a shift happened with the rise of the so-called Enlightenment. Prior to that time, the effort to interpret the Bible the way the biblical authors did was an effort to follow them in typological interpretation, or figural reading of the Bible28 Hans Frei has shown how, in view of the rise of historical criticism, figural reading and typological interpretation came to seem “preposterous” and “lost credibility29 ” And this brings us to the second way of thinking about biblical theology, namely, as an academic discipline whose results are measured more by the academy than by the believing community, for as Frei has written, “Figural reading, concerned as it was with the unity of the Bible, found its closest successor in an enterprise called biblical theology, which sought to establish the unity of religious meaning across the gap of historical and cultural differences30 ”

Many recognize that the method of study referred to as biblical theology was marshaled by the Reformers,31 who wanted to “chasten the church’s unbiblical theological speculations.”32 During the Enlightenment, biblical theology came to be employed by many whose objective was to separate their study of biblical texts from the authority of the Bible and Christian readings of it33 Adolf Schlatter called this approach to the Bible’s theology a “radical and total polemic against it.”34 Geerhardus Vos is regarded as something of a pioneer by many North American evangelical students of biblical theology. In a sense, Vos salvaged the tool from the damage done to it by the Enlightenment. Vern Poythress suggests that biblical theology had a “checkered history before Vos redefined it35 ”

For Vos, biblical theology was a kind of exegesis that studied “the process of the self-revelation of God deposited in the Bible.” Biblical theology is “the study of the actual self-disclosures of God in time and space which lie back of even the first committal to writing of any Biblical document,” and it “deals with revelation as a divine activity, not as the finished product of that activity36 ” In the years since Vos wrote, some less conservative scholars—not necessarily following Vos—have pitted “what happened” against “what the text says,” and some have suggested that Scripture is merely a record of God’s revelation rather than itself being revelation from God37 This is probably not what Vos meant to articulate,38 but because of what has happened since he wrote, his description of biblical theology might be confusing in today’s context.

For this reason I would suggest a slightly different description of what biblical theology is and what it should do. Again, there is more than one way to do biblical theology, and this book will not be the final word on the subject. There are insights to be gained from a variety of approaches because the Bible cannot be exhausted, and its truths are such that looking at them from different angles only increases our appreciation of the book’s humble, and yet stunning, beauty. In this study, I will pursue a biblical theology that highlights the central theme of God’s glory in salvation through judgment by describing the literary contours of individual books in canonical context with sensitivity to the unfolding metanarrative39 In my view this metanarrative presents a unified story with a discernible main point, or center. This study will be canonical: I will interpret the Protestant canon, and the Old Testament will be interpreted in light of the ordering of the books in the Hebrew Bible (see further below). It will be literary: I will seek to interpret books and sections of books in light of their inherent literary features and structures as we have them in the canon40

Interpretation in light of the unfolding metanarrative assumes that the historical and chronological claims in the books be interpreted as they stand. That is, I will assume, for instance, that Deuteronomy was part of the impetus for rather than the product of Josiah’s reforms. In doing this, I seek to allow the book to tell its own story instead of imposing onto it an alternative story generated by the modern academy. I would hope that even those who do not believe, as I do, that there was a real Moses who wrote the Pentateuch will nevertheless show themselves liberal enough to grant that the texts do make that claim, and tolerant enough to allow space for interpretations that deviate from critical orthodoxy41 Rather than interpreting a disputed scholarly reconstruction, I will interpret the claims the texts make. I believe the texts are true and trustworthy,42 so Brueggemann’s words on Barth’s perceived fideism seem relevant:

It is relatively easy to indict Barth for fideism and theological positivism, and that indictment has been reiterated often. The problem is that there is obviously no legitimate starting point for theological reflection, and one must begin somewhere. The counterindictment is somewhat less obvious and has only more recently been mounted: that the Cartesian program of autonomous reason, which issued in historical criticism, is also an act of philosophical fideism43

Biblical theology seeks to understand the Bible in its own terms,44 in its own chronology, as reflected in its canonical form. One of the key tasks of biblical theology is to trace the connections between themes and show the relationships between them45 There is an important point of application in connection with this weighing and sorting of scriptural themes: biblical theology is concerned with what the Bible meant for the purpose of understanding what the Bible means. The biblical theologian who writes in the service of the church46 does so to elucidate the biblical worldview47 not merely so that it can be studied but so that it can be adopted48 This approach rejects the view that biblical theology is concerned with what the Bible meant, leaving what the Bible means to systematic or dogmatic theology49

To make such a declaration is, in a sense, to plant a flag. Brueggemann explains that

most scholars who have attempted to work in Old Testament theology since Barth have been double minded . . . . The tension that scholars face is between the epistemological assumptions of modernity that issue in historical criticism and that resist normative statements as fiduciary and potentially authoritarian, and the neoevangelical statement of normative theological claims that are perhaps impositions on the biblical materials. . . . Old Testament scholarship until recently has refused to choose and has sought to have it both ways. This refusal to choose has constituted the great problem for Old Testament theology50

Asserting that what the Bible meant is normative is “fiduciary,” but this is not a problem for those of us who are convinced that faith is properly basic51 As for “authority,” to reassert the claims of the Bible is to assert the Bible’s authority. This is prideful only if we conduct ourselves as though we have invented these claims or are not subject to them ourselves. But we who assert the Bible’s authority should be eager to submit humbly to that authority and repent when the Bible indicts us. Placing oneself under the authority of the text in this way would seem to be the best way to avoid “impositions on the biblical materials52 ” This is to make a choice that moves us beyond “the great problem for Old Testament theology.”

Thus, the purpose of biblical theology is inductively to understand the canonical form of the Bible’s theology as it is progressively revealed in its own literary forms and salvation-historical development, and this sharpens our systematic and dogmatic theology. Biblical theology is always done from some systematic perspective. Rudolf Bultmann’s influential Theology of the New Testament53 perfectly illustrates this point: his approach was found by many to be compelling precisely because it presented a holistic system that accounted for all the details— of course, the details that did not fit were attributed to a later redactor. But what is at issue here is that Bultmann’s biblical theology was systematic54 Similarly, Walther Eichrodt wrote, “We have to undertake a systematic examination with objective classification and rational arrangement of the varied material55 ”

Our biblical-theological understanding will line up—implicitly or explicitly—with our systematic conclusions. This cannot be denied, and it should be embraced, with the two disciplines of biblical and systematic theology functioning to further our understanding of God and his word. John Goldingay says, “I want to write on the Old Testament without looking at it through Christian lenses or even New Testament lenses,”56 but such an approach seems analogous to a botanist examining an acorn in order to predict what will sprout from the seed. How seriously would we take such a botanist professing openness to the idea that the acorn might make potatoes?57 Botanists know what oak trees are, and Goldingay professes to be a Christian. Rather than trying to transcend our ultimate philosophical and theological conclusions, we should use them to help us understand, with constant readiness to submit them to the searchlight of Scripture. We cannot, after all, abstract ourselves from our creatureliness, from our backgrounds and experiences, and from our convictions and beliefs58 We have not that ability. If our presuppositions do not help us understand, rather than pretend we do not have them, why not revise or, if necessary, reject them? The great challenge in biblical theology is to hold together everything the Bible says so that nothing is nullified, negated, or neglected. The particular usefulness of biblical theology comes from its inductive approach.

Some today are referring to biblical theology as a “bridge discipline”59 that connects exegesis and systematic theology, but we can also view biblical theology, systematic theology, and historical theology as equal tools, each of which can be used to sharpen our exegesis and theology60 And the reality is that all these methods are used in teaching Christians, which makes them all dogmatic theology. We might not need all these tools for a good reputation in the academy, but we need each of them for the health of the church. As Reventlow says:

“Biblical theology” is in the widest sense of the term an exegetical, hermeneutical and systematic discipline. . . . For its concern is to present to Christian faith an account of how far and why the whole of the Bible, Old Testament and New, has come down to us as Holy Scripture. Biblical scholarship cannot refuse the church an answer to this question61

The purpose of biblical theology, then, is to sharpen our understanding of the theology contained in the Bible itself through an inductive, salvation-historical examination of the Bible’s themes and the relationships between those themes in their canonical context and literary form. In this book I am arguing that one theme is central to all others. If one theme is central to all others, how do we define and identify that theme?

2.2 How Do We Define the Center of Biblical Theology?