My alarm goes off in the morning. I drag myself out of bed, make a cup of tea and settle in for my morning Bible reading and prayer. I finish my chapter and the last verse Leviticus 3:17 lingers in my mind: ‘This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.’ As I think about how to apply today’s passage to my life, I’m questioning the prerequisites for sacrifice and offering, the prescribed steps, and most importantly I’m wondering whether it means saying goodbye to crispy pork crackling forever.
How are we supposed to read the Bible? How do we make sense of the stories, the prophecies and the commands? This is where biblical theology comes in handy. Biblical theology is not for the academic alone, but for the follower of Jesus who wants to know and love him more by growing in how they read the Bible. Biblical theology helps us see individual books as part of one central message, enriching our appreciation of the Bible and the God who reveals himself through it. The goal is to see Christ more clearly and love him more.
Sydney recently hosted a biblical theology workshop run by Nancy Guthrie—an American Bible teacher and author. Nancy provided a framework for seeing the bigger picture by tracing a specific theme through the Old and New Testaments. This approach familiarises us with the Bible and sheds light on the passages that baffle us. In this article I will share some of her insights.
The Bible Is One Big Story
The Bible is made up of sixty-six individual books that tell one unified story. Each book of the Bible needs to be read as part of the overall story. The Bible’s intended message is communicated both through the plotline and through evolving themes that give further meaning. Often details you thought were irrelevant are given significance by context. The more we read the Bible and see how details are woven together, the more our confidence in its divine origin grows.
The Bible Is Not About You
Too often in our Bible reading, we read ourselves into the story. We want the self-help guide to make us better Christians. Biblical theology refocuses our attention away from ourselves. In the creation story, we see God’s design and order in the world. In the Old Testament, we see a faithful God growing a people into a powerful kingdom, subsequently destroyed because they faithlessly walked away from their faithful Lord in disobedience. In the face of this destruction, we see the promise of one who is to establish an everlasting kingdom. This kingdom dawns in the New Testament. We learn about about life under Jesus’s rule as we wait for him to return and fully establish his kingdom. The story isn’t about us, it’s about Jesus!
The Old Testament isn’t an outdated document made irrelevant by Jesus’s death and resurrection; it points us to him. The letters we read in the New Testament aren’t merely instructions for a good, moral life; they tell us of life with Jesus as king. When we realise this, our Bible reading shows us Christ more clearly. And as we see him more clearly, we love him more deeply.
The Bible Is About the Journey and the Destination
For Christians, our destination is eternity with Christ. (1 Pet 1:3–9). Colossians 1:22–23 tells us of the justification and sanctification at work in us to prepare us for Christ’s return. As followers of Jesus, how we live now is important, but its importance should be understood in the light of Christ’s return. Reading the Bible’s big picture ultimately point us ahead to the new creation (Rev 21:1–4).
A Simple Framework to Get Started
The Bible shows us some of its themes through repeated words or ideas. You might like to explore one of these themes for yourself (blessing/curse, clean/unclean, marriage/bride/bridegroom, light/darkness). Jot down relevant passages from across the two testaments and summarise how the theme evolves across the Bible’s storyline. In particular, consider how the theme climaxes in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and how it is resolved in the new creation. And now you’ve done biblical theology!
Some Final Tips
First, the Christian life is all about growth. God will deepen your understanding over time as you keep studying his word and fellowshipping with others.
Second, read the Bible with a friend. It is unsurprising that when I traced a theme with two others, we came up with far more Bible verses than when I started off on my own. We’ve been saved into a community, so share with and learn from your brothers and sisters in Christ for mutual encouragement.
Third, keep seeking out resources to help you get more out of Scripture.. Two books that have enriched my love for Christ are God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts, which examines the theme of the kingdom of God, and Even Better than Eden by Nancy Guthrie, exploring themes like clothing and marriage.
Ultimately, it’s not merely about getting it right, like some kind of test or puzzle, it’s about your relationship with your heavenly Father. Read the Bible with thankfulness to the God who has revealed the truth about King Jesus. Your personal Bible reading, like your life as a whole, is about worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ who was, and is, and is to come.
