Biblical Theology In the Life of the Church (Book Review)

Biblical Theology (In The Life of The Church)

Author: Michael Lawrence

Book Review: William Costello

6/19/2012

Biblical Theology (BT) informs the pastor of the “whole story of the whole Bible”

Lawrence wrote Biblical Theology (BT) to show pastors and Christians alike that when it comes to the Bible, understanding the whole is essential to understanding any given passage.  Because God wrote the Bible as a story with a beginning and end, it is vital for  the pastor to understand the basic unfolding of the story before he attempts to make its meaning plain to his people.  “We should ask where in the storyline any given passage falls. We should ask how it displays God’s glory.  We should also ask where the person to whom we are ministering falls in the storyline.  Finally, we’ll ask what relevance it has for him or her” (BT, p. 34).

BT challenges pastors in their theological acumen particularly

BT challenges pastors on the vital importance of being a sound biblical theologian.  “Sound” as defined by Dever, means trustworthy and reliable.  Here are some examples, “Our ministry could end up doing more harm than good if we fail to understand the Scriptures.  Our fundamental calling as pastors is to shepherd those under our care, but how can we fulfill our calling if we lack a map of the whole Bible, if we don’t know how to put the Bible together?  How can we give wise spiritual advice if we are ignorant of the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) (BT, Forward).”  In the preface, Lawrence makes a bold assertion.  He says, “But here at the start, I want to make the point that the most practical thing we can do, the most important tool we need in ministry, is biblical theology … Learning how to do biblical theology is no mere academic exercise.  Not, it’s vital to your work as a pastor or church leader.  It shapes your preaching, your counseling, your evangelizing, your ability to engage wisely with culture, and more.  You will not be a very good theologian, which means you will not be a very good pastor, if you do not learn how to do biblical theology” (BT, p. 15).

In his endorsement of the book, Todd L. Miles writes, “One must understand the grand story of Scripture to rightly interpret its constituent parts.  When the story is misunderstood or ignored, then Christian preaching and ministry will inevitably suffer.”  This book lives up to Horton’s endorsement that “good shepherds are theologians and good theologians are shepherds” (Michael Horton’s endorsement).

BT presents the Bible as a divine meta-narrative not a divine answer-book

BT challenges my understanding of what the Bible is.  Prior to reading this book, I venerated the Bible as a divinely authoritative book, sufficient for life and godliness, and the highest standard of faith and practice.  Though I had a high view of the bible, I did see it more as an “answer book” for life’s problems, than I did a story book revealing the infinite wisdom of God (p. 24).  I viewed it as a map for the journey, a light in the dark, a guide for the blind.  This approach was really human-centered. My view was not inaccurate, just incomplete.  BT provides the framework of the whole Bible for all of life.  “The telling of the whole story of the whole Bible” (p. 26) can be summed up as “a story about a king, a kingdom, and the king’s relationship with his subjects” (p. 30).  The idea of story is a bit unnerving.  By story Lawrence does not mean a fictional story, nor is he referring to something that is past history and future prophecy only, leaving the present day up for grabs. The Bible was written 2 millennia ago but it supernaturally includes you and I today in the story as well!  This is remarkable when you think about it!  “It’s a story that starts at the beginning of history and ends at the end of history.  This means its an ancient story from the past, but a once and future story that encompasses us today … a story that explains everything and so provides us with a worldview” (p. 31).  The great story or (meta-narrative) is written in history, structured by covenants, centered on God’s glory, as most eminently in God’s salvation of man though judgment, “to the praise of His  glorious grace (Eph 1:6).”

BT helps pastors to preach the Old Testament along with the New

Secondly, BT gives the preacher more confidence in approaching the Old Testament, not just for personal reading but also for public preaching.  I am one of those guys who lives comfortably in the New Testament Scriptures.  I rarely crack the Old Testament for public preaching.  “I am a New Covenant minister,” I tell myself.  This thinking is only partially true.  I am a new covenant minister (2 Cor 4), but I am also responsible to teach the “whole counsel” (Acts 20:27) because “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable” (2 Tim 3:16).  Right?  This book helped me blow the dust off the Old Testament books and welcome for them more earnestly into my regular preaching calendar.  As I learned from BT, there are many harbingers (foreshadows) of the gospel in the Old Testament. Lawrence explains, “In the Old Testament we have the gospel promised, the gospel foretold, the gospel in seed form” (p. 70).  Thus, the Old Testament is essential to properly understanding the New Testament.  For, “In the New Testament that seed comes into full flower, as the promises are kept and the prophecies are fulfilled” (p. 70).

BT demonstrates both/and relationship between biblical and systematic theology

BT draws a helpful comparison between systematic theology and biblical theology.  While biblical theology focuses on the major themes of the Bible and the coherence of those themes (Schreiner), systematic theology is more of a summary of all the Bible teaches on any given topic.  BT explains how the story-line of the Bible goes, systematic theology gives the bottom-line application through collecting, collating, summarizing and then relating the topic to our lives today.  Systematic theology is “the application of the Word by persons to the world and to all areas of human life” according to John Frame (p. 90-91).  Systematics has a strong concern for contemporary relevance.  “Its goal is to teach us not just timeless truth, but what it means to believe and obey that timeless truth today” (p. 91).  Both of these are essential.  “To say you want one but not the other simply shows that you understand neither.  Everyone has both a systematic theology and a biblical theology, whether they realize it or not” (p. 92).  Both again are essential, Lawrence explains this both/and relationship of the two disciplines. “We won’t understand worldview if we don’t understand the story out of which it rises.  But if all we have is a story, how will that story ever engage the contemporary concerns of our own lives?” (p. 92).  Carson chimes in with agreement.  “Since both find their source of authority in Scripture itself, both are normative theology for the Christian church” (p. 91).

Personal Application (what I need to do after reading this book)

1)    I need to become a better biblical theologian by imbibing a steady diet of biblical theology (1 book a year)

2)    I need to become a better systematic theologian by ingesting a steady diet of systematic theology (1 book a year)

3)    I need to teach the Old Testament, not just the New Testament

4)    I need to ask and answer several questions in delivering each point of my sermon (“the sermon application grid” p. 183)

a.     Where is this passage located in redemption history and how does it relate to us?

b.     What does it mean as citizens/employees etc?

c.     What does this point mean for the non-Christian?

d.     What does it teach us about Christ?

e.     What does it mean for us as individual Christian?

f.      What does it mean for our church as a whole?

5)    I need to remember the various categories of people I am preaching to (p. 187)

a.     Men and women

b.     Single, married and widowed

c.     The elderly, middle-aged, and children

d.     Employed, unemployed, and retired

e.     Wealthy and poor

f.      Educated and un(der) educated

g.     Employers and employees

6)    I need to remember the different kinds of errant sheep that need the Word (1 Thes 5:12-14) (p. 186)

a.     The idle (headstrong)

b.     The timid (fearful)

c.     The weak (lack faith as a result of poor teaching)