Embracing the Biblical theology

 

 

Perhaps, every believer who study theology has heard of Systematic theology. This form of theology helps us to study what the scripture has to say on a particular topic by articulating all possible relevant verses from Genesis to Revelation that touches the subject in right context. This form of theology can help us to understand what the Bible has to teach us about a particular subject irrespective of time and generation. 

 

However, when it comes to studying individual books and we have queries to address, this form of theology alone is insufficient to equip our knowledge. For instance, everyone struggles with Genesis. Genesis’ hard and weird passages are interpreted according to our culture and our lens. The conclusion hence appears weird. In the past decades, some taught men have one rib less than women, snake might have legs before the fall, there might have been dinosaurs on the Ark and so on. These crazy sounding statements happens when we read our culture and world into the Bible.

I don’t want to mention name but I want to express my earnest gratitude to a friend who introduced me with another form of theology called ‘Biblical Theology’. At first, I had lots of uneasiness with this form. I thought we can literally read the Bible and understand within our own culture. I was wrong indeed. The Biblical theology helped me to realize that every book of the Bible was written in a different culture, environment and context. We must travel back to that timeframe in order to grasp proper understanding of hard passages.

 

We aren’t ought to read ‘Big Bang’ in Genesis 1:1 or 1:3, we aren’t ought to read biological aspect of snake in Genesis 3, we aren’t ought to study dinosaurs’ enrollment in the Noahic flood, we aren’t ought to study science of cloning or feature of rib in Genesis 2 and so on. These were written in a specific culture with a deep theological message. However, it doesn’t mean scripture has error. This is an art of communication not course on science. Systematic theologians like Wayne Grudem and Norman Geisler fails to realize this in order to support inerrancy of the scripture in everything it touches and speaks. It is beyond the intended premise and forceful hyper implication of sufficiency, necessity, inerrancy, unity, clarity and authority of the scripture. Sadly, many believers are taught this kind of understanding about the scripture.

 

Systematic theology attempts making statement about God and anything related with Christianity on basis of overall Biblical canon. It goes something like: ‘The Bible says Love is…’, ‘The Bible says sin is…’, ‘The Bible says angels are…’ and so on. Otherwise, whenever we ask what the Bible has to say about something, we are doing systematic theology. It is an art of studying under topical arrangement such as Soteriology, Pneumatology, Eschatology, etc. Then portions from the scripture are extracted within appropriate context which discuss about the topic. The final output is hence a systematic classification of verses taken from the scripture that unites together to give a big picture of related topic. It provides a strong evidence that the Bible canons do not contradict one another. There is coherency and consistency throughout the scripture.[1]

 

Arranged according to the chronology and historical background[2], the Biblical theology has a different approach. It zooms in the scripture and navigates each and every canonical book on basis of their cultural context, history, and immediate theology. Instead of picking up the ideas from every book to construct a single statement about any topic, the statement is made on the basis of immediate scenario. This approach indeed needs a deeper study of the history, culture, literature, theological development and so on. This approach helps us to understand progressive revelation throughout the scripture.[3] It might go something like: ‘Why did Mark write his gospel?’, ‘What was the background for Paul writing to the Galatians?’[4], ‘How did ancient Israelites understand the Six days of creation?’, ‘What was actually happening in Joshua 10 when Sun remained still?’, ‘What was intended significance of using word Rib in discussing creation of Eve out of Adam?’ and so on. Thus, this theological approach helps us to deeply understand the scripture enriching our knowledge on minute details and their intended meaning.

 

The systematic theology is used to make an overall statement on theological topics reinforced by relatable verses while the Biblical theology is used to understand the progressive journey of theology by exploring the culture, history, literature and context of the immediate timeframe. The systematic theology attempts to summarize the whole Bible’s teaching on a particular subject such as Trinity, Incarnation, etc. which are never used by Biblical authors but are however a proper result of combining the teaching of the authors.[5]

 

The systematic theology is about making static implementation that is timeless. For instance, what Bible teaches on Love never changes according to passage of generation. However, the Biblical theology is just like using a time machine to flow back in the contemporary period to grasp how the author and audience understood a particular subject in their own historical setting. It is dynamic and true for the particular culture at that time. It is primarily a descriptive type of theology which isn’t concerned with the final meaning of the Bible or their relevancy for today.[6] For instance, it is not relevant to think females can be made out of rib of man even today because it wasn’t any scientific phenomena but merely a theological implication to show male and female complete each other and are co-equal in essence.

 

As William Klein asserts, “Biblical theology relates more closely to the development of theology within the historical development of the Bible itself…it sets forth the message of the books of the Bible in their historical setting.”[7] Hence, systematic theology attempts to make logical connections derived from the scripture to formulate timeless doctrines while Biblical theology endeavors historical connection as the Bible unfolded in the history.  

 

The systematic theology is helpful to ascertain overall Biblical stand on a particular subject that helps us in coherent Bible study.[8] On the other hand, the Biblical theology helps us to explore the Biblical world in their contemporary lens which enhances our deep knowledge regarding the culture, history, literature and immediate theology.[9] It helps us see the Bible as a unified whole, rather than as a collection of unrelated doctrinal points.[10] The systematic theology draws from the Biblical theologian’s work whereas Biblical theology is the foundation from which systematic theology summarizes each doctrine as present generation should conceive it.[11]     

 

Don Stewart writes,

 

There are differences between Biblical theology and systematic theology. They can be summarized as follows:

 

A. Biblical theology limits its study to portions of Scripture while systematic theology is concerned with the entirety of Scripture.

 

B. Biblical theology gathers information about teachings from specific writers, such as Moses or Peter, or from a particular historical era such as the time of Abraham. Systematic theology gathers its information from the entire Bible.

 

C. Biblical theology attempts to discover why a particular belief developed. The concern of systematic theology is on the final product of the writing – the Bible.

 

D. Biblical theology is interested in how doctrine progressed throughout time, while systematic theology is concerned with what was ultimately written.

 

These are some of the basic differences between biblical theology and systematic theology.[12]

 

Considering some bizarre passages in the scripture such as six days creation, woman from rib, serpent at garden, stillness of sun etc., the Biblical theology facilitates believers to precisely understand how the original audience actually understood them. This helps them to understand the intended message of God and learn its application in their current life. The scripture gets more clarity when it is interpreted on basis of how the contemporary receivers understood it.

 

For some elaboration, the focus was rib-woman wasn't really about the morphology or science of "rib" but theological message that male and female are co-equal.[13] The stillness of sun during war wasn't about any scientific violation but sign of omen to the opponents showing their defeat.[14] The serpent wasn't about snake but there was dramatic influence of a divine being to spoil Adam and Eve. Serpent was already a symbol of evil at that cultural context.[15] The six days of creation wasn't about scientific account but inauguration of a Cosmic temple. This implies the whole world is His temple.[16] Today, he wants us to be his temple in present context either.

 

Thus, cheerful study of biblical theology indeed helps believers to deeply understand the cultural context and intended theological message of God.[17] Scripture was written to them and in their language but for us[18], it carries unchanging truth about God and his relationship with us. Biblical theology can help to strengthen Systematic theology by illuminating deeper theology. They aren’t rivals but supports to one another.

 

Bibliography

 

Kimball, Dan, and Sean McDowell. How (Not) to Read the Bible: Making Sense of the Anti-Women, Anti-Science, pro-Violence, pro-Slavery, and Other Crazy-Sounding Parts of Scripture, 2020. Accessed May 31, 2022. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=2980238.

“(48) The Cultural Context of the Bible - YouTube.” Accessed August 17, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/.

“Biblical vs Systematic Theology.” Olive Tree Blog, November 14, 2018. Accessed August 16, 2022. https://www.olivetree.com/blog/biblical-vs-systematic-theology/.

Did the Sun Stop Moving (Joshua 10)?, 2022. Accessed August 17, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sivu2kpZQJs.

“(Mis)Interpreting Genesis: How the Creation Museum Misunderstands the Ancient Near Eastern Context of the Bible | Ben Stanhope | Download.” Accessed August 17, 2022. https://b-ok.asia/book/18333219/a2d9a5.

“Systematic or Biblical Theology?” Doctrine and Devotion. Accessed September 2, 2022. http://www.doctrineanddevotion.com/blog/systematic-or-biblical-theology.

“What Are the Various Ways in Which Christian Theology Can Be Classified? By Don Stewart.” Blue Letter Bible. Accessed September 2, 2022. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/bible-basics/question19-what-are-ways-christian-theology-can-be-classified.cfm.

“What Is Biblical Theology?” GotQuestions.Org. Accessed September 2, 2022. https://www.gotquestions.org/biblical-theology.html.

“What Is The Difference Between Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology? | CCU Online.” Accessed September 2, 2022. https://www.ccu.edu/blogs/cags/2021/03/biblical-theology-vs-systematic-theology/index.

 

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[1] “Biblical vs Systematic Theology,” Olive Tree Blog, November 14, 2018, accessed August 16, 2022, https://www.olivetree.com/blog/biblical-vs-systematic-theology/.

[2] “What Is Biblical Theology?,” GotQuestions.Org, accessed September 2, 2022, https://www.gotquestions.org/biblical-theology.html.

[3] “Biblical vs Systematic Theology.”

[4] “What Are the Various Ways in Which Christian Theology Can Be Classified? By Don Stewart,” Blue Letter Bible, accessed September 2, 2022, https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/bible-basics/question19-what-are-ways-christian-theology-can-be-classified.cfm.

[5] “What Is The Difference Between Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology? | CCU Online,” accessed September 2, 2022, https://www.ccu.edu/blogs/cags/2021/03/biblical-theology-vs-systematic-theology/index.

[6] Ibid.

[7] “Systematic or Biblical Theology?,” Doctrine and Devotion, accessed September 2, 2022, http://www.doctrineanddevotion.com/blog/systematic-or-biblical-theology.

[8] Ibid.

[9] “What Are the Various Ways in Which Christian Theology Can Be Classified?”

[10] “What Is Biblical Theology?”

[11] “What Is The Difference Between Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology?”

[12] “What Are the Various Ways in Which Christian Theology Can Be Classified?”

[13] Dan Kimball and Sean McDowell, How (Not) to Read the Bible: Making Sense of the Anti-Women, Anti-Science, pro-Violence, pro-Slavery, and Other Crazy-Sounding Parts of Scripture, 2020, 190–191, accessed May 31, 2022, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=2980238.

[14] Did the Sun Stop Moving (Joshua 10)?, 2022, accessed August 17, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sivu2kpZQJs.

[15] Kimball and McDowell, How (Not) to Read the Bible, 332–334.

[16] “(Mis)Interpreting Genesis: How the Creation Museum Misunderstands the Ancient Near Eastern Context of the Bible | Ben Stanhope | Download,” 106–123, accessed August 17, 2022, https://b-ok.asia/book/18333219/a2d9a5.

[17] “(48) The Cultural Context of the Bible - YouTube,” accessed August 17, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/.

[18] Kimball and McDowell, How (Not) to Read the Bible, 57.