The theological discipline that “seeks to discover what the biblical writers, under divine guidance, believed, described, and taught in the context of their own times”1 in order to discover how the different books of the Bible contribute to its overall theological message.2
- From Biblical Theology by T. D. Alexander:
The study of biblical theology is not an end in itself. It is rather a tool for understanding better the Bible as the inspired Word of God. Biblical theology helps us see the big picture, appreciate the themes that hold the Bible together, understand how the story develops, see how the promises of the Old Testament, sometimes expressed through covenants, are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, as witnessed in the New Testament, and appreciate how the Old Testament provides patterns or types that explain later developments in the story.
The study of biblical theology is about understanding how each part of the Bible contributes in a distinctive way to the overarching story of the Bible and how an awareness of this story informs our understanding of each part of the Bible. When this is achieved, biblical theology is strongly Christ-centered.
Learn more:
- GotQuestions.org: What is biblical theology?
- Monergism.com: What is the difference between Biblical Theology and Systematic Theology?
- T. D. Alexander: Biblical Theology
- Dr. Andreas J. Kostenberger: What Is Biblical Theology?
- Michael Lawrence: 3 Ways to Define Biblical Theology
- Dr Thomas Schreiner: Introduction to Biblical Theology (video)
Related terms:
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