DIGGING DEEP 11 BY ABIDAN PAUL SHAH

DIGGING DEEP – 11 by Abidan Paul Shah

Digging Deep

Biblical Theology of the New Testament:

Recap

• Hermeneutical Triangle of Literature, History, and Theology
• Historical development in biblical theology: Biblical Theology was given a subordinate role to church dogma for centuries. The “rule of faith” became the guiding principle. With the coming of the Reformation and the replacement of dogma by sola scriptura, biblical theology regained its place in the interpretation of the Bible.
• OT Biblical Theology

How does NT theology help in studying the Bible?

It keeps us from focusing on smaller and smaller parts of the Bible and helps us to get the bigger picture.

Some Major Issues in NT Biblical Theology

• Unity and Diversity of the New Testament
• Relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament

Is there a key or center to the NT Theology? Many different centers have been proposed:

• Anthropology (Rudolph Bultmann)
• Salvation History (O. Cullmann, George Eldon Ladd, L. Goppelt)
• Covenant, Love, and Other proposals (W. Eichrodt, Herman Ridderbos)
• Christology (Bo Reicke, F.C. Grant)
• God and Christ or Christocentric (Hasel)

For OT Biblical Theology we turned to Kaiser’s view, so also for the NT.

Kaiser proposes what is known as the “promise-plan of God” as the center of biblical theology. It epangelical view.” It comes from the word for “promise” in Greek. It is a mediating position between the Reformed Covenantal view and the Dispensational view. It is not a flawless view but it does provide us with a peg to hang our biblical theology. 

Kaiser offers the following 10 stages of the Promise (For New Testament)

1. The Arrival of the Promise (John the Baptist, Zechariah, Mary, Simeon, Anna)
2. The Promise-Plan and the Law of God (James, Galatians)
3. The Promise-Plan and the Mission of the Church (1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Romans)
4. The Promise-Plan and Paul’s Prison Epistles (Colossians, Philemon, Philippians, Ephesians)
5. The Promise-Plan and The Kingdom of God (Matthew, Mark)
6. The Promise-Plan and the Promised Holy Spirit (Luke-Acts)
7. The Promise-Plan and Purity of Life and Doctrine (1 & 2 Peter, Jude)
8. The Promise-Plan and The Pastoral Letters (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus)
9. The Promise-Plan and the Supremacy of Jesus (Hebrews)
10. The Promise-Plan and the Gospel of The Kingdom (John, 1-3 John, Revelation)

Test Passages: 

1. Matthew 28:16-20

2. John 4:42

3. Ephesians 4:5-6

4. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

5. Hebrews 11:1

6. James 3:1-12

7. I Peter 3:18