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4 Principles for Doing Biblical Theology
I don’t remember the first time I heard the words “biblical theology.” I do, though, remember the first time hearing a professor trace a theme through the Scriptures and connect it to Christ and the church. I was mesmerized.
I grew up in a dispensational environment, so it wasn’t natural for me to read the Bible as a whole, to read the Old Testament in view of Christ and his work. Perhaps this is why I’m so passionate about reading the two Testaments in concert.
Biblical theology concerns the sweep of God’s plan of redemption from Genesis to Revelation. It studies the plotline of Scripture, taking inventory of its themes and watching how these themes intersect with one another eventually climaxing in Christ and the new creation. In the last three decades, there have been a plethora of books on biblical theology. But as much as I enjoy reading these books and listening to biblical-theological sermons, I don’t come across many resources that instruct the church on how to “do” biblical theology.
Robust biblical theology is always wedded to Scripture, because biblical theology prevents artificial connections that can lead to odd or spurious theological conclusions. Good biblical theology is textual, always rooted in Scripture’s soil. A healthy way—perhaps the best way—to do biblical theology is to follow the lead of the apostles and examine how the apostles wed the Old Testament to their discourse. Once we discover these inner-biblical links, we can organically build on them.
Let’s examine the well-known passage of Luke 2:32 as a case study for doing good biblical theology and discover four important principles.
A healthy way—perhaps the best way—to do biblical theology is to follow the lead of the apostles and examine how the apostles wed the Old Testament to their discourse.
1. Look for Old Testament quotations and allusions.
The apostles quote the Old Testament about 350 times and allude to it 3,000 to 4,000 times. With all these inner-biblical connections, we should be in the habit of reading the New Testament expectantly. When we consult the cross-references in the margins of our Bible, we discover that Luke 2:29–32 contains a battery of allusions to Isaiah:
Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation [Isa. 40:5; 49:6; 52:10]
that you have prepared [40:3] in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles [42:6; 49:6; 52:10], and for glory to your people Israel.
Here in the hymn, known as the Nunc Dimittis, Simeon extols God and predicts that Jesus is the source of Israel’s “salvation” who will become “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32). For our purposes here, we’ll focus solely on Simeon’s allusion to Isaiah 49:6 (cf. 24:47).
2. Examine the Old Testament context.
The second step is a tall task because we must consider the immediate and broad context of the Old Testament quotation or allusion. We must be patient and read through large chunks of Scripture. We discover Isaiah 49:6 is part of four “servant” songs in the book of Isaiah (42:1–9; 49:1–6; 50:4–9; 52:13–53:12). The prophet predicts that, at the very end of history, God will redeem his people and the nations in a second exodus through the unique ministry of a servant. This individual, explicitly labeled “Israel” (49:3), suffers for the sake of God’s people. He becomes the catalyst for belief within Israel and the nations and leads them out of Babylonian exile. The individual servant then creates a community of little “servants,” a group of righteous Israelites and Gentiles (56:6; 63:17; 65:8–9, 13–15; 66:14).
3. Determine how the writer uses the Old Testament.
This third step is critical yet often neglected. Once we’ve detected the Old Testament quotation or allusion and explored the Old Testament background, now we must take a step back and ask the million-dollar question: How is the apostle using the Old Testament? New Testament writers don’t interpret and apply the Old Testament the same way each time.
Most contemporary readers assume the apostles only use the Old Testament along an axis of promise and fulfillment. While the apostles certainly read the entire sweep of the Old Testament as anticipating Christ (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39), they often use the Old Testament to undergird a moral principle or to make a simple analogy. One author suggests there are 12 different ways, often in combination with one another, in which the apostles read and apply the Old Testament. Twelve!
Simeon alludes to Isaiah 49:6 to demonstrate that Isaiah’s prophecies of a second exodus and the new creation are coming to pass in the birth of Jesus. His life, death, and resurrection also establish a group of little “servants,” little “lights,” who shine brightly in the world. We already see hints of this phenomenon in Luke 2:29 when Simeon utters, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace.” Here Simeon tacitly acknowledges he’s a servant of the servant, a servant of the baby in his arms.
4. Relate these inner-biblical connections to Christ and his people.
The fourth step is when we put all the pieces together—when we “do” biblical theology. Simeon’s allusion to Isaiah 49 sets us on a wonderful trajectory in carving out a biblical theology of servanthood. Are there precursors to the famous servant of Isaiah? Yes! The term “servant” is attached to prominent figures such as Abraham (Gen. 18:5), Jacob (32:4), Joseph (39:17), Moses (Ex. 4:10), Samuel (1 Sam. 3:10), and David (23:10). Servants serve, and God selects them for a unique and difficult purpose. These servants set the stage for the definitive, end-time servant who will serve in a way no one has ever served before. Jesus serves by bearing the sin and guilt of others.
Like a good movie or novel that contains a surprising plot twist, the Bible’s story contains a host of exciting twists and turns, and good biblical theology pays attention to unexpected events. One of these plot twists is Christ’s identity as Isaiah’s servant (Mark 10:45). The Old Testament anticipates a clear progression from suffering to exaltation, but Jesus reigns while in the throes of suffering.
The Old Testament anticipates a clear progression from suffering to exaltation, but Jesus reigns while in the throes of suffering.
This gets at the heart of what John means that Jesus was “lifted up” (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32, 34). He was physically lifted up on the cross, yet he was spiritually exalted or lifted up at the same time. The servant is king.
Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecies and then passed these same prophecies to his disciples. Of course, they don’t suffer in precisely the same way or achieve atonement in their suffering, but they do carry on the ministry of Christ’s redemption. Jesus’s final words to the disciples end with a striking allusion to Isaiah 49:6: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth [Isa. 49:6]” (Acts 1:8).
Jesus commands his apostles to fulfill the same prophecy he inaugurated (see also Acts 13:47). They must be a “light” to a dark world and proclaim the gospel at all costs. We too, 2,000 years later, continue the servant’s mission when we share the good news of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. Take heart, fellow servants, when we suffer, Christ is lifted up and his kingdom prevails.
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