Biblical Theology

Course Introduction:

The video lectures in this course on Biblical Theology focus on the unfolding of the history of redemption as revealed in the Old and New Testaments. The Triune God prepared the redemption of His people before the foundation of the world and gradually revealed Himself and His plan of salvation in the covenant of grace. Consequently, the whole Bible reveals the Lord Jesus Christ, beginning in the first pages of Genesis and leading to the full light of the New Testament exposition of His person and work. The development of the covenant of grace expands throughout the Old Testament and culminates in the incarnation of Christ, God's eternal Son. His death, burial, resurrection, ascension and sending of the Holy Spirit secure the spread of His redemption throughout the world to the present day. Redemptive history concludes on the Last Day, when the King of kings and Lord of lords will gather His church to Himself in everlasting glory, to reign with Him forever. The purpose of this course is to equip God's people with a deeper understanding of the Bible and with a fuller knowledge of God as He reveals Himself in Christ. So, if you wish to know God better, and if you want a better grasp of the message of the Scriptures, these lectures aim to benefit you.

Definition of Biblical Theology:

The discipline of Biblical Theology studies the progressive nature of biblical revelation. It emphasizes the development of God’s revelation throughout the consecutive periods of biblical history, as recorded in the inspired Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. God did not provide the final product of His revelation all at once. Later portions of the Bible build upon and expand the concepts, vocabulary, doctrines, images and events of earlier periods. Biblical theology studies the revelation of God in Christ chronologically, analyzing the theology of each stage of history and how God weaves those strands together throughout the other portions of redemptive history. Systematic theology, by way of contrast, considers the final, completed product of biblical revelation and organizes individual doctrines into logical categories drawn from the material in the Bible as a whole. Biblical theology and systematic theology serve and support each other. Both are indispensable to knowing the Bible and understanding sound theology.

1 - Introduction

The whole Bible reveals the Lord Jesus Christ and the message of salvation in the gospel of his grace. We trace the unfolding of this revelation of God in Christ throughout the stages of the history of redemption found in the Old and New Testaments.

2 - Creation

In the work of creation, God lays the foundation for the revelation of himself and prepares us for the greater glory of the new creation in Christ.

3 - Fall

By their Fall, mankind lost communion with God and came under his wrath and curse. But God entered into a covenant of grace to deliver his people from sin and to bring them salvation through Christ.

4 - Noah

God displays his glory in salvation through judgment.

5 - Abraham

God condescends to call Abraham out of idolatry and into the way of faith and obedience in order to dispense gospel blessings to all nations.

6 - Patriarchs 1

God’s promise unfolds through many twists and turns, revealing bright revelations of God’s glory and his plan of redemption.

7 - Patriarchs 2

God provides revelations of his glory in Christ in unexpected places—outside the lineage of Abraham.

8 - Exodus

God reveals his plan of redemption by delivering his people from bondage and displaying his glory to them—and through them.

9 - Sinai

God gives his law to his chosen and redeemed people to reveal his own character, to bring them under his rule and to inform them how to live in holiness according to his will.

10 - Tabernacle

The Lord reveals himself as the God who saves his people in order that he might dwell in their midst—in this world and the world to come.

11 - Sacrifices

God’s people forfeited by their sin all rights to approach God’s Holy dwelling place, except through the blood of Christ’s sacrifice.

12 - Priesthood

God dwells among his people, but he can only be approached through an appointed high priest who offers an acceptable sacrifice for sin.

13 - Inheritance

God redeems his people in order to bring them to the promised land of his heavenly inheritance, where he will dwell with them for all of eternity.

14 - David

God’s covenant with David further intensifies the promise of the coming Seed. David’s future Son will be greater than David, as the King of kings, and his kingdom will be an eternal kingdom.

15 - Psalms

God provides his church with a permanent book of inspired songs in which we sing to Christ, of Christ and with Christ.

16 - Solomon

All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ, who is the Wisdom of God.

17 - Temple

God establishes a permanent dwelling place among his people in the Promised Land, thereby pointing forward to the coming of Christ and his presence with his people in time and eternity.

18 - Kingdom

After the kingdom divides, both Israel and Judah turn away from God’s covenant to idolatry, and God sets before them the path to blessings and curses. It is clear that God’s great King has not yet come.

19 - Prophets

God raised up prophets to pronounce judgment and proclaim salvation to his disobedient people, calling them to look to the Savior who would come and serve as God’s final Word.

20 - Exile

God’s promises bring privileges, but they also bring obligations. God’s people learn that rebelling against him and breaking his covenant results in the mercy of chastening to train them in his ways and to turn them back to himself.

21 - Restoration

God promises of deliverance endure to the very end and train his Old Testament people to yet hope in the even greater promises to be fulfilled in the coming of the promised Messiah.

22 - Incarnation

God displays the fullest and final revelation of his glory in sending his Son into the world.

23 - Atonement

God condescends to reveal his glory through Christ’s finished work of atonement.

24 - Resurrection

God reveals his glory to men and angels through the triumphant resurrection of Christ, through which he secures the promised redemption of his people.

25 - Pentecost

The ascended Christ pours out his Spirit upon his people, and the Spirit glorifies the Son, taking the things of Christ to show them to his people.

26 - Church

The Church is built on Jesus Christ, the chief corner stone, as a habitation of God through which he magnifies his glory to the whole world.

27 - Union

God magnifies the Savior by revealing that all the benefits of salvation come through the believer’s union with Christ.

28 - Redemption

God applies Christ’s completed work of redemption in history to every individual believer throughout time.

29 - Mission

God calls his Church to proclaim his gospel to every tribe, tongue and nation, thereby displaying the glory of God through redemption in Christ and its power to bring many throughout the world to worship him.

30 - Glory

The culmination of history, like its inception, sets forth the glory of God in Christ, which is magnified through the consummation on the Last Day.