What Is Biblical Theology?

a guide to the bible’s story, symbolism, and patterns

JAMES M.

HAMILTON JR.

CROSSWAY

WHEATON, ILLINOIS

What Is Biblical Theology? A Guide to the Bible’s Story, Symbolism, and Patterns

Copyright © 2014 by James M. Hamilton Jr.

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Brandon Hill

Cover image: Brandon Hill Photos

First printing 2014

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. 2011 Text Edition. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked at are the author’s translation.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-3771-4

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-3772-1

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-3773-8

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-3774-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hamilton, James M., 1974–

What is biblical theology?: a guide to the Bible’s story, symbolism, and patterns / James M. Hamilton Jr.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4335-3771-4 (tp)

1. Bible—Theology. 2. Bible—Introductions. I. Title.

230'.041—23

2013022763

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

For Evie Caroline

our little girl

May it be granted you to clothe yourself

with fine linen, bright and pure,

for the wedding feast of the Lamb.

(Rev. 19:7–8)

CONTENTS

1 A Better World Breaks Through

2 What Is Biblical Theology?

Part 1

THE BIBLE’S BIG STORY

3 The Narrative

4 Plot: Conflict, Episodes, and Theme

5 The Mystery

Part 2

THE BIBLE’S SYMBOLIC UNIVERSE

6 What Do Symbols Do?

7 Imagery

8 Typology

9 Patterns

Part 3

THE BIBLE’S LOVE STORY

10 A Song for the Lady in Waiting: The Bride of Christ and Biblical Theology

11 The Church’s Identity in the Story

12 The Church’s Setting in the Story

13 The Church’s Plot Tension and Its Resolution

Epilogue

For Further Reading

Acknowledgments

General Index

Scripture Index

1

A BETTER WORLD BREAKS THROUGH

Sitting uneasily in his chair, straining for breath, he tilted his head toward his wife, nodded in the direction of my three sons, and said, “It’s good for them to be here.”

Looking at me he continued, gasping out the words, “We wanted to hide things like this. But it’s good for these boys to see me dying. Death is real.”

Later that night, his wife of more than fifty years became a widow.

Knowing that life was leaving his body, he saw right through our medicated, sanitized, hedonistic culture. He could ignore death no longer, and he was convinced others shouldn’t either. There was no avoiding it, so he looked it in the face and affirmed the goodness of the true story of the world. His approaching death was like ...