Biblical Theology: An Evangelical Approach by David J. MacLeod ...

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Biblical Theology 39of New Testament Biblical Theology (i.e., Matthean, Pauline, Johannine,etc.), it is generally held that each author had one “master idea,” and all othersections of his theology are to a certain degree subordinate to that idea. 67 Tocite but three examples, Marshall found the doctrinal center of Luke in “thesalvation established by the work of Jesus,” Käsemann argued thatjustification by faith was at the center of Pauline theology, and Ryriesuggested that the high priesthood of Christ is the doctrinal center in theEpistle to the Hebrews. 68There is one possible disadvantage to the historical method: it can lead toa “splintering of theology”—a situation in which one loses sight of the overallunity of the Bible. 69 This danger is avoided, however, when the historicalstudy is carried on from the perspective of faith. When, through theilluminating work of the Holy Spirit, God speaks to the believing scholar fromone segment of revelation, he happily recognizes that it is the same voice thathe hears in other segments. While the descriptive task demands that he focuson the diversity of the New Testament witnesses, he gladly recognizes andaffirms that what he studies is part of a greater whole. The advantage of thehistorical method, as already suggested, is that it preserves the diversity of theNew Testament authors and prevents the variety of emphases in the NewTestament from being obscured. 70The third method, espoused by Marshall, is really a variation on thesecond. This method attempts “to trace the development of the ideas that havebeen deposited in the extant writings.” 71 The goal of this method is to see howthe different ideas of the New Testament authors are “related genealogicallyto one another.” 72 The means to accomplishing this goal is to place the NewTestament documents in chronological order and then to trace thedevelopment of ideas from the beginning of the New Testament era to the67 To cite just two examples, P. P. Saydon, “The Master-Idea of the Epistle to theHebrews,” MelT 13 (1961): 19–26; Joseph Plevnik, “The Center of PaulineTheology,” CBQ 51 (1989): 461–78.68 I. Howard Marshall, Luke: Historian and Theologian (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,1971), 19, 93–94; Ernst Käsemann, “The ‘Righteousness of God’ in Paul,” in NewTestament Questions of Today (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969), 168–69; Ryrie,Biblical Theology of the New Testament, 243.69 Guthrie, New Testament Theology, 72. This danger was illustrated by James R.Branton when he wrote, “There is no Christology of the New Testament; there areChristologies. There is no one divine plan of salvation; there are a variety of plans inthe New Testament. There is no kerygma; there are kerygmas.” Cf. James R. Branton,“Our Present Situation in Biblical Theology,” Religion in Life 26 (Winter 1956–57):17.70 Ladd, “Biblical Theology, Nature Of,” 508.71 Marshall, New Testament Theology, 25.72 Ibid.
40CTS Journal 12 (Fall 2006)end. 73 This method seems best suited to describing and explaining NewTestament theology as a whole, while the second method is the essentialmethod for studying an individual book or author. Even while studying anindividual book, however, one will want to show how the author’s ideasdeveloped and how they are related to the ideas in earlier and subsequentwritings. 74The Steps of the ProcessExegeting the Book. At this point the question might be asked, How does onego about the task of Biblical Theology? The present writer would suggest foursteps. First, applying sound hermeneutical principles the student shouldsubject his material to a detailed exegetical analysis. 75 In the process, heshould use the standard tools, not neglecting the commentaries (both new andold) 76 and periodical literature.Tracing the Argument. Having exegeted the book paragraph byparagraph, the student should examine and write out the author’s argument ordevelopment of thought. The purpose of this synthetical study is to make clearthe author’s theological emphases and his doctrinal sequence.Establishing the Center. With the theological emphases of the book infront of him, the student should determine the author’s primary theme or73 Ibid., 26.74 Marshall, New Testament Theology, 27.75 For a basic introduction to New Testament exegesis, see John D. Grassmick,Principles and Practice of Greek Exegesis (Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary,1976).76 Several years ago a personal friend of the writer of this article completed hisdoctorate in education at a leading university. His adviser warned him not to citeliterature more than two years old in his dissertation! Such modernity may beappropriate for the social sciences, but it is unacceptable to the evangelicaltheologian. It is with some amusement that the present writer remembers acolleague’s horror at finding a reference to A. B. Bruce in the writer’s dissertation onthe Book of Hebrews. Although the student must take into account (again to useHebrews as an example) the contemporary works of Luke Timothy Johnson, Craig R.Koester, Harold W. Attridge, William L. Lane, Paul Ellingworth, George H. Guthrie,George W. Buchanan, F. F. Bruce, Philip E. Hughes, Matthis Rissi, Otto Michel, C.Spicq and others, he must not neglect the classic works of, among others,Chrysostom, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Owen, Marcus Dods, Franz Delitzsch,James Moffatt, Alexander Nairne, and—yes—A. B. Bruce. To dismiss the greatexpositors of the past is “both naive and arrogant.” Cf. Brevard S. Childs, The Book ofExodus (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1974), x.
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