Introduction to Biblical Theology - Dr. Thomas Schreiner - Lecture 01

Main ideas and concepts (outlined)

1) Pastors’ influence and “modeling a hermeneutic”

The lecture begins with a quote from Graham Goldsworthy: people learn how to use the Bible largely from teachers in church, so preachers/pastors have a special responsibility to:

• Teach good biblical theology
• Model a sound hermeneutic (a correct method for interpreting Scripture)

Dr. Schreiner argues that pastoral ministry has a unique and massive influence because pastors:

• Walk with people through birth, life, death
• Constantly apply Scripture to real-life situations
• Form and shape people spiritually over time

He asserts that historically influential theologians have often been pastors (examples given include Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and modern influential pastors such as John MacArthur, John Piper, Tim Keller).

Therefore, local church ministry—specifically the pastor’s teaching and modeling—has the greatest influence on congregations, even when people read other books or watch online content.

2) The course’s aim: trace a storyline in biblical theology

Dr. Schreiner says the task of biblical theology is to try to “put the whole Bible together,” which is difficult and leads to different perspectives among Christians.

He names several theological “system” approaches that differ:

• Dispensationalism
• Covenant theology
• New covenant theology

Despite differences, the class focuses on a unifying biblical-theological theme:

• No one “center to Scripture,” but a very central theme
• That theme is the Kingdom of God

Working shorthand/definition:

Kingdom of God = God’s rule over his people through his covenants

He agrees with a covenant-based storyline view (referenced via Kingdom through Covenant), emphasizing that:

• God’s kingdom is displayed in Scripture
• The kingdom is unpacked through biblical covenants
• The covenants function as the backbone of the narrative

3) What “kingdom” means: presence, love, judgment, and consummation

The kingdom includes multiple related ideas:

• God’s rule
• God’s presence
• God’s love (especially emphasized for “the people of God”)
• Judgment is part of the picture as well, though this portion highlights love/presence

The story ends with consummation:

• Believers experience God’s presence forever
• They will see God’s face

4) The storyline of place and rest: garden → land → new creation

The kingdom story connects to geography and culminating outcomes:

• Garden of Eden
• Canaan (the land)
• New creation (ultimate fulfillment)

He explicitly says the Millennium will not be discussed yet.

He argues that, for “getting bearings” in an evangelical subculture, some Christians become overly excited about the Millennium or rewards instead of the new creation / eternal life.

Core claim:

• The most important future reality is being with God forever, not reward-focused thinking.

5) How to read Scripture: historical and canonical context; Trinitarian reading

Method principles for interpretation (hermeneutical approach):

• Read Scripture in its historical context
• Read Scripture in light of the whole canonical context

He argues that a hermeneutical decision leads to reading certain passages Trinitarianly.

Example: Psalm 33:6 (“the heavens were made by the word of the Lord…”)

• “The Word of the Lord” ultimately points to Jesus
• He connects “breath of his mouth” to the Spirit

He also argues from John 1:1 that John is meditating on Genesis, so creation-by-the-word themes align:

• Word present at creation
• Spirit hovering over waters

He claims Genesis contains hints of the Trinity “ultimately and canonically,” even if original readers may not have grasped it fully at the time.

6) God as Creator, sovereignty, and rejecting rival “ontological dualism”

Because God is Creator, he has no rivals.

Referencing Psalm 96, the lecture discusses that:

• Idols are worthless (not ultimate reality)
• There is real conflict between God and Satan, but not equal ontological power—i.e., not ontological dualism

Creation serves God’s glory:

• Psalm 19: creation “declares” God’s glory continually

7) Debated detail: Genesis 1:26 (“Let us make…”) and the Trinity

He mentions Genesis 1:26 and tends to read it as a Trinitarian statement.

He acknowledges disagreement:

• Peter Gentry (a colleague) is said to disagree, suggesting alternative explanations (e.g., plural of majesty)

He reinforces that his preference comes from his canonical/interpretive method.

8) Creation order and Sabbath rest: seventh day → Hebrews → ultimate rest

On the seventh day:

• He distinguishes “seventh day” from explicit naming as “Sabbath”
• However, the seventh day signifies God’s reign/ruling
• It is a day of refreshment and joy

Biblical theology connection:

• Hebrews 4 picks up seventh-day imagery
• Sabbath-rest hope is ultimately located in:
  • new creation / heavenly city

Support is also drawn from Revelation 14:13 about rest “from their labors,” while noting Revelation is disputed—though the theme of rest after death fits all Christians historically.

9) Human beings as God’s image: vice-regents, king-priest roles, and temple/garden parallels

The image of God includes (broadly construed):

• Humans as God’s vice-regents (like a “vice president”)
• Their task is to rule for God and reflect his rule

He connects human duties to priestly mediation:

• Adam functions as king and priest
• Kings rule; priests mediate blessing

He argues for garden-temple parallels:

• Garden as sanctuary (God dwells there)
• Temple/Tabernacle as dwelling space
• Motifs like entering “from the east,” cherubim guarding God’s presence

Later connections include:

• Ezekiel 47: a river flowing from the temple that grows in size
• Parallels to Eden’s river anticipating future fulfillment

The intended vocation:

• Adam and Eve spread God’s blessing/presence to the whole world.

10) The fall and its leadership failure: Adam’s responsibility in Genesis 3

He frames sin as a failure of proper rule under God’s lordship.

Adam’s sin is worsened/illustrated by how Adam behaves:

• When the serpent tempts Eve, Adam should have evicted the serpent
• Instead, evidence suggests Adam is passive and fails to exercise leadership and dominion

Human consequence:

• Sin leads to exile from God’s presence

He defines the heart of sin as displacement of God:

• People become self-centered (self-as-god), i.e., idolatry

11) Effects of sin on the natural world and creation’s groaning

Creation’s suffering is linked to the Fall:

• Thorns/thistles appear as consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin
• Romans 8: creation “groans” with believers

He contrasts beauty and brokenness:

• The world remains beautiful, but it is damaged (examples: mudslides, fires, hurricanes, earthquakes)

12) Exile/rest themes: who can dwell with God?

A repeated emphasis is:

• Who can live/dwell in God’s presence?

He uses Psalms:

• Psalm 15: those who may sojourn/dwell in God’s tabernacle
• Psalm 24: who may ascend the mountain of the Lord and stand in his holy place

Conclusion:

• Only those forgiven through Jesus’ death and resurrection can dwell with God.

13) Historical Adam and original sin’s impact (contested)

He says doubt about historical Adam is “disastrous.”

He recommends a resource:

• A book on theistic evolution (edited by Wayne Grudem and others; Stephen Meyer mentioned)

He notes some Old Testament scholars claim the Old Testament lacks clear teaching that Adam’s sin affects all humanity (in tension with Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15).

He references another argument/resource:

• Jim Hamilton has written an essay arguing Adam’s sin impacts humanity meaningfully

Evidence mentioned:

• Genesis 5 genealogy with recurring “and then he died,” described as a “roll call of death”

14) Genesis 3:15 (the “hostility”/seed promise) as programmatic

He calls Genesis 3:15 “programmatic” for the story.

He interprets it as a promise of hostility and conflict:

• Hostility between “you” and the woman
• Hostility between the serpent’s offspring and the woman’s offspring
• One will strike/crush the other (his head / his heel)

He ties the serpent to Satan:

• Revelation identifies the serpent as Satan
• He mentions a prior disagreement with a professor who rejected that link

He argues that Genesis 3:15 is woven through the Old Testament and will be further traced in the course.

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Methodology / interpretive approach (detailed)

• Biblical theology construction

  • Attempt to “put the whole Bible together”
  • Expect differences because the task is difficult even among Christians who affirm inerrancy/authority

• Account for systemic approaches

  • Recognize different theological systems (dispensationalism, covenant theology, new covenant theology)
  • Still focus on tracing the biblical storyline

• Course storyline center/theme

  • Use Kingdom of God as the central connecting theme:
    • God’s rule over his people through covenants
  • Emphasize covenants as the backbone of the kingdom story

• Hermeneutics (how to read Scripture)

  • Read Scripture by:
    • Historical context (what the text meant in its original setting)
    • Canonical context (what the full Bible’s structure/whole storyline reveals)
  • Canonical reading supports:
    • Trinitarian interpretation of creation-related texts (e.g., Word/breath; creation through Word)
  • Read parts in light of the whole:
    • e.g., John 1 seen as meditating on Genesis 1

• Christological and Spirit connections

  • Identify the “Word of the Lord” with realities fulfilled in Jesus (while allowing the original authors may not have fully intended later detail)
  • Connect creation “breath” imagery with the Holy Spirit

• Use of Genesis as foundational

  • Treat early Genesis themes as setting up major directions for the whole narrative
  • Treat Genesis 3:15 as programmatic and track its unfolding through later Scripture

• Use of later Scripture to interpret earlier

  • Hebrews interprets Sabbath/seventh-day rest
  • Revelation interprets serpent identity (serpent = Satan)

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Speakers / sources featured (as named in the subtitles)

Named speakers

• Dr. Thomas Schreiner (lecturer)

Named sources/quoted authors

• Graham Goldsworthy (quoted at the start)

Named individuals referenced as influential theologians/pastors

• Augustine
• Martin Luther
• John Calvin
• John MacArthur
• John Piper
• Tim Keller

Named colleagues mentioned

• Peter Gentry
• Wayne Grudem (mentioned in relation to a recommended resource on theistic evolution)
• Jim Hamilton
• (Also referenced in a subtitle context that appears to include “Whelmed and Peter Gentry,” but the first name/title is unclear due to subtitle errors.)

Named authors/books mentioned

• Kingdom through Covenant (by colleagues; named partially due to subtitle errors, plus Peter Gentry)
• The King in His Beauty (Schreiner’s book)
• God’s salvation through judgment (by Jim Hamilton; referenced by title)
• Theistic evolution (book/resource; edited by Wayne Grudem; Stephen Meyer mentioned)

Bible books/chapters cited (sources used in the lecture, not speakers)

• Genesis 1–3, Genesis 5
• Psalms (e.g., Psalm 19, Psalm 15, Psalm 24, Psalm 96)
• John 1
• Romans 8
• Hebrews 4
• Revelation 14 and Revelation 4
• Matthew (mentioned briefly)