Biblical Theology in the Life of the Early Church
Biblical Theology is a popular topic of interest today, but is it really a new and novel way of reading the Word? In Biblical Theology in the Life of the Early Church, Stephen O. Presley recovers an ancient vision that recasts biblical theology as a practice cultivated in Christian community.
Biblical theology is a way of thinking about the unity of Scripture. Presley explains how the academic world is in disarray in its methodology of reading and interpreting through the lens of biblical theology. He presents a picture of incoherence, inconsistency, and fragmentation.
Christ in Scripture
In response, he calls us back to the ways of the early church fathers—from the apostles to Irenaeus to Augustine—and to the three things that worked together to frame their ecclesial biblical theology: Scripture, the rule of faith (key points and summaries of the thrust of Scripture—much like wedding vows), and liturgy.
I was encouraged to read that we don’t have to be scared or hesitant about finding Christ in Scripture. Presley shows that the fathers found Christ embedded throughout Scripture, especially by drawing on passages that point to the person and work of Christ in his first and second coming.
United by God
I was most moved by how the church and her liturgy help us find ourselves in the story and drama of Scripture. As we gather around the Word, we conform ourselves to Christ and make progress in our sanctification together. This communal life of following Christ is a beautiful picture of a realized, experienced, lived-out biblical theology.
This thought-provoking academic book is a deep and rewarding read that will cause you to wonder at the beauty of biblical theology and worship the God who unites it all together.
I received a media copy of Biblical Theology in the Life of the Early Church (Amazon) and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.