Recorded before a live audience at Cahaba Park Church during Discovering Christ in All of Scripture, a Reformed Forum seminar hosted in conjunction with Birmingham Theological Seminary, Camden Bucey moderates a panel with Dan Ragusa, Derrick Brite, and Lane G. Tipton on the importance of biblical theology for the life of the church. The panel defines biblical theology in the tradition of Geerhardus Vos, explains its organic and progressive character, and shows how the whole history of special revelation reaches its center and goal in Jesus Christ.
The conversation turns to preaching, discipleship, the unity of the covenant of grace, Christ-centered interpretation, practical resources for reading the Old Testament, and the need for churches to recover the accomplishment of redemption as the great context for every biblical passage. In the audience Q&A, the panel also addresses ministry in small and struggling churches, church revitalization, and the pilgrim ethic needed for faithful pastoral service.
Links
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and panel
- 03:55 Why biblical theology matters
- 09:28 Defining biblical theology
- 15:39 Derrick Brite’s formation and pastoral ministry
- 22:20 Dan Ragusa and the Dutch Reformed tradition
- 26:09 Biblical theology in a diverse congregation
- 30:09 Avoiding moralism and subjectivism
- 31:27 Hermeneutical foundations
- 35:56 The trans-testamental gospel
- 40:24 Christianity, liberalism, and supernatural history
- 43:54 God’s redemptive words and deeds
- 48:37 Christ, the one mediator
- 51:11 One gospel for Abraham and the church
- 52:56 Audience questions
- 53:23 Lane Tipton’s conversion and call to ministry
- 58:40 Teaching people to see Christ in the Old Testament
- 63:25 The exodus at the Transfiguration
- 67:16 Reading passages within the history of salvation
- 73:56 Christocentrism and Christotelism
- 77:11 Biblical theology and small-church ministry
- 82:58 The pastoral shortage and a pilgrim ethic
- 88:10 Conclusion
