I have read almost all of the entries in the 9 Marks series of books on the nature of the healthy church, and this is quite possibly my favorite (although that is an admittedly tough call to make). Roark and Cline give a brief but extremely helpful summary of the story of the Bible, demonstrating both how biblical theological work is different from its systematic cousin, and how pastor's can integrate in into their ministries and teach it in their churches.

INTRODUCTION
Biblical theology is in vogue right now. Over the last decade, academic resources like Jim Hamilton’s God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment, Greg Beale’s A New Testament Biblical Theology, Don Carson and Greg Beale’s Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, as well as the multi-volume New Studies in Biblical Theology series have been released. Today, the fruit of such academic works is resulting in a number of biblical theology resources for the ordinary churchman, seen clearly in the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series. In Biblical Theology: How the Church Faithfully Teaches the Gospel, Nick Roark and Robert Cline add their imprint to this biblical theology scene.

SUMMARY
Biblical Theology: How the Church Faithfully Teaches the Gospel is the newest release in the 9 Marks Building Healthy Churches series. In this work, Roark and Cline aim to prove that biblical theology is a discipline that helps one understand that the Bible’s grand storyline regarding God’s purposes, plans, and promises is centered on “his plan of redemption in the person and work of Jesus Christ” (17). Moreover, the authors strive to demonstrate the need for biblical theology in the local church as they show how “missing the point of the Bible’s story produces false gospels and false churches” (19). Roark and Cline define biblical theology and then they overview the Bible’s big story before concluding with two practical chapters on applying biblical theology with respect to both teaching in the local church and understanding the mission of the church.

CRITICAL EVALUATION
The authors are absolutely correct with their Christocentric understanding of the Bible’s big story. In Luke 24:44-47, Jesus declared to his disciples, “everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” In other words, there’s no way—according to Jesus and the Bible—to rightly understand the Bible’s kingdom creation-fall-redemption plot without Jesus the Christ being firmly planted at the center. Therefore, Roark and Cline rightly conclude, “The story of Scripture, then, is all about God’s King and his gracious rule and reign; it’s about the forgiveness of sins that King has won for his people, who hail from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. The whole story of the Scriptures, rightly understood, focuses on Jesus Christ from beginning to end” (25-26).

One of the really beneficial aspects of this book is the way that it teaches the reader how to interpret all of the Bible in light of Jesus. In chapter 5, the writers give five lenses through which any text must be interpreted to be rightly understood: context (historical & literary), covenant (particular stage of progressively revealed redemptive history), canon (whole Bible connections), character of God, and Christ. But more than saying that any text must be viewed through these five lenses, the authors show what this process looks like in all kinds of ways. In chapters 3 and 4, the authors list numerous tips for preaching and teaching in light of Christ as they walk through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. For example, they instruct their readers, “Connect the cosmic curse of Genesis 3 to the Serpent-crushing seed of Eve, who redeemed us from the curse by becoming a curse for us (Gal. 3:13),” this in contrast to preaching a moralistic sermon about not falling into temptation like Adam (35). And beyond these tips, the authors give three Old Testament and three New Testament interpretation illustrations in an appendix.

The most helpful facet of Roark and Cline’s book is the way they show how good biblical theology prevents false gospels and false churches. Biblical theology can eliminate eisegetical proof-texting that is often the result of failing to see how the whole Bible is connected to Jesus (78). When we understand that the Bible is about Jesus rather than mere behavior modification, biblical theology will also fight against gospel-less, moralistic preaching (81). Moreover, a Christ-centered biblical theology wars against the prosperity gospel by reminding us that the greatest problem Jesus came to remedy is not our lack of worldly possession but our sin (102). A proper biblical theology wars against the civil-gospel that ties the people of God to a specific country as it declares that a multi-national people redeemed by Jesus called the church is the people of God given God’s promises in Christ (107). A proper biblical theology also wars against soup-kitchen gospels that focus on temporary social reform by declaring that social reform apart from eternal spiritual reform through repentance and faith doesn’t fully represent Jesus (108). A faithful, Christ-centered biblical theology keeps the church focused on her gospel mission to make disciples and to be disciples to the ends of the earth, as seen in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 (112-113).

CONCLUSION
Biblical Theology: How the Church Faithfully Teaches the Gospel carries a heavy load with ease in defining, demonstrating, and applying Christ-centered biblical theology in the local church in under 150 pages. Whether you’re a pastor, small group leader, or someone who simply wants to better understand how to read the Bible as God’s unified story in Christ, this book is an excellent starting point. I highly commend this book that helps the reader see and faithfully minister the gospel in light of Jesus being the Hero of the whole Bible.

Biblical theology is way of reading the bible as one story by one divine author that culminates in who Jesus Christ is and what he has done, so that every part of scripture is understood in relation to him. Biblical theology helps us understand the bible as one big book with lots of little books that tell one big story. Biblical theology is for the church, begins with the bible, and ends with King Jesus and his church.

The importance of biblical theology is important to anyone who follows Christ. A church on Sunday mornings can focus on the moral aspects of the bible characters with good intentions, however in doing so takes away the connection the people of the bible have to a God that desires to make himself known. What happens at church is we begin to live in despair instead of the hope that is found in biblical theology.

This short text teaches what biblical theology is and just as important what it is not. The mistakes a pastor can make but also it also directs on how a pastor can make a connection to his flock. Even pastors can undermine the gospel with good works and moralism. It is all in the motivation. Good biblical theology addresses our motivation to the gospel.

The five chapters are as follows:

The Need for Biblical Theology
What is Biblical Theology?
What is the Bible's Big Story Part 1
What Is the Bible's Big Story Part 2
Biblical Theology Shapes a Church's teaching
Biblical Theology Shapes a Church's Mission.

I highly recommend this not only to pastors but to members of the church. Biblical Theology is not only for pastors but for all of us as it motivates us to the gospel. Do we believe in the prosperity Gospel? What is the prosperity Gospel? A moral Gospel? A social gospel? The gospel addresses our biggest problem, our biggest need. The eternal wrath of a holy and good God. Jesus is the hero.

The connections of this text to exodus of the Old Testament to the cross of the New Testament is insightful to the gospel we have in Christ. I highly recommend.

A Special Thank You to Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Biblical Theology is an excellent, accessible introduction to the concept. Biblical theology is basically a narrative approach when compared to systematic theology's more topical composition. Systematic theology takes specific doctrines and then fleshes them out with numerous texts, while biblical theology focuses on the narrative flow of Scripture and the big picture of the gospel story across all of the Bible. Both are very useful approaches. Biblical theology is especially useful in that it helps a reader or preacher not to lose sight of the big idea of the Bible while going through individual passages. It keeps Christ and the gospel at the center of our faith.

Roark and Cline's book is not long, but it packs quite a punch. The first two chapters introduce the concept of biblical theology and explain its importance. The next two chapters are particularly helpful: they go through each part of the Bible in order and explain each part's connection to the whole. These chapters also include preaching tips for each of these different sections. Finally, the book concludes by addressing how biblical theology impacts a church's teaching and its mission. Many doctrinal and ecclesiological errors can be avoided by having a good grasp of biblical theology.

This book is an extremely helpful resource. I have already recommended it to several friends, and I will continue to do so! I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are entirely my own.

The 9 Marks series are excellent short books on needed topics for the health and growth of the local church. Biblical Theology is a wonderful addition to this series. It helps us see that Jesus is the point of the whole Bible and walks us through the story of Jesus in all of scripture. I highly recommend this as an introduction to biblical theology. You can't go wrong with these well-written little intro books.

I have yet to read something that is not interesting coming out of 9Marks. This is a condensed version of the Biblical storyline that you would find in more expansive courses/books. It runs you through the main themes of Scripture as they develop from Genesis to Revelation. The last part of the book also shows how Biblical Theology helps against mishandling bible verses, as is often done today by proof-texters. Overall great read, have found no issues.

This is one of the best books on biblical theology that I have read.  The book is concise, but gives a good explanation of and polemic for biblical theology.   A major responsibility of my profession is to develop curriculum and materials that are centered on biblical theology, so this is an important topic for my career.  This book communicates very clearly the advantages of understanding the Bible as one big narrative.  I loved the last chapter with the examples of how to apply biblical theology to certain passages.

Biblical Theology is a book that made my heart cry out, “Yes!” Preaching and teaching Christ from all of Scripture is essential. It keeps us from interpreting passages and stories in an isolated manner. One of the greatest dangers I see, in kids ministry especially, is the temptation to deal with Bible stories strictly on a moral correction level. “Do this” or “Don’t do that!” can so easily become our message if we don’t connect each passage to the grand redemptive narrative of Scripture. This book not only sets forward the need for Biblical Theology, but the authors also give the study process that will guide each teacher and preacher to connect their passage with the original audience, the metanarrative of Scripture, and their current audience. I cannot wait to get my hands on this book to study with some of the teacher’s at our church!

Biblical Theology
How the Church faithfully teaches the Gospel
By Nick Roark and Robert Cline.



This book explores Biblical Theology, its impact of the churches teaching and mission. Exhorting pastors and other church leaders to prioritise biblical theology in their own congregations, this book explains basic principles for reading the Bible that help pastors teach the big story of the Bible from every text.

The book flows and is easy to read, that is, it’s not a heavy text for Bible college students, rather a practical and usable text for pastors to apply in the church.

The book contains practical tips for preaching and teaching, that allows the application and sharing of the concepts covered.

A refreshing read for pastors to remind them of the purpose of the church, by returning to teaching and preaching Biblical Theology.


Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

#BiblicalTheology #NetGalley

Reviewed by Heath Henwood
www.books-reviewed.weebly.com

Highly recommend this book for all faiths. It’s a book that laymen can understand. It is well written, inspirational, insightful, spiritual. Theological text that “keeps it simple.”

First sentence: When I (Nick) was in elementary school, one of my classmates gave a book report about a story written by C. S. Lewis featuring four children, a lion king, a white witch, and a hidden magical land accessed through a wardrobe. I was mesmerized. So I purchased The Chronicles of Narnia for myself and read them with pleasure. But years later, after my conversion to Christ, I realized I had been missing the author’s obvious intentions to point his readers to Jesus.

What is biblical theology? Why is it important? These questions--and others like it--are addressed and answered in one of the newest books in the 9Marks series published by Crossway.

The book begins by stressing the need for biblical theology. What are the dangers we--as the church, or even as individuals--face if our theology is unbiblical?! Does right theology matter in our day to day lives? What impact should our doctrine be having on our lives? The authors list at least four reasons WHY having biblical theology matters.
1) Biblical theology helps clarify the Bible’s main purpose. Some people approach God’s Word as if it were a collection of independent stories, or an assortment of advice and counsel, or even a universal cookbook with recipes for “the good life” scattered across its sixty-six books. But these approaches fail to bring to light the central purpose of Scripture. Simply put, you won’t understand the story of the Bible unless you see that it’s all about Jesus! From Genesis to Revelation, Jesus is the Hero and the point of the story.
2) Biblical theology helps guard and guide the church. Reading Scripture rightly means knowing where each book fits into its overarching narrative. And knowing the overarching narrative helps us read and understand accurately each event, character, or lesson that’s been given to us as part of God’s progressively revealed Word.
3) Biblical theology helps us in our evangelistic outreach. Sharing the good news with those who are unfamiliar with Christianity requires explaining much more than “four spiritual laws” or the “Romans road.” People first need to grasp that the Christian worldview accompanies a total transformation of mind-set.
4) Biblical theology helps us read, understand, and teach the Bible the way Jesus said we should. Jesus himself says in Luke 24 that he is Scripture’s interpretive key. So if we fail to read and understand Scripture in a way that leads us to Jesus, then we will miss the point of the Bible, and as a result we will teach others to commit the same error.
The book then defines what biblical theology IS. They write,
"Biblical theology is a way of reading the Bible as one story by one divine author that culminates in who Jesus Christ is and what he has done, so that every part of Scripture is understood in relation to him. Biblical theology helps us understand the Bible as one big book with lots of little books that tell one big story. The Hero and centerpiece of that story, from cover to cover, is Jesus Christ. Biblical theology is for the church, begins with the Bible, and ends with King Jesus and his church."
There are two chapters on the big picture of the Bible. These chapters provide summary that could prove quite useful to those new to the Bible or new to the faith. They provide an outline for understanding what you read. The book seems to be written in part for pastors. Each section includes preaching and teaching tips.

The next chapter focuses on understanding and studying the Bible. It is packed with tips or "tools" on how to read and study the Bible.

The final chapter is on the mission of the church. This chapter ties back in with the first which stated that, "missing the point of the Bible’s story produces false gospels and false churches." The authors give four examples: the prosperity gospel church, the civic gospel church, the soup-kitchen church, and the immorality-affirming church.

The book is a quick, practical read. I think the main audience is pastors and teachers, but, I think it can be a beneficial read to any believer whether they "teach" the faith officially or not. Doctrine matters for every one of us. Nobody should allow another person to think for them and do all the work.