Imagine a small group of believers gathered in a sweltering church hall after a long day’s work. As the Bible opens there’s excitement. But there’s also some confusion. Each person brings a different takeaway from the study. One clings to “their verse.” One wonders how the ancient story connects with today. Another debates a fine theological point. These differences and confusion arise because something is missing: a sense of the grand story God is telling, a thread binding every biblical text and lesson together; in a phrase, we’re missing biblical theology.
We can slip into viewing the Bible as a scattered collection of wise sayings or disconnected moral lessons.
The experience I’ve described above is familiar to many churches and most believers across Africa. Amid devoted teaching, heartfelt worship, and sincere study, we can slip into viewing the Bible as a scattered collection of wise sayings or unrelated and disconnected moral lessons. The result? We may miss God’s big picture. We don’t see his plan of redemption from Genesis to Revelation.
Too often, sermons and Bible studies stray from the core principles of biblical theology. Rather than exploring the overarching narrative and themes of the Bible, they focus only on isolated passages or immediate application. This piecemeal approach, though well-intentioned, leads to a shallow understanding of God’s word and its broader framework.
The Pitfall of Neglecting Biblical Theology
Without biblical theology at the foundation, several problems quickly arise. Fragmented study can encourage selective readings—cherry-picking favourite verses to support personal agendas or theological biases, rather than receiving the holistic message of the scriptures. This can distort God’s word, leaving listeners confused or spiritually stagnant.
Fragmented study can encourage selective readings—cherry-picking favourite verses to support personal agendas.
Furthermore, such an approach misses the interconnectedness of biblical themes and stories. The Bible isn’t merely a collection of stories or commands—it is a unified narrative of God’s redemptive work in Christ (Luke 24:27, 44; Hebrews 1:1-2). Ignoring that storyline robs us of the Bible’s richness and depths, clouding our view of God’s character and his purposes as well as working in history.
Neglecting biblical theology also dulls the church’s witness to contemporary challenges. Without an anchoring grasp of the Bible’s larger themes, sermons and studies can struggle to speak prophetically and faithfully to present-day issues. Congregants then find it harder to connect biblical truth to daily life, reducing the impact and transformative power of God’s word.
Why Biblical Theology Matters
Biblical theology is the glue that holds our faith and practice together. It helps us see how all of scripture testifies to Christ (John 5:39); keeps us from error (2 Timothy 3:16-17); and grounds our hope in God’s unchanging promises. When churches teach the Bible this way, believers begin to understand not only individual stories better, but also how those stories fit into God’s grand narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration.
Biblical theology helps us see how all of scripture testifies to Christ.
This approach shapes hearts, not just minds. It fosters humility as we see our place in God’s bigger story, rather than centring that story on ourselves. Biblical theology builds unity, teaching us to love all of God’s word. It equips us to answer questions about faith with wisdom and grace (1 Peter 3:15).
A Way Forward: Rekindling the Story
Though long, the biblical story doesn’t have to end with confusion or a fragmented faith. There are practical ways for pastors, teachers, and ordinary believers to recapture biblical theology:
- Preach and teach with the big picture in mind. Ask: “How does this passage fit into the whole of scripture?”
- Encourage Bible study that traces themes—like covenant, promise, or the coming Messiah—through different books
- Use resources that highlight the unity of the Bible’s message and equip emergent leaders with training in biblical theology
- Foster spaces where believers can ask big questions and wrestle honestly with the Bible’s storyline.
The biblical story doesn’t have to end with confusion or a fragmented faith.
By recovering the heart of biblical theology, our sermons and Bible studies become more than lessons—they’re invitations into God’s unfolding story, as relevant and powerful for today’s church as ever.
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