by Authors: Craig G. Bartholomew & Michael W. Coheen
Introduction
I am that person who dislikes drama books, especially when they involve characters acting throughout the entire story. So when I saw this textbook listed as one of our core readings, I hesitated to start it. I wondered how all the Bible characters could fit into just 269 pages. Additionally, since we already know the Bible story, why re-read it in a dramatic format?
Review
Have you wondered how the Bible hangs together, or how to make sense of it all? The Bible isn’t a set of separate books: it’s a compelling drama that unfolds from beginning to end.
Craig Bartholomew and Michael Coheen in this book tell the story of Scripture in six acts – from the establishment of God’s kingdom to the return of the King. The authors show God working in the world and in the lives of people to establish the great kingdom that has been God’s plan from the beginning.
Act 1: God Establishes His Kingdom
We see God causing the creation to come into being by His word and power. God established it as His own vast kingdom. He thus establishes himself as the great King over all creation, without limits of any kind and worthy to receive glory, honor and power in the worship of what he has created. Adam and Eve’s royal stewardship of Eden is to be a small version of what God intends for the whole creation as history unfolds.
Act 2: Rebellion in the Kingdom
This is the fall of man. Sin enters God’s perfect world in Genesis 3 through the mutiny of the first human couple. Adam and Eve are tempted and they succumb, with catastrophic consequences. We humans are made for relationship, but sin’s effect is to drive us apart. Death meant the distortion of relationship in general and particularly the end of that one vital relationship with God.
Acts 3: The King Chooses Israel: Redemption Initiated
The narrative continues with the story of Israel, focusing on God’s covenant relationship with His people. Bartholomew and Coheen discuss the significance of Israel’s history, laws and prophets, emphasizing how the choice of Abraham and consequently Israel foreshadows and prepares for the coming of Jesus for it is through them that all nations on earth get to be reconciled back to God.
Interlude
This is one of the most outstanding parts of this book. It gives the narrative of the 3,000 year gap between the New and the Old Testament. As the Old Testament story draws to a close, the people of Israel (most of them) have returned from exile and are living back on their land in relative peace under the rule of Persians. But as the New Testament story begins, the context is quite different. The Persian Empire has long since crumbled and Israel now suffers under the brutal mastery of imperial Rome. We see different groups expressing Israel’s hope of redemption by God’s promised king/messiah: The Pharisees, the Essenes, the Sadducees and Priests, the Zealots and the Common People.
Acts 4: The Coming King: Redemption Accomplished
The life, death and resurrection of Jesus are central to the drama and the authors explore these in depth. Bartholomew and Goheen highlight Jesus’ fulfillment of the Old Testament promises and his role as the climax of God’s redemptive plan.
Acts 5: Spreading the News of the King: The Mission of the Church
The story progresses with the birth and mission of the Church. The authors discuss the role of the Church in continuing Jesus’ mission, embodying the kingdom of God, and anticipating the final act of the narrative.
Acts 6: The Return of the King: Redemption Accomplished
The final act looks forward to the fulfillment of God’s plan within the New Creation, hence the biblical story moves from creation to new creation, walking in the garden to worship in the garden. This section explores the themes of restoration, renewal, and the ultimate hope for humanity and the world.
Conclusion
One of our writers at Zana, Brenda, put it this way: “One of my biggest appreciation of Biblical Theology is understanding that the redemption story is not about me. I’m part of it, but it’s not me-centered.”
Simply put, this book will give you that kind of appreciation that the Biblical story is much more grander and glorious and will show you how to find your place in that story.
