Building Biblical Theology

Learn about biblical theology and the ways this specialized discipline explores the development of theological ideas between historical epochs.

Enroll in Online Classroom

About this Lesson Series

Instructor: Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr.
Discipline: Practical Theology
Course Group: Introduction to Theological Studies
Download: Course Materials, Academic Packets

Faithful Christians have always recognized the importance of progress in biblical history, especially as it relates to humanity's fall into sin, and to God's redemptive work. Biblical theology is a specialized discipline that studies this progress by tracing the development of theological ideas between historical epochs. Used rightly, it is a helpful tool for interpreting and applying the Bible.

Series Goals:

  • Explain the history and justification of biblical theology.
  • Describe the method and uses of biblical theology.
  • Lesson​Forum
    1

    Building Biblical Theology: What Is Biblical Theology?

    This lesson focuses on a basic orientation toward biblical theology, the development of biblical theology through the centuries, and the interconnections between history and revelation.

  • Lesson​Forum
    2

    Building Biblical Theology: Synchronic Synthesis of the Old Testament

    This lesson on synchronic synthesis of the Old Testament touches on three main issues: a basic orientation about what "synchronic synthesis" is; the ways Old Testament passages convey the historical information used in synchronic synthesis; and the synthetic theological structures discovered through synchronic syntheses of the Old Testament historical information.

  • Lesson​Forum
    3

    Building Biblical Theology: Diachronic Developments in the Old Testament

    Diachronic development is the ways theological structures grew or developed over time. This lesson provides a basic orientation toward diachronic development, explores how epochal developments took place between major historical periods or epochs, and looks at how specific topics developed over time in the Old Testament.

  • Lesson​Forum
    4

    Building Biblical Theology: Contours of New Testament Biblical Theology

    There are many similarities between the ways biblical theology approaches both Testaments, but there are also significant differences. This lesson focuses on: an orientation toward New Testament biblical theology, the development of the Bible's teaching about eschatology, or the last days (a crucial issue in New Testament biblical theology), and how biblical theologians have approached New Testament eschatology itself.

About the Video Curriculum

New Testament

Old Testament

Theology

Practical Theology

Church History