Biblical Theology
What is it?
Biblical theology is sound doctrine; it is right thoughts about God; it is belief that accords with Scripture.
Where is it in the Bible?
- The entire Bible teaches sound doctrine.
- Many New Testament books, such as Paul’s epistles to the Romans and Ephesians, are stuffed to the brim with rich doctrinal teaching (see Rom. 1-11 and Eph. 1-3).
- The authors of the New Testament frequently argue that sound doctrine is essential for healthy Christians and healthy churches (see 1 Tim. 1:5, 2 John 1-6, and Titus 2:1-10).
Why is it important?
Biblical theology is essential for
- Evangelism. The gospel is doctrine. Therefore, sound doctrine is necessary for evangelism.
- Discipleship. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). Christians grow by learning and living in light of the truth—in other words, by sound doctrine.
- Unity. According to the New Testament, the only true unity is unity in the truth (1 Jn. 1:1-4; 2 Jn. 10-11).
- Worship. To worship God is to declare his excellencies (1 Pet. 2:9-10) and to exalt him because of who he is (Ps. 29:2). True worship is a response to sound doctrine.
