For the Church Gathered

How Biblical Theology Guards and Guides the Churches
by Jonathan Leeman

Biblical Theology and Gospel Proclamation
by Jeramie Rinne

Biblical Theology and Counseling
by Michael Emlet

Biblical Theology and Shepherding
by Bobby Jamieson

Sample Sermon: A Pastor’s Job
by Mike Christ

Biblical Theology and Corporate Worship
by Bobby Jamieson

For the Church Scattered

Biblical Theology and Identity
by Michael Lawrence

Biblical Theology and the Sexuality Crisis
by Albert Mohler

Biblical Theology and Liberation
by Steven Harris

Book Reviews

The Crucified King, by Jeremy Treat
by Bobby Jamieson

Preaching? Simple Teaching on Simply Preaching, by Alec Motyer
by Nik Lingle

All Things for Good, by Thomas Watson
by Joey Cochran

Taking God at His Word, by Kevin DeYoung
by Bobby Jamieson

Does God Desire All to Be Saved?, by John Piper
by Robbie Hopkins

Effective Staffing for Vital Churches, by Bill Easum and Bill Tenny-Brittian
by Isaac Adams

Christ-Centered Preaching, by Bryan Chapell
by Phil Newton

Prepared by Grace, for Grace, by Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley
by Kevin Wilkening

Editor’s Note:

In The Beautiful Struggle, Ta-Nehisi Coates tells his own story of growing up as the son of a former Black Panther in West Baltimore in the 1980s and 90s. It was the era in which crack cocaine swallowed whole neighborhoods of Black men, while Black boys got shot over sneakers. Coates looked everywhere for identity—from middle school gangs, to Public Enemy, to the djembe, to waving the red, black, and green of a transcendent African mythology. He writes, “We searched our history for any way out.”

This, in fact, is what biblical theology provides. It is a history that gives fallen humanity a way out. Our plight includes everything faced by West Baltimore, but add to it the wrath of God.

Churches, as much as ever, need to know who they are, where they come from, who their ancestors are. Are we not children of Abraham? Doesn’t our family tree include Moses and David, Rahab and Ruth? Are we not all adopted heirs and coheirs with Christ? Sons of the divine king?

Biblical theology is not just about reading the Bible rightly, though it begins there. It serves to guard and guide the local church. It maintains the right message, defines the task of the messenger, identifies impostors, tells us what we do when we gather, and sets the trajectory of our mission. It answers the question, Who are we, as the church in the world?

Those are some of the topics this issue of the Journal will explore. The goal here is not so much to trace out the Bible’s storyline, but to show how knowing that storyline locates the identity and work of the church in the grand sweep of history.

—Jonathan Leeman