Biblical Theology for Women
In May 2022 Nancy Guthrie is coming to the UK to teach some Biblical Theology Workshops for Women. We at GR:UK are very excited about this. Andy caught up with Nancy to find out more …
Andy: We are so pleased that you are coming to the UK to offer a Biblical Theology Workshop and especially hoping to connect with sisters connected to the Gospel Reformation UK. What do you mean by “biblical theology”?
Nancy: When people hear the term “biblical theology,” they often think we are talking about a theology that is biblical as opposed to unbiblical. But really we’re talking about a way of understanding and approaching the Bible that recognizes that even though the Bible is made up of various kinds of literature and was written down over centuries by forty human authors, it is really telling one cohesive story about what God is doing in the world through Christ. We can trace the Bible’s story from Genesis to Revelation through the development of a number of central themes that communicate a coherent message about the person and work of Christ.
Perhaps another way to think about biblical theology is to think of it in contrast to its important companion, systematic theology. In systematic theology, we ask what the whole of the Bible has to say about a particular topic, such as sin, justification, the Holy Spirit, the nature of God, or humanity, and put it into a coherent summary. Biblical theology, then, is more about tracing particular themes that develop in the story of the Bible from creation to consummation, such as kingdom, sacrifice, feasting, or temple.
Andy: What can biblical theology do for us? In other words, what’s the payoff? How will our lives be different for having biblical theology in it?
Nancy: When we are familiar with the major themes that run throughout the whole of the Bible, and then see one of these themes arise in a text we’re studying, it gives us insight that guides us into the Holy Spirit-intended meaning of the text. It helps us to appropriately connect that text to the person and work of Christ so that we get to the gospel, rather than mere self-help or legalism.
Biblical theology helps us to discover what God intends for us to grasp as we read his Word so that we are less likely to impose our agenda on it. For example, as we trace the theme of the tabernacle and temple, we discover how important it is to God to dwell with his people. This prompts us to orient our anticipation of the future toward God dwelling with us, rather than simply longing for escape from this world. When we explore the theme of sacrifice, the principle of substitution is brought before us again and again. This underscores the nature of the atonement and guards us from diminishing or forsaking this core truth.
Biblical theology also helps to correct sentimental notions of the future God is preparing for us. For most of my life, my understanding of the trajectory of the Christian life was that we are urged to put our faith in Christ now so that he will accept us into heaven when we die. But when we more fully understand the story the Bible is telling, we begin to anticipate more fully the way God intends to bring the story to a consummation. It will not end with a conclusion, but rather, a new beginning in the new heaven and new earth.
Andy: You’ve been doing these workshops around the US since the fall of 2019. What have you seen happen?
Nancy: The best way I know how to express what happens at these workshops is: joy. There is so much joy as women who may be intimidated by their bibles or have become bored by their Bibles are challenged to bring their curious mind to the Bible to make connections they have never made before. My goal with the workshop is to help women see Christ through the various angles of biblical themes, so that they will love Christ more and long more for his return. And I have women tell me over and over that that has happened for them at the workshop.
As we grow in our understanding of the larger story of the Bible, become better able to identify biblical themes that arise in whatever passage we’re in, and then as we grow in the skill of tracing that theme through to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to what will happen when he comes again and establishes the new heaven and new earth, we see the beauty, worth, sufficiency and necessity of Jesus from all different angles. It moves us to love and wonder. And that is what we so desperately need.
Andy: Can you tell us where, when, and how of the workshop in the UK?
Nancy: I’ll be doing a workshop in Belfast on Saturday, May 21 from 10 to 4 at the Presbyterian Assembly Buildings. Then on Saturday, May 28, I’ll be doing a workshop held at St Nicks Cole Abbey in London from 10 to 4. There are only 200 seats available and the workshop will be promoted widely through 10ofThose, so I strongly encourage any woman who would like to take part to register today.
Andy: What would you say to pastors about the workshop?
Nancy: I would say that as your women know their Bibles better, they’ll be more engaged with your sermons, better equipped for teaching others in your church, and more in love with Christ. So I hope pastors will send the registration link to women in their churches—especially those who are teaching in women’s Bible studies, working with youth, and teaching children—telling them that he would love to see them attend (and perhaps that the church is willing to help them financially to attend). I find that pastors rarely grasp how much a word of encouragement means to the women in their church who are seeking to grow in their Bible skills and understanding.
For a further flavour of what these Biblical Theology workshops are all about watch Nancy herself tell you all about them below.
