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Introduction
When hearing the word metanarrative some may be curious to know what it is and how it
correlates to the Bible. Many view the Bible as a book that is made up of numerous diverse
stories. However, when it comes to the Bible a biblical metanarrative is seen as a complete story
or what Etzel and Gutierrez call “the big picture” that merges the four significant parts of the
Bible together (Etzel & Gutierrez, 2012, p. 93). These four parts consist of creation, fall,
redemption, and new creation. A metanarrative has a way of allowing individuals to view the
Bible in a more comprehensive way with the understanding that it is more than just a book of
stories but is in fact the guide to life.
Creation
One of the major plot movements of the biblical metanarrative that will be discussed is
creation. As Christians one is aware of all of God’s creations and how glorious God’s creations
are. In the beginning of the Bible this is what is spoken about and what individuals are taught
first. There are many scriptures that express the greatness of all that God has created with one
being Revelation 4:11. Revelation 4:11 states, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and
honour and power: for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were
created” (King James Bible, 2024, Revelation 4:11). This scripture expresses the good behind
God’s work and how God has created everything with a purpose with all his creations being
deemed good.
Fall
Not too long after creation there was the fall. This plot movement expresses how not too
long after creation, humanity began to sin. One story from the Bible that shows the beginning of
sin was Adam and Eve and is revealed when the apple was eaten from the tree which was
forbidden. Genesis 3:6 expresses the sin that took place by stating, “And when the woman saw
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that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to
make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with
her; and he did eat (King James Bible, 2024, Genesis 3:6). After viewing the video
“Understanding the Metanarrative” one will be able to learn that sin did not start there but started
with a snake in the garden. All the examples of sin that are provided throughout the Bible show
how the work and creatures that God created slowly turned against him leading to the fall.
Redemption
The third plot movement of the biblical metanarrative that will be mentioned is
redemption. Colossians 1:14 explains redemption perfectly by saying, “In whom we have
redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sin (King James Bible, 2024, Colossians
1:14). Redemption took place after the fall. Throughout the Bible, redemption is seen by the
promises that God made in order to restore humanity. God set forth on a mission to rescue and
restore humanity from sin. Etzel and Gutierrez described redemption by saying "it is the process
by which the humans that have sinned are brought back from the bondage of sin and are placed
into a relationship with God through grace by the payment of Jesus’ death” (Etzel & Gutierrez,
2012, p. 90).
New Creation
Lastly is a new creation. The process of redemption helped to evolve new creation on
earth. For this to happen it involved Jesus Christ losing his life so that individuals could be gifted
an eternity with him. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states,” therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new” (King James Bible,
2024, 2 Corinthians 5:17). Through God’s efforts God was able to restore the good of humanity
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and everything that he once made that was good became good again and the relationship between
God and his creations was no longer broken.
Biblical Worldview
Through biblical metanarrative individuals can form a worldview since a biblical
metanarrative provides one with such a grand story. A biblical metanarrative displays a bigger
all-encompassing story which humanity is a part of (Etzel & Small, 2016). This bigger all-
compassing story provides an individual with the foundation to develop their worldview. A
worldview is how people perceive and interpret the world around them. There are five questions
that individuals ask when they are working to develop their worldview. These questions can be
answered through the understanding of the biblical metanarrative since understanding the
biblical metanarrative provides one with the bigger picture of what God’s plan is for humanity.
Through the four major movements of the biblical metanarrative, one will be able to
answer the questions needed to build their worldview. The biblical metanarrative provides a full
story that includes creation, fall, redemption, and new creation. How one perceives this story will
influence the way that one views the world.
Conclusion
Over time the Bible has been written by many different authors with sixty-six books
being authored over the years. Regardless of the many authors who have authored the books or
the number of books there are, it overall tells one grand story which is known as the biblical
metanarrative. The Biblical metanarrative is made up of four plot movements that help to piece
this important story together. By piecing the story together and making it whole, it assists an
individual in creating a worldview that is significant to them since a worldview guides and
directs everything in one’s life. A biblical metanarrative allows individuals to see God’s story
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References
Etzel, G., & Gutierrez, B. (2012). Theology Applied: A Living Faith.
https://app.logos.com/books/LLS%3AWS_15BF52D8087C41108E19553D93AFD6F9?
tile=left&zzls=2eMKcTcKMwrEOwoIwFEXDv8OlJW5EbMKgIGxQw4vDhMOGw6B
gwozCqcO4w5BGaGspJMKGw7DDr8OWScOXc8OOwr0Lw4xoR8KpFcOkJAAjFMO
2woUxTA%2FCg1DCtxHDssOTw6LCoXsoMSDDpBBewrV
%2Bwo5hXTfCm8KoODbCl8OkEEV0V1DDjjjCiyvCksKWNMKmPMOje8OCWFImV
RFaw6zDkMKianEMwo3CuMOjNsONIMKAw5fChMO2DcO5Ak7DtsOfw5ceO8Onwr
HCsVJbw6nCvMKJw5Y1WEDCtE7DjsOeOzvDocOfw6jClxHDosODw7PDugHDosKq
P1A%3D
Etzel, G., & Small, R. N. (2016). Everyday Theology: Exploring the Christian Faith.
https://app.logos.com/books/LLS%3AWS_15BF52D8087C41108E19553D93AFD6F9/
references/page.93?
tile=left&zzls=2eMKcTcKMwrEOwoIwFEXDv8OlJW5EbMKgIGxQw4vDhMOGw6B
gwozCqcO4w5BGaGspJMKGw7DDr8OWScOXc8OOwr0Lw4xoR8KpFcOkJAAjFMO
2woUxTA%2FCg1DCtxHDssOTw6LCoXsoMSDDpBBewrV
%2Bwo5hXTfCm8KoODbCl8OkEEV0V1DDjjjCiyvCksKWNMKmPMOje8OCWFImV
RFaw6zDkMKianEMwo3CuMOjNsONIMKAw5fChMO2DcO5Ak7DtsOfw5ceO8Onwr
HCsVJbw6nCvMKJw5Y1WEDCtE7DjsOeOzvDocOfw6jClxHDosODw7PDugHDosKq
P1A%3D
King James Bible. (2024). King James Bible Online.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Creation/ (Original work
publish 1611).
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King James Bible. (2024). King James Bible Online.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-The-Fall/ (Original work
published 1611).
King James Bible. (2024). King James Bible Online.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Redemption/ (Original work
published 1611).
King James Bible. (2024). King James Bible Online.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-New-Creation-In-Christ/
(Original work published 1611).
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