Running head: METANARRATIVE ESSAY 1
Biblical Metanarrative Essay
Larry O’Neal
Liberty University
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Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to show the unified nature of the Bible by tracing two
biblical doctrines, creation and the love of God, through four major plot developments of
Scripture. These four major plot developments are creation, the fall, redemption and restoration.
This paper will attempt to show how creation and the love of God unfold through the four major
plot developments. We can see in creation that God is involved with His creation despite the fall
of man. We can also see that because of the fall of man that God had a plan of redemption and
ultimately, to restore all of creation. The love of God is apparent in creation because He created it
out of love. God even shows His love after the fall by allowing His human creation to remain.
Gods love is shown in His plan of redemption when He sent His only Son to pay the price for
sin, and when His Son returns all of creation will be restored. Creation and the love of God can
be seen in creation, the fall, redemption and restoration.
Biblical Narrative
Theological studies uncover that the biblical texts are unified when taken together. The
biblical narrative is the overall story of the Bible with only one main character, and that character
is God. The biblical narrative also shows the story of God’s interaction with His people and their
relationship with Him. It tells us of God’s character and His intentions and how He intends His
people to be towards Him and others. It tells the story of how God created all things, but how
humanity fell, therefore, God had a plan of redemption for humanity. The biblical narrative tells
the story of how God so loved His creation that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the
price for the sin of man. It tells the story of God restoring all things when His Son returns and
restoring peace between Himself and man, and man with each other. All that sin brought, God
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will reverse and make all thing new just like He intended in the beginning. The biblical narrative
tells the story of God and looks at the big picture of Scripture and brings it all together. This
story that written in the Bible, however, is not written by just any author. The entirety of
Scripture was written by God using men through His Holy Spirit; men inspired by the Holy
Spirit penned the words God gave them. The biblical narrative not only tells the story of God,
but it tells the story of God as told by God Himself.
Creation
Genesis 1:1 begins, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”. God did
not mold or adapt things that were already here that existed outside His influence, He brought all
of creation into existence out of nothing. (Ericson, 2015.p.135). Out of this creation He formed
man and woman and placed them in a garden. However, in Genesis 3:1-24, we see that
temptation entered and man disobeyed God. With this disobedience, sin entered, and man fell; all
of creation fell that day. It is written that sin and death entered, and this death spread to all men
because all men have sinned (Romans 5:12). Because of this sin and death, a price had to be paid
in order for it to be covered. God had a plan of redemption and we see this promise in Genesis
3:15 of one who’s heel would be bruised, but He will crush the head of the serpent. God’s plan of
redemption for His creation, for humanity, came with His Son, Jesus Christ, who gave His own
blood to pay the price for the sins of man. It is written, “In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). However,
since the fall of man, creation cries out to be restored as Romans 8:22 states that all of creation
groans. Groaning indicates that all creation has been affected by sin and all creation needs
restoration (Etzel & Small, 2016. p.62). God has a plan to bring restoration to all His creation. In
Revelation 21:1, the Apostle John wrote that he saw a new heaven and a new earth, and in verse
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5, Christ says, “Behold, I make all things new”; when Christ returns, He will fulfill His promise.
All of creation will be restored because Christ said He would make all things new. He will make
a new creation, give His believers new bodies and a new relationship with the Father.
The Love of God
We can see the love of God in creation, for He created out of love. In the first chapter of
Genesis, we see God speaking life into existence. He spoke light, land, the sea, plants, the moon,
the sun, land and sea life, and said it was good. But God’s creation was not complete, and on the
sixth day He created man in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). God spoke all of
creation into existence, but He touched and formed man with His hand; a special touch that
showed His love. God took special time with man, for in Genesis 2:7, it states that God formed
man from the dust of the earth and breathed the breath of life into him, making him a living soul.
However, man rebelled against God despite this loving touch, and man, along with all creation
fell. God knew man would fall, but He created humanity anyway out of His love for man
(Erikson, 2015. p.162). For God to prevent evil, He would have had to create man differently
than He did. If God did this, His love would not have been displayed towards, and experienced
fully by, an altered creation. In His great love, He had a plan of redemption, and that plan was
carried out by His Son, when He gave His blood to pay the price for sin. Humanity was cursed,
and only Christ could redeem us from that curse, for it is written, “Christ redeemed us from the
curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on
a tree” (Galatians 3:13). The love of God is shown in creation, the fall, redemption, and soon will
be shown in the restoration of all creation.
Conclusion
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Tracing Scripture with the two biblical doctrines of creation and the love of God, we see
how they unfold through the four major plot movements of creation, fall, redemption and
restoration. We see how creation goes further in creation, how it ties to the fall, redemption and
ultimately, to its restoration. We can see the love of God in creation, how His love is displayed in
the fall, and the ultimate expression of His love in redemption and restoration. The Bible, as a
whole, tells the wonderful story of creation, the sad story of the fall, the hopeful story of
redemption and the glorious story of restoration. Most of all, it is the story of God, told by God
and all for His glory.
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Ericson, M.J. (2015). Introducing Christian doctrine. (3rd.ed). pp.135-162). Baker Academic.
Grand Rapids, MI.
Etzel, G & Small, R.N. (2016). Everyday theology.p.62. B&H Academic. Nashville, TN.
