Micaelle E. Previl
THEO 201-B03
BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW ESSAY
Introduction
"The question of the unity of the Bible’s message is one that will never be
satisfactorily solved, though it is one which every generation of
Christians must seek to solve. We are continually impelled to search for
the answer because the unity of the church’s message to the world is at
stake." - Ernest G. Wright1
Besides the Messiah and Holy Spirit, the Bible is the most significant
gift God has given humanity. It is a collection of 66 books which were written
by different authors who experienced diverse circumstances in distinct
epochs. Nonetheless, they tell a love story that surpasses every story ever
told. Each book is a piece to the puzzle that reveals the big picture: man's
history with God. Collectively, they unveil the heart of a God who cannot help
but love His creation, regardless of the poor choices they have made from
the beginning of time. Thus, it is HIS STORY, but it is also ours. This writer
intends to discuss the unity of the Bible by showcasing how the themes of
creation, the fall, redemption, and restoration (new creation) are present
throughout the Bible and by addressing the apparent continuity between the
Old and New Testaments.
1. The Unity of the Bible
1 Ernest G. Wright, "Unity of the Bible,” The Journal of Religious Thought 13, no. 1
(1955): 8, ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed February 26,
2018).
“Revelation presents God as the Creator for whom creation is a
fundamental component of his identity and activity. He is both the divine
benefactor who bestows creation upon us as a gift and the sovereign
Lord who rules over that creation faithfully. As God will not abandon his
people, he also will not abandon his creation. Furthermore, God is a
vision for His creation is all-encompassing (from the alpha to the omega)
and leading towards a predetermined goal which itself is all about
creation.” - Gregory Stevenson2
a. The four-fold Plot of Scripture: Creation, Fall, Redemption, New Creation
Humanity and God's story commenced when He created everything that is seen
and unseen. In the book of Genesis, readers are introduced to a God who gives life to
the universe, especially the pupil of His eyes, mankind. The theme of creation
resounds throughout the book as believers, and heavenly beings refer to Elohim as the
Creator of Heaven and Earth in their moments of praise and worship. It is a theme
that is undeniable. In Genesis 3, readers encounter the tragic fall of man and
thereafter see the implications that fall wrought forth. The rest of the book reveals
God's plan to restore what was destroyed: His original intent for creation. Towards the
end of Genesis 3, readers are clued into how God will restore the perfection that was
marred. God's plan becomes clearer as He picks a man to father a nation that would
cause the world to be blessed. The prophets from that nation later promise the coming
of a Savior, whom readers are introduced to in the gospels, learn more about in the
epistles, and see in His full resurrected glory in the book of Revelation. Within the
last book, readers are promised that they'll experience the new creation if they
overcome the trials that must come to test humanity’s loyalty, once and for all. All of
2 Gregory Stevenson, “The Theology of Creation in the Book of Revelation,” Leaven 21,
no. 3 (2013): 139-142 https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=2237&context=leaven (accessed February 26, 2018).
this beautifully proves the doctrine that God is immanent. He is very involved in the
daily matters which concern man.
b. Unity of the Old and New Testaments
Above is summarized the four-fold plot of the Bible. These four themes play a
major role in tying the 66 books of the Bible together. But, amongst them are many
other examples which prove the existent continuity between the Old and New
Testaments. The most important of them all is that the Old Testament provides the
framework for the New Testament. For without the Old Testament there cannot be a
new one. Within the Old Testament, readers are introduced to Judaism and what it
entails. In the New Testament, they see how one man fulfilled all of God's law and
made it possible for them to experience Eden once again. Thus, proving the doctrine
that God is unchanging. For the God of the Old Testament, who is intolerable of sin,
but also gracious in mercy, implemented a plan to right the wrongs that were made in
the beginning.
II. The unity of the Bible through Examples
a. First Example: God Is Immanent
1. Creation
a. “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” – Genesis 1:1 NKJV
b. “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all
things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” – Revelation 4:11 NKJV
2. Fall
a. “And the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’” – Genesis 3:13
NKJV
b. “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by
the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus
Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood,
through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had
passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present
time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith
in Jesus.” – Romans 3:21-26 NKJV
3. Redemption
a. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her
Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” – Genesis 3:15 NKJV
b. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son of Man
be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” –
John 3:14-17 NKJV
4. New Creation
a. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be
remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for
behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in
Jerusalem, and joy in My people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in
her, nor the voice of crying.” – Isaiah 65:17-19 NKJV
b. “Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’” – Revelation
21:5 NKJV
b. Second Example: God Is Unchangeable
1. Old Testament
a. “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that He should change His
mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” – Numbers
23:19 NIV
2. New Testament
a. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is
and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” – Revelation 1:8 NKJV
b. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8 NKJV
3. Compare and Contrast
a. In the Old Testament, readers are assured that God does not lie. He is a promise-
keeper and will fulfill what He has spoken. Within the New Testament, we see that
the God who was present in the beginning will always be present and will never
change. While both testaments tackle different angles of God’s unchangeability, the
thread is evident.
Conclusion
This writer hopes that they have shown that God’s voice is present in every book of His
Holy Word and that His imprint is most undoubtedly undisputable. All praise goes to the Father
for the grace He has bestowed toward His creation. Amen.
Word Count (excluding titles and headings): 1380
Bibliography
Wright, Ernest G. "Unity of the Bible.” The Journal of Religious Thought 13, no. 1 (1955): 5-
19. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed February 26,
2018).
Stevenson, Gregory. “The Theology of Creation in the Book of Revelation.” Leaven 21, no. 3
(2013): 139-142 https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=2237&context=leaven (accessed February 26, 2018).
