Biblical Metanarrative 2
Introduction
The Bible is a collection of books and stories, that have been put together, to build a
comprehensive story that consists of four main parts. These four parts are the creation, the fall,
the redemption, and the new creation. While the Bible consists of many books and stories, it is
also important to look at the larger story. While the bible has many stories, the main focus of it is
to learn from the lessons from them and use these lessons to guide Christians in the correct way
to live their life. The Bible shows numerous examples of God’s Love, and Reconciliation, these
examples are needed to understand the Metanarrative and show how God acts and cares for us.
Biblical Metanarrative
The Metanarrative is what connects all of the stories and lessons of the Bible into one
book. With the different stories and books that were recorded over thousands of years, with many
genres, people, and places, the metanarrative that is created is the bigger and overall story of the
bible. The four parts of the metanarrative are the creation, the fall, the redemption, and
restoration allowing us to learn more about God and who he is. The metanarrative is how the
stories and books of the Bible are connected. It begins with Creation, “In the beginning, God
created the Heavens and the Earth.” (Genesis 1:1). This shows that God created everything from
beast to man. The fall occurs when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden. “When the
woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable
for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with
her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:6) Not only was this the fall of Adam and Eve but this, in turn,
brought the Fall of Man. Regardless, God is merciful and just, and he believes in forgiveness and
second chances. He showed this through his son Jesus Christ, and his sacrifice would be the
Biblical Metanarrative 3
redemption of Man. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God loved us enough
that he sent his only son to die for our sins and allowed us to be cleansed of them. In the end,
there is the restoration where God will restore mankind and the world itself.
God’s Love
There are many stories in the Bible that show God’s Love and mercy, an example of this
is the story of Jonah. The story of Jonah and the large fish is an example of God’s forgiveness
and mercy, as in this story both Jonah and the people of Nineveh are offered mercy and
forgiveness for their wrongdoings when they repent. Another example of God’s Love and Mercy
is the story of Saul. Saul was a Pharisee and a prosecutor of Christians. God gave him a vision of
Jesus and blinded him, several days of repentance later, God gave Saul his sight back. Saul
would then become one of the greatest saints and preachers, this only happened because of God’s
love and mercy. God’s Mercy can be seen throughout the bible. God shows his love to Adam and
Even in the beginning by allowing them to live in the Garden of Eden. His mercy is seen in the
Fall when He shows his mercy upon Adam and Eve in the Garden by exiling them and clothing
them. He shows his love and mercy during the redemption by bestowing mercy on us by sending
Jesus Christ to die for our sins and cleanse us of them. He shows us the greatest form of love and
mercy in the Restoration if we accept and trust him when we die. If we do this he will give us a
new body and allow us to live with him in his House in Heaven. God shows his mercy to us
when we sin and stray away from him. He wishes for us to repent so that he can extend his
Mercy to us once again. “Only God has the power to make all things new; we cannot make
ourselves new” (Etzel & Small, 2016, pg 122)
Faith
Biblical Metanarrative 4
Faith is seen throughout the bible and it is one of the defining lessons throughout the
Bible. One of the strongest examples of faith in the Bible is the story of Job. Satan challenged
God saying Job was only faithful because of his good life. God allowed this challenge but told
the devil he could not kill Job. Even after the Devil took everything from Job, he still praised
God and was faithful. Adam and Eve showed faith in God during their time in Eden by spending
time with him and knowing that he would keep them safe. Even after they were exiled out of
Eden they still brought offerings and were faithful to him because they knew he still cared about
them and that he would never leave them. The Christians showed Faith in God by being faithful
to Jesus and listening to his teachings. When he died some lost faith, but it was quickly redeemed
when he rose from the grave on the third day. Even his disciple Thomas didn't believe he had
returned and would only believe it when he saw his wounds. After Jesus returned to Heaven the
Christians stayed faithful in prayers and offerings for thousands of years. Even today, Christians
still show faith, and if they show faith and trust in him. When they die they will be a part of the
Restoration and receive a new body and live with him in his house in Heaven. “A person who
expresses faith in Jesus, in His work on behalf of humanity, will possess abundant life and
eternal life.” (Etzel & Small, 2016, pg 192)
Conclusion
In the bible, the Marranartive can be seen in every book and its lessons. Through the span
of thousands of years, different genres, people, and places are seen throughout the Bible and they
all come together to form the Metanarrative. We see countless examples of God’s love and our
faith throughout the Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration in the Bible. This is here so that
we can be guided by him to become better people and Christians. It also allows us to learn more
Biblical Metanarrative 6
References
Gabriel Etzel and R. N. Small, Everyday Theology: Exploring the Christian Faith, ed.
Ben Gutierrez and Gabriel Etzel (B&H Academic, 2016), 122.
Gabriel Etzel and R. N. Small, Everyday Theology: Exploring the Christian Faith, ed.
Ben Gutierrez and Gabriel Etzel (B&H Academic, 2016), 192.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
