The King in His Beauty

Thomas R. Schreiner. The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013.

–Review by Lucas Bradburn

Few disciplines have helped me understand the Bible as well as biblical theology. I am still reeling from my first exposure to it years ago. My whole perception of the Bible has been revolutionized because of it. Along with this, few scholars have helped me grasp the meaning Scripture as well as Thomas Schreiner. The first book I read by him was a biblical-theological treatment of perseverance. My whole understanding of the doctrine of perseverance, not to mention my understanding of the New Testament, has been largely shaped by his writings. With the publication of The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments, I can now add that Tom Schreiner’s writing has enhanced my understanding of the whole Bible. There are a number of reasons for this, but let me focus in on just three. As he does in his other works, Tom Schreiner in his newest book exhibits exceptional clarity, brevity, and fidelity.

First, in terms of clarity, he clearly sets forth his thesis and supports it throughout his journey through the biblical landscape. Schreiner suggests that the concept of the kingdom of God is a consistent theme throughout the Bible. To be sure, it is not the central theme of the Bible, but a prominent one that is recurrent throughout it. The “kingdom” theme is comprised of three specific elements that show up again and again in the biblical narrative—God as King, human beings as the subjects of the King, and the universe as the place where God’s kingship is established. As the story line of the Bible unfolds, it becomes clear that God intends for his people to see the beauty of his holiness on full display in his universe.

Second, in terms of brevity, Schreiner briefly surveys the terrain of Scripture without getting bogged down by detours. At first glance, the size of the book may seem to detract from this statement. But, when it is considered that Schreiner comments on every book of the Bible—including every single Psalm— it is impressive that his book is not bigger than it is. Schreiner has a unique ability to say in one sentence what it takes other writers to say in an entire paragraph. This is partly because he seeks to be accessible to a wide audience and therefore purposefully avoids technical discussions and scholarly debates in this volume. But this is also because he has an uncanny ability to write with precision. He does not waste words in moving through the narrative but only includes insights that are pertinent to the overall purpose of his book.

Third, in terms of fidelity, he faithfully allows the biblical writers to speak for themselves. Schreiner’s approach to the study of God’s Word serves as a model for all who desire to divide rightly the word of truth. Before looking at what other scholars and commentators had to say about the theology of the biblical writers, Schreiner first sat down with an open Bible and read it carefully while making observations and taking notes. As a result, his sharp eye notices the intricate details present in the biblical tapestry, but also sees the beautiful pattern that emerges when the entire scope of Scripture is taken into consideration. It is remarkable to see a New Testament scholar handle the Old Testament with such masterful skill. This is hardly surprising, though, since Schreiner’s approach to the Old Testament is no different than his approach to the New Testament. The same competence and faithfulness that mark his Pauline and New Testament theologies also leave an unmistakable imprint on his biblical theology.

Let me get right down to why you should read this book. When it comes to a book claiming to be a biblical theology, what could be more of a commendation than saying that it helped me understand the theology of the Bible better? Not only this, but The King in His Beauty also gave me a glimpse of what the future holds for all those who place their trust in Jesus Christ— a glorious encounter with the majesty of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Lucas Bradburn is book review editor in pastoral theology for Credo Magazine. He is an M.Div. student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also a member of Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, KY. He is married to Allison and they have two children, Anna and Benjamin. Lucas blogs at Guarding the Truth.

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Born Again: God’s Sovereign Grace in the Miracle of Regeneration

 
While doctrines such as election, justification, and sanctification typically receive all of the attention in theological conversations, the doctrine of regeneration is often forgotten. Yet, it is this doctrine that undergirds the entire order of salvation. It is the initiatory change in regeneration that results in everything else, from faith and repentance to justification, sanctification, and perseverance. All of these other doctrines owe their existence to that first moment when God breaths new spiritual life into the sinner’s dead corpse.

Regeneration, or the new birth, was certainly important to Jesus. In John 3 Jesus tells Nicodemus that unless he is born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God! Jesus goes on to highlight the sovereignty of the Spirit in the new birth as well, comparing him to the wind which blows wherever it pleases. This reminds us that since Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus there has been a long history of debate over exactly what it means to be “born again,” a debate that has preoccupied the best theological minds, including Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, the Synod of Dort, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, and many, many others. The key questions in this controversial matter are these: Does God work alone (monergism) to create new spiritual life in depraved sinners, or does God and man cooperate with one another (synergism), man having the final say in whether God’s grace will be accepted or rejected? Also, does regeneration precede and cause conversion (faith and repentance), or is the Spirit’s supernatural work in regeneration conditioned upon man’s will to believe? We believe Scripture overwhelmingly supports the former. Anything else would compromise the sovereignty of God and rob him of his glory in salvation.

Join us in this issue as we explore the doctrine of regeneration, a doctrine so important that Jesus himself felt it was the first thing he needed to address on that dark night when Nicodemus approached him with the most piercing of spiritual questions.

Contributors include Matthew Barrett, Thomas Nettles, Jonathan Leeman, Douglas Sweeney, Leonardo De Chirico, Andy Naselli, and Tom Ascol.