The Bible Metanarrative: Understanding the Bible as a Story of God's Kingdom Process

The Bible Metanarrative: Understanding the Bible as a Story of God's Kingdom Process

God's Big Picture: Vaughn Roberts

1) Why did God create the world? For His Glory

a) How was God to bring this about? He decreed that His Son should be made Savior & Ruler of a chosen people.

i) What are the decrees of God? (Baptist Catechism)

(1) The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby for his own glory, he has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass (Ephesians 1:11; Romans 11:36; Daniel 4:35; Isaiah 46:10; Psalm 115:3).

ii) What does it mean that He is Savior?

(1) It means that man, having sinned against God, is now a rebel against the kingdom of God and in need of a saving from the wrath of God (Ephesians 2:11-16).

(a) Who is in need of saving because of sin? alll (Romans 3:23)

iii) What does it mean that He is a Ruler?

(1) It means that God has made Him king over all creation and there is nothing that is not subjected to Him (Hebrews 1:2-3; Psalm 8:5-6).

2) Understanding the Metanarrative of History: Part 1

a) Creation – The Pattern of the Kingdom: Genesis 1-2

b) Fall – The Perished Kingdom: Genesis 3

c) Abrahamic Covenant – The Promised Kingdom: Genesis 12

d) Exodus, Conquest, and Monarchy – The Partial Kingdom: Genesis 12 - 2 Chronicles

e) Division of the Kingdom, Exile, and the 2^nd Temple – The Prophesied Kingdom: Ezra - Malachi

f) Incarnation & Redemption – The Present Kingdom: Matthew – John

g) Last Days – The Proclaimed Kingdom: Acts – Revelation 18

h) New Creation – The Perfected Kingdom: Revelation 19-22

3) Understanding the Metanarrative of History: Part 2 – The Cycle of History

a) Creation – God creates man as rulers over the world to procreate and subdue it

b) Fall – Man rejects God's demands and seeks to elevate Himself above God

c) Redemption – God provides a way for man to have acceptance with God again

d) Recreation – God gives to man a kingdom in His presence where He can live happily

4) Understanding Sovereignty and Sufferings

a) God created a world in which there is suffering, but He did not sin Himself and is not responsible

b) Man suffers because of the cataclysmic effect of sin on creation:

i) Death was caused by man's sin: his own and animals (Genesis 2:17, 3:21)

c) God decreed for sin to happen because it would eventually bring about a greater creation

d) All suffering is for our good, even if we do not understand, and thus we should wait on God to reveal to us why it is good (Romans 8:28).

e) God is still active with His creation and desires its good which is seen in His revealing Himself to it, His redeeming it from despair, and eventually creating it anew in the end (better than it was before).

Picture above is found in Vaughan Roberts' God's Big Picture on page 157.