Introduction
The essence of narrative theology lies in the idea that the use of the Bible in Christian theology should focus on the narrative presentation of faith. This is an approach that opposes developing a set of teachings derived from Scripture itself – what is commonly referred to as “systematic theology.” In essence, narrative theology is a fairly general term, but it is often used to refer to an approach to theology that focuses on the meaning of Biblical stories. Biblical metanarrative is concerned with the idea that people should not simply take principles, rules, or laws from Scripture. It offers to learn how to relate to God and what the Christians’ role is in the overall “panorama” of salvation.
Jesus Christ in Biblical Metanarrative
As God in the flesh, Christ perfectly showed his Father’s nature, both in the holiness and the love of God, throughout all parts of the Bible. The narrative shows that although he had never done anything wrong and was very sensitive to sin, Jesus felt compassion for sinners suffering because of their inherited sinfulness (Fort, 2018). His actions were emphasized more in Hosea 6:6, where God says, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” (Holy Bible, 2020b). This concept shows that Christians need to help the weak and spark their faith in a way that is not judgmental or harsh but rather with compassion and patience.
Christ’s teachings were impactful because the narrative points out that he was ready to interact with different people regardless of their social and economic status. Matthew 9:35 says, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom” (Holy Bible, 2020f). This aligned with his assignment of ensuring God’s word is preached to everyone on Earth for their salvation. In addition, since Christ came to save the world from sin, his mission was to ensure everyone understood and emphasized his goal.
Moreover, Christ interacted with different people daily because he wanted his teachings to be relevant to the crowd. The narrative explains through stories about Christ’s doings how the kingdom of God is full of love and compassion to connect with people (Ferguson, 2019). The primary purpose of Christ’s assignment was to show people that God’s love is without limit. Jesus said in Matthew 5:43-45, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Holy Bible, 2020e). By interacting with everyone regardless of their social and economic differences, he demonstrated God’s unconditional and limitless love for people. This is a crucial part of the Biblical narrative, as it allows it to reach sinners and non-believers with Christ’s words.
Finally, the myths about Christ explore how he performed miracles as evidence of the presence of the kingdom of God that was foretold by prophets in the Old Testament. In the book of John 14:9-10, Jesus replied, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! The words I speak are not my own, but my father who lives in me does his work through me” (Holy Bible, 2020d). The assignment of Christ was to bring God’s presence near the people and alleviate their suffering, and the Biblical narrative allows the reader to relate and empathize with this goal.
Holy Trinity in Biblical Metanarrative
The concept of the Holy Trinity is deeply tied to the notion of the salvation of the human soul which is called soteriology. Soteriology is considered one of the most important studies in the Christian doctrine. The center of the study is the human’s salvation through God and the two main questions are: what is the end goal of salvation and how to achieve it? The ascension to God and His kingdom is a consecutive way from admitting the sin through Holy Spirit to acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God and following him in word and action willingly. The three fundamental roles of divine presence in human life are God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, as the Biblical narrative reiterates throughout the whole book.
In Jesus Christ, the true essence of man’s salvation is revealed to the highest degree, as he is viewed as the sinless substitute. In the baptism of Christ, the appearance of the Triune God took place: the baptism of the Son, the voice of the Father, the descent of the Spirit. Thus began the path to the salvation of humanity, and Jesus is the center stage of this path – of the Holy Trinity. Only through abiding allegiance to him and being willing to act under his guide, a human can find a way to salvation. However, it is not possible to know Jesus without the Holy Spirit. When a person confesses their allegiance to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit makes His home in them – John 14:23; Eph. 3:17 – and God communes with their every being – Rev. 21:3 (Holy Bible, 2020b; Holy Bible, 2020a; Holy Bible, 2020g). The Holy Spirit directs the Christian’s religious life and guards them from the evils of temptation, while God and His kingdom are the ultimate goals of every Christian.
Conclusion
When used properly, Biblical metanarrative can underpin systematic and biblical theology, presenting a progressive narrative of God’s revelation to mankind. It teaches that the Bible should be seen as the history of the Lord’s dealings with His people. Proponents of narrative theology claim that it does not imply that the Bible does not make propositional statements about truth. Rather, the primary purpose of Scripture is to communicate the relationship between God and His people and where the Christians’ place in that story is today, in this postmodern world.
References
Ferguson, D. S. (2019). The radical invitation of Jesus: How accepting the invitation of Jesus can lead to a living faith and fulfilling life for today. Wipf & Stock Publishers.
Fort, G. (2018). Suffering another’s sin: Proxy penance in the thirteenth century. Journal of Medieval History, 44(2), 202–230. Web.
Holy Bible. (2020a). Bible gateway passage: Ephesians 3:17 – new international version. Bible Gateway. Web.
Holy Bible. (2020b). Bible gateway passage: Hosea 6:6 – new international version. Bible Gateway. Web.
Holy Bible. (2020c). Bible gateway passage: John 14:23 – New International version. Bible Gateway. Web.
Holy Bible. (2020d). Bible gateway passage: John 14:9-10 – new international version. Bible Gateway. Web.
Holy Bible. (2020e). Bible gateway passage: Matthew 5:43-45 – new international version. Bible Gateway. Web.
Holy Bible. (2020f). Bible gateway passage: Matthew 9:35 – new international version. Bible Gateway. Web.
Holy Bible. (2020g). Bible gateway passage: Revelation 21:3 – new international version. Bible Gateway. Web.