Biblical Theology [Paperback]

Vos is deep; but he's exactly what one would expect if one were to embark on the journey trying to understand the revelation of God to men. Among other things, Vos teaches the differences between Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology. If you don't know the differences, and you don't know why they matter, then you will enjoy Vos.

In this book Vos raises the bar on what it means to be Reformed. Some disagree with Vos' use of difficult words -- this is a fair complaint, I suppose, but it should encourage us to become better readers, not to leave off reading a great book. If you do little else in life, read Vos and you will have done much.

"Biblical Theology: Old & New Testaments" is Dr. Vos' most famous and comprehensive work. Dr. Geerhardus Vos served as Professor of Biblical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary for 39 years starting in 1894, exercising a significant influence on many eminent theologians of the 20th century, such as Machen, Murray, & Van Til. His insight into Biblical revelation is truly profound, and of his writings that I have read, this book is probably the best place to start. When the current faculty of Westminster Seminary (PA) had their (short) personal reading recommendations listed at the bookstore, this book found its way onto more lists than perhaps any other besides Calvin's Institutes. It would also be well worth introducing this book by reading Vos' inaugural address to the faculty of Princeton, available online.

It should be pointed out from the outset, that the term "Biblical Theology" is itself rather unfortunate, as Dr. Vos points out in his introduction, since all true theology has the Bible as its source and its criterion. In his inaugural address (henceforth IA), he said that "Biblical Theology, rightly defined, is nothing else than the exhibition of the organic process of supernatural revelation in its historic continuity and multiformity." Systematic Theology, for example, examines and organizes revelation systematically and logically, whereas Biblical Theology operates historically. It is important to understand that, as Vos always insisted, neither of the disciplines is more biblical than the other. Rather, they are two ways of studying the same phenomena from different perspectives.

The concept of the organic nature of revelation is prominent. Dr. Vos traces the growth of revelation as it parallels redemption. The great events in the history of redemption were accompanied by corresponding revelation. He saw that "the heart of divine truth, that by which men live, must have been present from the outset, and that each subsequent increase consisted in the unfolding of what was germinally contained in the beginning of revelation. The Gospel of Paradise is such a germ in which the Gospel of Paul is potentially present; and the Gospel of Abraham, of Moses, of David, of Isaiah and Jeremiah, are all expansions of this original message of salvation, each pointing forward to the next stage of growth, and bringing the Gospel idea one step nearer to its full realization." (IA) It will be seen how squarely opposed this view of Scripture is to Dispensationalism.

Another central feature of revelation brought out by Vos is its multiformity, an understanding of which is absolutely indispensable for proper Biblical interpretation. The great pitfall, to which probably all of us fall prey to some extent, is to exalt one aspect or feature of Biblical truth at the expense of another. A result would be, for example, Martin Luther's aversion to the book of James, based on his perception of its contradictory character to the teachings of the Apostle Paul. Not only does the truth have many facets which form an organic unity, but the time and the people that God chose to give His revelation were uniquely chosen to best emphasize the particular ideas. In Vos' words, "The truth having inherently many sides, and God having access to and control of all intended organs of revelation, shaped each one of these for the precise purpose to be served. The Gospel having a precise, doctrinal structure, the doctrinally-gifted Paul was the fit organ for expressing this, because his gifts had been conferred and cultivated in advance with a view to it."

Vos traces the history of revelation, beginning with the pre-redemptive revelation, through the periods of Noah, the Patriarchs, Moses, and finally the prophets in the Old Testament, and then on to the revelation preceding the birth of Jesus as well as Jesus' own self-disclosure in the four Gospels. He does not specifically address the remainder of the New Testament in this book. Vos' great strength is perceiving the unfolding progress of the plan of God for redemption, and he helped me understand things in the Bible that I never saw before. For instance, he describes how the period leading up to Noah was intended to show to mankind, starting immediately after the fall, just how far sin would go if it was left to itself. He explains how the division of tongues at Babel was a redemptive act of God, out of faithfulness to his promise to not destroy the earth again, since "if the whole of humanity had remained concentrated, the power of sin would likewise have remained united, and doubtless soon again have reached stupendous proportions."

In terms of difficulty, I think that Vos should be well within reach of anyone who is willing to concentrate a little bit. It is not light reading, but I did not find it nearly as demanding as, for instance, Van Til. It is probably true that the more effort you put into it, the more you will get out, but I did not find this book to be a chore to read by any means. I enjoyed this book very much, and I believe that my understanding of God's Word has been greatly helped by reading it. I hope that what I have said here will encourage others to read this book, as I am confident that it will be very beneficial to a believer's understanding of God's Word.

In this excellent book Vos shows the progression of God's plan of Redemption and revelation to man. Vos very clearly shows the harmony as well as the tension between the Old and New testaments.

Definitely not a book for unlearned folk wanting a quick introduction to reformed theology. Especially those inclined to fear big words. :-)