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Biblical Metanarrative

Categories: Literature

  • Words: 1827

Published: Jun 28, 2024

It's evident that the Bible tells a coherent story, a metanarrative.  Despite the differences in its content, the Bible affirms its unity from creation, fall of humankind, redemption through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and restoration through promise of an eternal life. It is evident that God guided the writing of these scriptures from beginning to end, demonstrating His Divine inspiration throughout (Barker et al., 2020).  Theological themes and concepts weave through God's word, connecting events over time and space to illustrate the scriptures' unity. It is possible to follow the theme of redemption through Creation, fall, Redemption and into the restoration or New Creation, demonstrating the power of God as it unifies the scriptures for our benefit. This paper has discussed the coherent and unified nature of the Bible. How the topics, the love of God and Redemption, unfold through these 4 major plots movements has also been discussed in the paper.

When it comes to religious belief and practice, knowing the oneness of scripture is just as vital as living, believing, and serving in unity (Millard, 2015). Christian unity is crucial so that most Christians can follow the teachings instead of living in sin and serving themselves. A proper understanding of the unity of scripture is critical to the development of a biblical worldview and complete service to God. Since Meta is a Greek term which means "beyond," and narrative denotes "story," metanarrative is a Greek word that encompasses "beyond the story." Metanarrative refers to the overall framework that permeates humans since the beginning of time - it's like a canopy that binds God and His creation together (Gabriel and Etzel, 2016). Described as a large-scale story, a metanarrative is a story where humans witness God at work and are linked together over time. Biblical metanarratives are a combination of minor stories from the Bible that form a long story. The Bible's central character is Jesus Christ, God's divine son. The redemption of creation and the return of all things to the Creator by Jesus Christ is the fundamental topic of this narrative. A key part of God's redemption and restoration plan lies in the creation, the fall of mankind, redemption of all men, and return of all things to God for their original purpose from before the beginning. By observing two themes that flow across the Scriptures, love and redemption, we can observe the unity of God's word.

God's love is described in several places in the Bible. The Bible describes God as loving. I John 4:7-21 states that God is love, but it goes beyond that (King James Version, 2020). Love is God's fundamental characteristic, as stated simply in 1 John 4:8. From the very beginning, when God created the universe, we can see his love. Man is made in the image of God, and God desires a connection with him (Wilkins, 2020). God created the universe and everything and everyone in Genesis 1 and 2, and he said it was good. He entrusted humans with the world and everything within. Man, on the other hand, succumbed to temptation due to his free will. Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which God had forbidden them to eat in the garden, allowing sin to infiltrate God's otherwise lovely creation. God still loved man even after he fell, and He provided a way for him to be saved. For all those who are lost, He sent His only Son as a means of redemption. The love of God for all humans is demonstrated in John 3:16.  Because of His love, God's desire to be in relationship with humankind was not lost as a result of the fall, but is made feasible for eternity through new creation enabled through love. The sacrifice of His Son created a means of redemption that will let all people who place their trust in Him to spend forever with Him in the presence of the Almighty in Heaven.

Another theme woven into the divine tapestry is the redemption of God. The theme of redemption is found throughout the Scriptures. In His wrath against our transgressions, the almighty transforms the suffering and evil we have caused into good for His glory. The goal of God is to redeem mankind and to rescue sinners through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ's death and resurrection reveal the culmination of the scripture narrative. God provided a path for His creatures to be saved even before the formation of the universe and human beings. A plan for redemption for mankind was created by God before man was ever born, because God is all-knowing. According to Proverbs 8:22-23, the redemption and crucifixion of Christ were not backup plans; rather, they were present from the very beginning (NASB, 2020). In Genesis 3:15, God revealed his plan for redemption, which began with Adam and Eve introducing sin into the world. His desire was communion with his creation. From the beginning, God's Son, Jesus Christ, accepted His role and knew that His role would be to save men and to redeem them (John 17:1-5). As a result of Christ's sacrifice for mankind, the plan of redemption has been completed, as has the New Creation that each person becomes after accepting Jesus as their Saviour. In Scripture, the last unifying aspect of redemption is eternity with God and His son, as per Revelations 21:3-4.

There is unity throughout the Bible, from creation to the fall, redemption, and creation again. Through a metanarrative, God communicated His love and plan of redemption, uniting the salvation story and God's plan for creation. Christ's display of God's love and redemption is the metanarrative that unifies God's writings. From Genesis to Revelations, God manifested His love for man through His plan of salvation. Isaiah 44:22, NKJV) says, "Return to me, for I have redeemed you." "Your transgressions have been wiped away like a dense fog, and your sins like a thick fog." This paper has explored the Bible's ability to be both coherent and cohesive in its message. The study also discusses how the themes of God's love and Redemption emerge over the four maj or story moves that comprise the biblical narrative.

References

    • Barker, K.  L., Strauss, M.  L., Brown, J.  K., Blomberg, C.  L., & Williams, M.  (Eds.). (2020). NIV study bible. Zondervan.
    • Gabriel Etzel and R. N. Small. (2016) Everyday Theology: Exploring the Christian Faith, King James Bible. (2020). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org Millard J.  Erickson.  (2015)  Introducing Christian Doctrine, ed. Arnold L.  Rustad, Third Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015), iii-iv.
    • New American Standard Bible. (2020) New American Standard Bible Online. https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-American-Standard-Bible-NASB/
    • Wilkins,  M.  J.  (2020). In  his  image:  Reflecting   Christ  in  everyday  life . Wipf and Stock Publishers.

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