Interpreting the Bible takes work. It may include knowing biblical language or using original language commentaries. It may require memorizing large portions of Scripture so that one can relate one text to the whole. It is not easy. And it is only the first step.

Have you ever wondered how to make a theological argument? While many tools can help us make arguments, there are four overlapping steps to making a theological argument. Here they are:

First, Restate the Meaning of a Biblical Text in its Canonical Context

Sometimes we make the assumption that restating the meaning of a biblical text ends our theological engagement. But that is not the case. We also need to relate that text to the whole Bible’s message. And even then, this represents only the first step of making a theological argument. 

Don’t misunderstand. Interpreting the Bible takes work. It may include knowing biblical language or using original language commentaries. It may require memorizing large portions of Scripture so that one can relate one text to the whole. It is not easy. And it is only the first step. 

Do remember, however, that “Not many of you should become teachers” (James 3:1) and “he gave … teachers” to the church (Eph 4:12). While everybody should know biblical truth, not everyone takes on the role of a teacher. This latter takes massive amounts of effort and also takes on massive amounts of risk (James 3:1). 

Second, Argue from Revealed Premises

Once one has interpreted the text and can restate it, then these become first principles for theology. If Genesis 1 says God created, then we conclude: God created and so is Creator. Adding the title “Creator” truly describes Genesis 1 despite the fact that the word “Creator” does not appear there. The concept does. 

Second, by stating that the Creator creates, a number of conclusions follow. If God created (and Genesis 1 says he created everything), then nothing precedes him. He created “in the beginning.” So God comes before all things. He has no cause nor creator. He is the uncaused and uncreated Creator. 

Next, by implication, God exists before any markers of time did (Gen 1:14), so it follows that he precedes the telling of time. And if he precedes the telling of time, he may precede time itself. This conclusion may follow from the nature of time, which seems simply to measure movement (Gen 1:14). If created things move and so can be measured by time (time here is a measurement of change), God does not move or change. He exists outside of what we call time. God is thus timeless. 

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